Bitcoin is a revolutionary cryptocurrency. It single-handedly jump-started the cryptocurrency space, allowing crypto-enthusiasts and traders to invest and get into cryptocurrency trading, and gave rise to a host of other cryptocurrencies that completely changed the landscape of the financial and investment markets. Several individuals took full advantage of the bitcoin evolution and went from rags to riches in the blink of an eye, all thanks to their investment in bitcoin. However, it also led to severe losses because some people could not understand how bitcoin trading worked.
Top 10 Best Stories About How Bitcoin Changed Lives Across the World
Here are the top 10 best stories of people who took full advantage of bitcoin and whose inspirational memoirs about their Bitcoin investments are worth knowing. If you are interested in buying bitcoin, find a trusted trading platform here.
Bitcoin Revolution Story #1: The Teenage Bitcoin Millionaire – Erik Finman
When teenagers juggled between schools, homework, and sports, Erik Finman negated the college-bound paths and tried his hand in cryptocurrency trading. The story of this teenage millionaire starts on an Easter day in 2011. Erik received a generous gift of $1,000 from his grandmother when he was 12. Unlike other kids who would have spent it all, Erik turned his attention to bitcoin trading and decided to invest it in Bitcoin.
Surprisingly, just after two years, Bitcoin’s price shot up to $1200, and his bold decision paid off. This successful experience motivated Erik to sell his Bitcoin and use the money to launch a start-up called Botangle. Botangle was an online education company, a successful web venture where he provided video tutorial services. He paid off all his employees in Bitcoin.
Botangle became the centre of attention within no time, and investors placed Erik on the horns of a dilemma with a seemingly difficult choice. The offer was to either sell the company for $100,000 or 300 Bitcoins. For Erik, the Bitcoin hogger, this was not a difficult choice. He again placed everything on Bitcoin with the hope of becoming a millionaire by 18.
Currently, his focus is to establish a start-up that involves cryptocurrencies intended to participate in developing a satellite for NASA. Erik says, “I can say today that I own 403 bitcoins which are currently valued at $1,092,678.08 with Bitcoin price being at $2,711.36 plus some other money invested in other things.”
Bitcoin Revolution Story #2: The One Who Sold His Worldly Possessions and Bought A Millionaire Life: Kingsley Advani
One needs real guts and a strong determination to sell all the hard-earned savings, make difficult investment decisions and invest them in a volatile market like crypto trading. Sometimes, such a leap of faith helped Kingsley Advani. The 24-year-old Advani became a millionaire with his initial investment in Bitcoin.
It was in 2012 that Advani planned to change the path of his life. His friend introduced him to Bitcoin, and apart from the circumstances, he saw the bigger picture and possibilities this crypto could make in the future. At an age where people tried hard to climb up the career ladder at a competitive pace, the data scientist Advani worked hard to invest in Bitcoin. He emptied all his savings, his laptop, headphones, etc., and poured $34,000 in it.
Well, it was a risk worth taking as Advani turned his investment into a low-seven-figure sum with the amazing bull run of 2017. With the value of Bitcoin doubling since his initial investment, Advani is a crypto millionaire today. Moving from a desk-based job, he now travels around the world imparting wisdom and his passion for cryptocurrency as an advisor.
Things were not easy for Advani, and everything didn’t just fall into his lap. He started reading white papers, never missed a piece of single news about blockchain technology and spent his time in isolation distracting himself from everything else. He advises other investors to first invest their whole time and energy in researching the trends of cryptocurrencies, learn about crypto trading and then invest in cryptos. In discussion with Business Insider, he adds, “Only put in what you can afford to lose,” which is a message worth to its core.
Bitcoin Revolution Story #3: A Millionaire by Sheer Fluke: Kristoffer Koch
The story of Kristoffer Koch, the millionaire by accident, might come as a real surprise for you. For some, luck hits in the most unexpected time. With an investment of $26.60 in 5000 Bitcoins, which is a breath-taking value, Kristoffer made a fortune.
It was in 2009 that Kristoffer decided to invest in the digital currency Bitcoin. He was doing his thesis on encryption and came across it during his research. Bitcoin was in its nascent stage; therefore, he completely forgot about his small investment and moved on with his everyday life.
A stroke of realization hit him in 2013 when all the media was flooded with the news of Bitcoin daily. Kristoffer was wonderstruck, remembering that he, too, owns a good amount of Bitcoin.
Later, he spent a few days searching for the correct password to his encryption of fortune, the Bitcoin wallet. He instantly exchanged one-fifth of his investment for $886,000. Kristoffer bought himself a luxurious apartment in Norway and started enjoying his luckily found millionaire life.
Kristoffer quoted, “Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that they would have soared like this. It’s bizarre. These psychological reflexes that make us attach a value to something that doesn’t have any in itself.”
Bitcoin Revolution Story #4: The Mysterious Millionaire: Mr. Smith
Mr. Smith is the millennial millionaire who proudly flaunts his wealth by travelling across the world in first-class flights and 5-star suites. Smith is a mysterious Bitcoin millionaire, first interviewed by Forbes when he earned over $25 million from Bitcoin. In his ultra-luxurious style, this wanderlust has visited places like Singapore, New York, Las Vegas, Moscow, Monaco, and the list goes on.
The story of Mr. Smith starts with his initial investment of $3000 worth of Bitcoin in October 2010. He was working at a Silicon Valley company and was living a simple everyday life. For the next three years, Smith used to check the price of Bitcoin every couple of months. In his interview with Forbes, he said, “I knew from the very start that I was playing the long game. I wanted to see how high it could go.”
He put an end to the wait when the Bitcoin price hit $800. Smith cashed out 42.3 million, quit his job, and started living his luxurious life to its fullest form. Securing $25 million from an investment of $3000, this is how a millionaire was born!
Mr. Smith, the epitome of new money, quotes about the spontaneity of Bitcoin in his Forbes interview, “I couldn’t believe how quickly it was appreciating. It started rising by 10% or more every day. I was nervous, and excited, and terrified and confused all at the same time.”
Bitcoin Revolution Story #5: The Ultimate Hodler: 50 Cent
Who knew that the miraculous rapper 50 Cent, aka Curtis Jackson, has a million worth of investment in his account! The truth is, not even himself. According to the celebrity gossip website TMZ, it took him a while to find out that he had a gold mine of around 700 Bitcoin, which was worth more than $7 million on the day he realized it.
The story of this Bitcoin millionaire dates back to 2014 when he was the world’s first artist to accept Bitcoin as a means of payment. It all started with his album called “Animal Ambition, where he gave his fans the golden opportunity to buy the album from his website with Bitcoin. Little did he know that it was the initiation of his golden opportunity.
The 700 Bitcoins that he earned from the sales were left untouched until 2018 when he realized that it is worth $7.7 million. The musician’s bold and smart decision to sell his music for Bitcoin has secured him a wealthy fortune and name in the market. He has paved the way for many musicians to accept virtual coin payments for songs.
50 Cent confirmed the news and his excitement by taking it to his Twitter handle and Instagram, saying, “this is not bad for a kid from the south side.”
Bitcoin Revolution Story #6: The Emperor of the ‘Crypto Castle’: Jeremy Gardner
Jeremy Gardner is another young crypto millionaire who secured a fortune with nothing but a few Bitcoin. Jeremy is not merely a Bitcoin millionaire who buys and sells coins, rather an intelligent entrepreneur who has world-changing solutions and visions. The story of this self-made rich kid dates back to 2013.
On a typical day, Jeremy got his hands on Bitcoin from his friend who offered some Bitcoin in exchange for cashback. The enthusiastic teenager was keen on this new digital currency and started researching cryptocurrencies, trends, and markets until he was convinced that Bitcoin was here to stay. Jeremy had his strong-based plans. He launched a decentralized prediction market, called Augur which soared high in the following years.
In 2014, the Bitcoin millionaire co-founded the Blockchain Education Network, a non-profit group initiated to empower students about blockchain technology worldwide. Jeremy’s most significant ventures are the three-story residence in San Francisco, named The Crypto Castle. A hub for cryptocurrency entrepreneurs to stay, discuss and plan their next steps.
Jeremy mentioned his excitement about Bitcoin in an interview with the Business Insider, “There was this realization that I could, with just an internet connection, exchange value with anyone in the world who also has an internet connection. “
Bitcoin Revolution Story #7: Securing A Millionaire Fortune from The First Job: Olaf Carlson Wee
Well, first jobs are always special, but what if your first job is a golden ticket to your future? It’s not just a dream but the reality of Carlson Wee, the first employee of Coinbase wallet in 2013. Even before the crypto market flourished, Carlson was an ardent believer of its existence and invested his money in Bitcoin.
Even when his first investment crashed down, he didn’t lose his faith and gained more insight into the world of cryptocurrency by joining as an employer in Coinbase. He decided to get paid by Bitcoin only because he knew the potential of this cryptocurrency.
As Bitcoin began to soar to highs within the fullness of time, Carlson had more than enough investment to make him a millionaire. Within a matter of months, his assets went from $4 million to $200 million. Because of his far-sightedness, Forbes mythologizes him as the ‘man who has been living on Bitcoin for three years”.
In a telephonic interview with Forbes, he said, “I view Bitcoin as the more democratic version of money and value transfer because no one controls it. I expect the Internet to be around longer than any nation-state, so a nation-state-backed currency is less safe than an Internet currency in my mind.”
Bitcoin Revolution Story #8: The ‘Bitcoin Jesus’: Roger Ver
As the name resonates, Roger Ver is one of the most famous vocal proponents of Bitcoin long before it became popular among investors. Ver has been a significant persona in promoting cryptocurrency from an unknown commodity to a valuable and widely accepted asset. This controversial investor has amassed an almost huge wealth of $520 million, being an early investor in Bitcoin and several Bitcoin-related start-ups.
Ver’s success story dates back to 2011 when he was introduced to Bitcoin through a podcast. He was immediately keen to know more about this digital currency and believed in its successful future. He has continuously pushed for Bitcoin’s adoption worldwide and his company MemoryDealers was the first-ever company to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment.
Today this Bitcoin millionaire is the CEO of Bitcoin.com and the co-creator of Bitcoin cash. In the end, all the vocal proponents, shout-outs, and advice about Bitcoin and its future paid him off with a luxurious life.
This ardent believer of Bitcoin stated to CNBC that “Bitcoin will experience many bubbles along its way to improving the lives of everyone on the planet.”
Bitcoin Revolution Story #9: The Bitcoin Pizza Day: Laszlo Hanyecz
Hanyecz will never regret spending that 10k Bitcoin for two large pizzas! The Bitcoin pizza day’s history dates back to May 22, 2010, when Laszlo Hanyecz agreed to pay 10,000 Bitcoins for the two Papa John’s pizzas.
Since that day, Hanyecz’s pizzas have gotten more expensive. The 5th anniversary of Bitcoin Pizza Day was celebrated with two pizzas at a value of $2.4 million. BTC was a very less known asset in the market when Hanyecz decided to make the exchange as such, the Bitcoin price was very low. Until today, May 22, is celebrated as Bitcoin Pizza Day, where both Bitcoiners and pizza vendors are toast.
The best way to celebrate the day is to make a pizza purchase with Bitcoins. This little milestone is also a reminder that however insignificant or small things are, they might have the potential to make great transformations in the world.
Hanyecz told the NY Times, “It wasn’t like Bitcoins had any value back then, so the idea of trading them for a pizza was incredibly cool.”
Bitcoin Revolution Story #10: The Bitcoin Family: The Taihuttu family
The Taihuttu family’s story is quite breath-taking as the whole family with three kids bet everything they had on Bitcoin. They sold everything and hit the road travelling around the world. Taihuttu first came across Bitcoin in 2013 and started studying it deeply. He and his two friends started mining Bitcoin with powerful computers and kept a watch on the trends.
Today the Bitcoin family has a blog where they write interesting stories about their travel, investments, and how they started living a minimalistic nomadic life to invest in Bitcoin. They also wrote about places that accept Bitcoin as a mode of exchange and their views about the crypto market’s future.
Even when the Bitcoin price saw a massive correction in 2018, the Bitcoin family didn’t panic. Instead, they re-invested with more determination and ambition than ever. They continued their adventure with neither bank accounts nor properties, which is still a remarkable story related to Bitcoin.
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Source: Plato Data Intelligence