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Bitcoin Rules to Live By

1

HODL Above All

Never sell your Bitcoin out of panic; time in the market beats attempts to time the market.

2

Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins

Control your private keys or someone else controls your Bitcoin. Custody is sovereignty.

3

Hard Money over Easy Money

A currency with a fixed supply enforces discipline; a currency with an ever-expanding supply encourages decay.

4

Scarcity Creates Value

Bitcoin's 21 million limit turns digital bits into a store of economic energy that cannot be inflated away.

5

Decentralization is the Shield

Central points of failure lead to corruption and systemic fragility. Distribute power; protect value.

6

Run Your Own Node

Validate your own transactions or trust someone else's truth. Sovereignty starts with self-verification.

7

The Protocol is King

Code enforces rules fairly and without bias; humans do not always.

8

Proof-of-Work Secures All

Energy usage is the foundation of unforgeable costliness, making Bitcoin an incorruptible ledger.

9

Censorship Resistance is Non-Negotiable

If transactions can be stopped, money becomes a tool of control.

10

The Difficulty Adjustment Keeps the Balance

Mining always aligns with the network's pace, preventing runaway inflation or sudden stops.

11

Digital Gold in the Modern Age

Gold was once the bedrock of value. Bitcoin is gold's upgrade in portability, divisibility, and verifiability.

12

Stack Sats, Stay Humble

Focus on consistently growing your Bitcoin holdings rather than chasing short-term price swings.

13

Inflation is a Hidden Tax

Fiat money printing dilutes value. A deflationary asset protects your purchasing power.

14

Overcome FUD with Facts

Fear, uncertainty, and doubt fade when met with verifiable data and patient research.

15

You Can't Print Trust

Scarce money cannot be replaced by political promises. Confidence is built on provable scarcity.

16

No Middlemen, No Limits

Peer-to-peer transactions remove friction and empower individuals.

17

Delay Gratification, Reap Bigger Rewards

Short-term speculation is a trap. Long-term thinking amplifies gains in a system designed to reward holders.

18

Secession from Broken Money

Opting into Bitcoin allows exit from currencies governed by centralized mandates.

19

Immutable Ledger, Immutable Truth

What's written on the chain is final. Revisionist history has nowhere to hide.

20

Volatility is the Price of Freedom

The free market sets Bitcoin's value. Roller coaster swings come with the territory.

21

Sound Money Fixes the Incentives

When money cannot be devalued arbitrarily, behavior in society shifts toward responsibility.

22

Protect Privacy or Lose Freedom

Pseudonymous addresses and robust network practices shield personal sovereignty.

23

All Roads Lead to Self-Custody

No matter your starting point—hardware wallet, software wallet, or exchange—ultimate security means holding your own keys.

24

The Halving Enforces Discipline

Every four years, block rewards shrink. This diminishing issuance keeps inflation in check.

25

Unforgeable Costliness is Security

Mining's electricity usage is not wasted; it enforces digital scarcity that cannot be faked.

26

Cypherpunk Roots: Freedom Through Cryptography

Bitcoin stands on decades of cryptographic progress, championing individual liberty over surveillance.

27

Price Is a Reflection of Belief

Bitcoin's market cap measures collective faith in decentralized money.

28

Code as Law, Consensus as Governance

Protocol changes require broad consensus, preventing unilateral control.

29

An Antidote to Cronyism

Fair issuance and open source code reject favoritism and hidden deals.

30

Mathematics Doesn't Lie

Algorithmic issuance and blockchain validation are objective forces, free of human error.

31

Resist the Siren Song of Shiny New Altcoins

Bitcoin's track record stands on security and adoption; novelty alone does not guarantee stability.

32

Liquid Global Market

BTC trades 24/7 across borders, forging the most open monetary network ever seen.

33

Hardened by Attacks

Every critique or attempt to subvert Bitcoin only reinforces its resilience.

34

Mining: The Race to Solve, The Reward to Secure

Competition among miners powers the network, linking monetary rewards to proof-of-work.

35

The Ultimate Exit Strategy

When institutions falter, self-sovereign money is the lifeboat.

36

Freedom from Capital Controls

Bitcoin knows no borders, enabling financial autonomy where governments clamp down.

37

Digital Bearer Asset

Possession of private keys equates to ownership, akin to holding physical coins but in cyberspace.

38

A Hedge Against Government Overreach

Should institutions abuse power, Bitcoin remains a parallel system unbound by decrees.

39

Bitcoin Is Permissionless

Anyone, anywhere, can create a wallet and transact—no gatekeepers required.

40

Unconfiscatable by Design

Strong cryptography ensures that no state or entity can seize your properly secured BTC.

41

Trade Fear for Conviction

Emotional markets feed panic selling. Knowledge-based conviction leads to calm decision-making.

42

Monetary Technology: Time-Stamping Value

Each block anchors every transaction to history, forging a chronological chain of trust.

43

The Beauty of Simplicity

Bitcoin's core protocol remains relatively simple, making it robust and easier to trust.

44

Infinite Divisibility, Universal Reach

Satoshis scale to meet any valuation, ensuring everyone can transact at any price point.

45

Proof-of-Work Over Proof-of-Authority

Hard computational work is the ultimate arbiter of truth, not a privileged few.

46

Skeptics Fuel the Fire

Disbelief forces holders to confront objections, fortifying Bitcoin's ideological base.

47

A Mirror for Money's True Nature

Bitcoin reveals how flawed fiat is. By comparison, decentralized scarcity shines.

48

Never Betray Your Future Self

Selling during market fear may sacrifice long-term gains for fleeting comfort.

49

Don't Trust, Verify

Inspect the blockchain, review the code, hold your keys—do the work yourself.

50

Societal Shifts Begin with Monetary Shifts

Changing the root layer of commerce ripples out, impacting politics, culture, and economics.

51

Fiat Profits Seek Shelter in Hard Assets

As printing intensifies, capital flees to assets that retain purchasing power—Bitcoin is chief among them.

52

Memes Tell the Story

"Have fun staying poor" or "Fix the money, fix the world" reflect deeper truths.

53

One Global Ledger, One Source of Truth

Everyone sees the same data; illusions of local manipulation vanish.

54

Adoption Breeds Network Effects

Each new user, business, or developer magnifies Bitcoin's utility and resilience.

55

Open to All, Forgiving to None

If you make mistakes with private keys, there's no undo. The system is neutral, not benevolent.

56

Market-Set Monetary Policy

The decentralized consensus dictates issuance, immune to political meddling.

57

Bitcoin is Security Theater's Kryptonite

Attempts to impose arbitrary rules on Bitcoin transactions face a global, unstoppable network.

58

Inflation Clowns vs. Bitcoiners

Those who mock sound money eventually confront the harsh outcomes of unbridled printing.

59

Protect Future Generations

Establish a store of value that children and grandchildren can rely on.

60

Sovereignty Scales One Key at a Time

Each individual who takes custody of their keys expands the circle of decentralized authority.

61

Volatility Is a Right of Passage

Surviving the wild swings fortifies your belief in a durable store of value.

62

Proof-of-Work: The Firewall Against Unearned Privilege

Mining eliminates shortcuts; success demands real-world effort and energy.

63

Peace Through Neutral Money

A currency not controlled by any state reduces financial conflict.

64

Leave No Attack Surface Unsecured

Hardware wallets, multisig solutions, and cold storage exist for a reason—use them.

65

One Protocol to Unite Them All

Base-layer simplicity can anchor diverse layers (Lightning Network, sidechains) to expand functionality.

66

No Bailouts for Bad Behavior

If you fail, the market punishes; moral hazard has no safe haven in Bitcoin.

67

The UTXO Tells No Lies

Each unspent output is accounted for mathematically; deceit is swiftly exposed.

68

HODL Ethos is Culture, Not Fad

A community that prizes long-term holding fosters resilience in the face of adversity.

69

Transparency without Identity Compromise

The ledger is open, yet individual addresses remain pseudonymous if used carefully.

70

The Sovereign Individual Wields Bitcoin

Personal control of wealth fosters personal responsibility in the digital era.

71

Network Health Over Price Action

A robust hash rate and node count is more meaningful than short-term price swings.

72

Exit Means Freedom

Opting out of fiat into Bitcoin is a peaceful protest against monetary mismanagement.

73

Nature of Money Is a Game of Trust

Bitcoin replaced implicit trust in authorities with explicit trust in math and code.

74

Every Satoshi Counts

Tiny fractions scale into larger significance over time; micro-ownership fosters broader inclusion.

75

Curiosity is the On-Ramp

Today's critics might be tomorrow's staunch supporters; learning leads to adoption.

76

Maximalism is a Protective Instinct

Defending Bitcoin's purity preserves the integrity of its monetary properties.

77

Proof-of-Stake Misses the Point

Simply holding more cannot secure a system the way real-world energy usage can.

78

Decouple from the Fiat Mindset

Stop measuring Bitcoin in fiat terms; measure fiat in Bitcoin terms.

79

Social Attacks are Tests of Conviction

Mainstream narratives may paint BTC as outdated or harmful, but data and proven resilience prevail.

80

Every Bitcoin Cycle is a Lesson

Each bull and bear run clarifies the network's capabilities and the community's conviction.

81

Donate to Development

Support the programmers and organizations that keep Bitcoin's open-source code secure.

82

A Trustless System Brings Higher Trust

By removing faith in centralized parties, the network fosters global confidence in immutable rules.

83

Study Monetary History

From barter to gold to paper money, each transition shapes the next era. Bitcoin emerges as the next stage.

84

Security First, Convenience Second

Resist the temptation of frictionless custody solutions at the cost of losing self-sovereignty.

85

Caution: Governments Resist Competition

State actors may fear and fight decentralized money, so always remain vigilant.

86

The Orange Pill: Once Swallowed, No Going Back

Once you understand Bitcoin's fundamentals, you see fiat cracks everywhere.

87

Store-of-Value to Medium-of-Exchange

Bitcoin's journey started as a novelty, evolved into a store of value, and moves toward a universal currency.

88

Open-Source Ecosystem Ensures Integrity

Thousands of eyes on the code means fewer opportunities for hidden backdoors.

89

Individual Empowerment Through Encryption

By harnessing cryptographic tools, people reclaim autonomy from institutional gatekeepers.

90

Money Printer Goes Brrr, Bitcoin Goes Brrilliant

Endless fiat printing underscores the advantage of holding an asset that cannot be inflated.

91

Adversity as a Rite of Passage

Regulatory crackdowns, media FUD, and market crashes test the faithful and strengthen the network.

92

Every Gimmick Has a Shelf Life

Overhyped altcoins and fleeting blockchain projects often fade; Bitcoin's utility endures.

93

Guard Your Seed Phrase as You Would Your Life

The 12 or 24 words grant access to your wealth; lose them and your Bitcoin is gone forever.

94

Open Access, No Discrimination

The code doesn't care about nationality, credit score, or social status. Everyone is equal on the chain.

95

Trust Emerges Through Transparency

Bitcoin's ledger removes the veil that hides corruption, forging a cleaner monetary system.

96

Exchanges Are Not Bank Accounts

Storing large amounts on an exchange is handing over sovereignty; use them for trades, not custody.

97

Skepticism is Healthy, but Keep Learning

Question everything, yet remain open to evidence and the system's hard facts.

98

Secure the Base Layer, Expand in Layers Above

Lightning and sidechains allow fast, cheap transactions without compromising mainnet security.

99

The Best Time to Buy Was Yesterday, The Next Best Time is Today

Waiting for the "perfect dip" may lead to missing out on long-term gains.

100

Bitcoin Doesn't Need You, You Need Bitcoin

The protocol is bigger than any individual; it operates regardless of who joins or leaves.