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@ e83b66a8:b0526c2b
2025-02-11 15:59:51
I am seeing a groundswell of interest in adopting Bitcoin in small businesses replacing or augmenting existing merchant services.
This has many advantages for these businesses including:
Attracting Bitcoiners as customers over your competitors.
Allowing a self custody payment system which does not require purchasing equipment, monthly service fees and high transaction fees.
Self custody your money, removing banks and merchant service companies from taking a cut or interfering in the transaction process. i.e. Bitcoin behaves much more like cash in face to face transactions.
Building a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve allowing your profits to accumulate in value over time, just as Bitcoin increases in value due to scarceness and increased adoption.
If any or all of these are interesting to you, then here are a scale of merchant options available to you depending on your needs and interests.
SOLE TRADER
The easiest way for a sole trader to accept Bitcoin is to download the app “Wallet of Satoshi”
https://www.walletofsatoshi.com/
or for regions this is not available, use a web equivalent called COINOS
https://coinos.io/
This gives everything you’ll need, Bitcoin and Lightning receiving addresses, publishable as text or scannable as a QR code. The ability to generate a specific value invoice using Lightning which can be paid face to face or remotely over the Internet and a wallet to hold your Bitcoin balance.
This is a perfect start point, but moving forward it has some drawbacks. It is custodial, meaning that a company actually holds your Bitcoin. Unlike a bank, if that company fails, you loose your Bitcoin.
There is also no direct ability to move that Bitcoin to fiat currencies like USD or GBP, so if you need some of those earnings to pay suppliers in fiat currencies, you will struggle to convert.
If you are an online only retailer, then the industry standard is BTCPay
https://btcpayserver.org/
which can be integrated into most e-commerce systems
TRADITIONAL MERCHANT SERVICES
So the next option is to use a Bitcoin merchant service company. They look very similar to traditional fiat merchant service companies, they can supply infrastructure like PoS terminals and also handle the payments for you, optionally settling balances to your bank in USD or GBP etc…
They charge for the physical devices and their services and they charge a fee on each transaction in the same way traditional merchant service companies do, but usually these fees are significantly smaller.
Companies like MUSQET can help setup your business in this way if you wish.
https://musqet.tech/
CONSULTANCY
The third option is to use a consultancy service like Bridge2Bitcoin
https://bridge2bitcoin.com/
this is a company that will come in, explain the concepts and options and build a service around your needs. The company will build the solution you are looking for and make their money by providing the equipment and optionally running the payment solution for you.
SELF BUILD
If you have experience with Bitcoin and have optionally run your own Lightning node for a while, the tools exist to be able to develop your own solution in-house. And just as Bitcoin allows you to be your own bank, so Lightning allows you to be your own merchant services company.
Solutions like Umbrel
https://umbrel.com/
running Albyhub
https://albyhub.com/
with their POS solution
https://pos.albylabs.com/
are a low cost option you can build yourself. If you require devices like PoS terminals, these can be purchased from companies like
Swiss Bitcoin Pay:
https://swiss-bitcoin-pay.ch/store#!/Bitcoin-Merchant-Kit/p/709060174
as a package or Bitcoinize directly or in volume:
https://bitcoinize.com/
There is also the lower cost option of use software loaded onto your staffs iPhone or Android phone to use as a PoS terminal for your business:
https://swiss-bitcoin-pay.ch/
Swiss Bitcoin Pay can also take the Bitcoin payment and settle a final amount daily or even convert to fiat and deposit in your bank the next day.
HYBRID
MUSQET also offer a PoS system for both Bitcoin and Fiat. They onboard merchants with traditional card services for Visa, Mastercard and Amex with Apple Pay and Google Pay all within the same device where they deploy Bitcoin Lightning as standard:
https://musqet.tech/
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@ c43d6de3:a6583169
2025-02-11 14:37:44
## A Brief History of Ownership
### The Forgotten Struggle for Ownership
History reveals that our ancestors labored—both intellectually and physically—to secure the freedoms we are subconsciously giving away.
We stand at the threshold of a new era.
Across the globe, long-established institutions are showing signs of strain. Trust in governments, banks, and major corporations is eroding, leaving many individuals feeling as though their rights are being infringed upon—even if they struggle to articulate exactly how. Social media and traditional news outlets amplify this sense of unease, painting a picture of impending upheaval, as if we are on the brink of a revolution whose name will only become clear in hindsight, once the first sparks ignite into a full-blown blaze.
Yet, when we examine the state of the global economy, this narrative begins to unravel. Economic inequality has reached levels unseen in nearly a century, and while many point fingers at politicians, policies, or the so-called greed of the 1% hoarding all the wealth, the true culprit may be much closer than most realize. At a time when legal structures worldwide strongly protect ownership and economic mobility, it is individuals themselves who are willingly surrendering their financial power to the very elites they criticize.
I know—“willingly” might seem like a stretch. After all, no one consciously chooses to give up their economic freedom. But take a closer look at the way people spend, borrow, and consume, and it becomes painfully clear: most are actively forfeiting their ability to build and own wealth.
How did we get here?
Much of this self-inflicted harm comes from a fundamental ignorance of the history of ownership and the struggles fought to secure it.
This article serves as a short exploration of the past.
I'll examine what might be considered the natural state of humanity, how the majority has historically struggled to achieve ownership rights, and the deadly conflicts that had to occur for the modern individual to enjoy the very rights they are now squandering.
### I. The Era of Communal Ownership
No one is born into this world alone.
We do not simply materialize into existence; we arrive as part of the first unit of human society—the family.
Before the rise of civilization, the primary focus of the family was survival. Ownership was a foreign concept, as early human tribes lived in a state of communal resource-sharing. Material possessions were fleeting, and with that, so was the notion of personal property.
In the state of nature, no individual had an exclusive claim to anything. Instead, ownership existed in a tribal sense: “This land belongs to us.” The idea of “mine” extended only by association—what belonged to the tribe also, by extension, belonged to each of its members.
This was a fragile system. Resources required constant upkeep, and as populations grew, leadership emerged to manage the complexity of distribution. This shift laid the foundation for the rise of kings and centralized authority. The concept of ownership, once a communal right, gradually became something dictated by those in power. The people no longer owned anything outright; they merely had the privilege of stewarding what belonged to their ruler.
### II. The Rise of Peasants and Kings
The first codified legal system, the Code of Hammurabi, laid out extensive laws on ownership. Interestingly, this ancient civilization granted more property rights to commoners than many societies did even a few centuries ago.
A few millennia later, Greece laid the philosophical foundations for ownership, but true legal protections for private property did not emerge until much later. In medieval Europe, ownership rights almost disintegrated—not even nobles truly owned land. Everything belonged to the king, and monarchs waged war over control of vast territories, including the people within them.
Meanwhile, in the Islamic Golden Age, the Middle East saw an unprecedented period of economic freedom. Under Sharia law, property rights were protected for the average citizen, something unheard of in much of medieval Europe. The extent of these rights depended largely on religious affiliation, but compared to their European counterparts, many commoners in the Islamic Empire enjoyed greater economic autonomy.
### III. The Birth of Property Rights: The Rights of Man
As the Islamic Golden Age waned and the Mongol Horde thundered toward Baghdad, another seismic shift was occurring in England. In 1215, rebellious nobles captured London and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, the first written document to impose limits on absolute monarchical power and introduce property protections—though these rights were initially reserved for the nobility.
This moment planted the seeds of change. Over the next several centuries, the fight for ownership rights expanded beyond the aristocracy. The Black Death (1347–1351) wiped out over 30% of England’s population, increasing labor shortages and bargaining power for peasants. By the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, the common man demanded a greater share of land and wealth.
Yet, it wasn’t until the 1700s with the Enclosure Acts that private property became legally protected for the broader population. What began as a noble rebellion in 1215 ultimately transformed ownership from royal privilege to individual liberty.
### IV. The Age of Renting: The Illusion of Ownership Today
Despite centuries of struggle, we now find ourselves at a paradoxical moment in history: ownership is more legally protected than ever, yet fewer people actually own anything of value.
**Homeownership in Decline:** The U.S. homeownership rate peaked in 2005, only to decline for a decade, hitting a low of 63% in 2015. Despite slight rebounds, high housing costs have pushed many into perpetual rentership.
**Vehicles as Subscriptions:** In 2024, one-fifth of new vehicles were leased, and long-term auto loans have become the norm. A financed car is not truly owned—it’s rented from a bank until the debt is cleared.
**The Subscription Economy:** Ownership of media, software, and even personal data has been replaced with monthly fees. Cloud storage, SaaS, and streaming services have ensured that we no longer possess even our own information.
### V. The Consequences of Financial Illiteracy
We now live in a society built on renting, where economic stability depends on a continuous stream of payments. The more we lease, subscribe, and finance, the more control shifts from individuals to corporations and financial institutions.
**This shift has profound implications:**
- A person who owns little has little power.
- A society that rents everything can be controlled by those who own everything.
- Wealth is no longer built through accumulation, but through debt and dependency.
For millennia, people fought for the right to own. Today, through financial illiteracy and consumer habits, we are giving it away.
How much do we truly own, and how much have we already forfeited?
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@ c69b71dc:426ba763
2025-02-11 14:07:34
# The Power of Words...
## ...Shaping a Compassionate Future
This morning I woke up with this thought:
**> If we were more mindful of our choice of words, we would immediately need to change the following: Schools would no longer have classes and classifications, but only Communities!**
This would make a huge difference in terms of togetherness, well-being, and caring for one another. 🙌🏼
### Language shapes reality
Words influence how we see the world and ourselves. When we replace terms like "classes" or "grades" with "community" and "development," it changes our entire way of thinking about education and coexistence.
For example, in companies, we often talk about "teams" instead of "departments." This unconsciously fosters unity, cooperation, and a sense of belonging on equal terms.
### Community instead of competition
In school, work, and everyday life, we often evaluate, compare, and classify. But what if we focused on cooperation and synergies instead of competition?
In some schools, there are no grades anymore, just individual feedback – this takes away the performance pressure and strengthens intrinsic motivation.
### Appreciation instead of categorization
Putting people in "boxes" – whether through grading systems, social classes, or job titles – often creates separation rather than connection.
Instead of labeling people as "successful" or "failed," we could ask: "What are their strengths? How can we support each other?"
Mindful language in everyday life
We could also reflect on our word choices in daily life:
Instead of "problem" → "challenge"
Instead of "failure" → "learning opportunity"
Instead of "mistake" → "experience"
### School as a mirror of society
How we learn to interact with each other in school shapes our behavior in society. When children grow up in communities instead of class systems, they learn that cooperation and empathy are more important than competition.
There are so-called democratic schools where there are no grade levels – children learn from each other across ages. Students support each other by sharing knowledge and helping each other. Teachers are seen as coaches, not as "all-knowing" authority figures.
They too are human and can learn from the children.
Many teachers want to give children something that will help them in life.
However, the rigid old school system dictates what must be taught and when, often disregarding the individual interests of the children. This stifles passions – in both the children and the teachers. Instead, teachers could act as inspiring sparks, igniting curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
-----------
> **A history teacher once said to me on the phone, when discussing my son who didn’t want to read printed Wikipedia sheets: "If there is no spark in the child, the teacher can’t ignite anything."
**
This sentence frustrated me, because it shows that this teacher had long since lost his own spark!
**Children always have a spark. Always!**
-----------
### A day without evaluations
What if we consciously refrained from evaluating others for one day – whether through grades, criticism, or labels?
Instead of saying to a friend, "You made a mistake," we could say, "That was an interesting experience – what did you learn from it?"
Instead of saying, "That wasn’t good," we could ask, "How could it be done differently or better?"
Instead of grading children in school, we could tell them what they did well and where they can still grow.
Instead of getting upset about a difficult customer, we could feel empathy for their situation.
### Mindful language as the key to change
**If we are more mindful with our language – also with how we speak to ourselves – we can shape a society where people meet each other with compassion. **
`Words are vibrations that shape reality. Chosen consciously, they can create a world based on connection, growth, and love.
It is up to us to start this change within ourselves – and carry it into the world.`
Thank you for reading 🕊️
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@ aade47fd:281e8e4f
2025-02-11 09:12:54
На этот раз для того, чтобы сделать ежедневную запись потребовалась всего одна неделя, а не две, как в прошлый раз. Я не собираюсь останавливаться!
---
### Личность
На этой неделе в коротких заметках я упомянал свою новую концепцию личности. Это структура, которая лежит на границе между мной и внешним миром. Эта тема волнует меня в эти дни, так что я хотел бы поговорить об этом подробнее.
Есть экзистенциальный, неизменный, самотождественный Я, есть трансцендентный внешний мир, а есть структура, по которой между этими частями происходит взаимодействие — личность. На внешний мир я имею опосредованное влияние, не подразумевающее прямые изменения и контроль, а вот личность лежит в поле моей ответственности. Можно даже сказать, что больше никакой ответственности и не существует.
В любой момент времени я могу принять решение о том, чем будет наполнена моя жизнь. Что я буду впускать в нее, а что отсеивать. И наоборот: я несу ответственность за то, что транслирую в окружающий мир, какое влияние имею.
Формирование личности это комплекс из аксеологических ( ценностных) и праксиологических настроек. Задача состоит в том, чтобы сделать добродетель своей привычкой.
Как стать хорошим человеком? Что это значит конкретно? Что мешает стать хорошим человеком? Не простые вопросы. Предлагаю пойти от обратного: может ли хороший человек "распуститься"? Полагаю, да. Это значит, что поддержание личности в форме требует постоянного усилия. А еще можно было предствить себя безупречного и попытаться почувствовать, какие актуальные привычки и настроения помешали бы тебе удержаться в этом состоянии долго.
Я считаю эту работу наиболее важной. Чем более конкретно человек способен описать собственные амбиции, тем больше в жизни энергии и меньше мусора.
---
### Философия
А кто я, собственно, такой, чтобы придумывать словам новые значения? Вот есть же определение для личности из словаря. Зачем людей с толку сбивать?
А дело все в том,, что словарное определение никаким образом мою жизнь не обогащает, оно для меня бесполезно. Бесполезное слово (бессмысленное) слово — тупой нож.
Кто принял решение жить своей жизнью (то есть, просто жить), тот называет вещи своими именами, а не руководствкется букварем с картинками. Работу над собственным языком я называю философией, а человека, нашедшего в себе смелость жить своей жизнью — философом.
---
### Воспитание
Никогда не замечали, что все специалисты (люди, посвятившие себя только одному виду деятельности) одинаковы между собой? В то же время не найдете двух одинаковых людей в междисциплинарном пространстве. Я смотрю по сторонам и нахожу все больше подтверждений тому, что чем в большем числе направлений развивается человек, тем больше шанс, что в любой из них он окажется выдающимся.
Специалисты нужны экономике, государству, обществу, но только не самим себе. Полноценное воспитание подразумевает развитие в максимальном количестве направлений. Похоже, это не просто античный идеал или идеал эпохи возраждения, а природа человека.
Самая тяжелая детская травма, о которой все молчат, это вопрос "Кем ты хочешь стать, когда вырастешь?". Безупречным я хочу стать, ограниченный ты идиот.
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На сегодня все! До завтра!