Name: Greg Zaj

Country: USA! USA! USA! USA!

How long have you been into Bitcoin and what got you interested?

I have been interested in bitcoin for quite a while. I made my first purchase in 2015, but had known about it since a few years before that. I was initially interested because internet money looked like a really cool technology, and the White Paper explained a solution to a problem that was pretty easy to understand.

Best Bitcoin experience and worst Bitcoin experience?

Best Bitcoin experience was being at Bitcoin 2021 just off stage when Jack Mallers gave the El Salvador/Legal Tender announcement. There was so much energy in the room. Nobody thought we would see a sovereign adopt Bitcoin this early, and it was just a major vindication for everyone who understands and espouses the game theory associated with Bitcoin.

Worst Bitcoin experience? Fuck you. Not buying and holding ever since I found out about it. Fuck it. Live and learn. I’m still early, but missing out on those early gains in purchasing power hurts.

What is the biggest fail you have seen in the Bitcoin world?

The biggest fail is the same fail that most folks have to come to grips with. The failure I’m talking about is not taking control of one’s own ego when researching Bitcoin. People have a tendency to feel like they “missed the boat” with Bitcoin, and think they can replicate the returns associated with Bitcoin by finding “the next Bitcoin.” There is no “the next Bitcoin.” Take your failure to get on board earlier, integrate it, and move on. Stay humble and stack those sats. Time is your friend for now.

How did you get into memeing about Bitcoin?

I got into memeing about Bitcoin because I wanted to contribute to the ecosystem in some way. I was absorbing a lot of information and building my framework for understanding Bitcoin, and saw that there was an information asymmetry attack vector that shitcoiners were using to slow Bitcoin adoption and sew FUD. They were just dropping a bunch of bullshit all over the place, and to combat it, Bitcoiners were spending large amounts of time in threads arguing with these people and debunking their arguments. It’s a losing strategy, and Bitcoiners needed a way to communicate dense ideas quickly and easily. I liked memes, and it turns out that a lot of Bitcoin information can be condensed into memes. This is my contribution to the space. I can’t code, I don’t have the time or inclination to write treatises on Bitcoin or Austrian economics. I can shitpost with the best of them, though.

Why do you think memeing is important in Bitcoin?

Memeing is important in Bitcoin because it is useful in distilling complex ideas and frameworks (which abound in economics) into easily digestible tidbits. It’s easier to Stack Sats and Chill than it is to take a certain percentage of every one of your paychecks and store that monetary energy in an asset that can’t be debased and not think about it for a decade.  

Memeing is the most effective weapon Bitcoiners have to combat propaganda and FUD. There are large entities with deep pockets who are enemies of Bitcoin.  These entities have a multitude of ways to spread anti-bitcoin messaging to condition people to think a certain way about it. The best way to combat these FUD attempts is to hit back with unassailable facts, logic, and humor. That combination is deadly to a narrative that is not based in fact.

How do you feel about Memers getting paid by companies to market their products?

Free market economics at play, baby. If you can get paid by a Bitcoin company to promote a Bitcoin product, then why wouldn’t you?

What is your favorite Bitcoin meme of all time?

Morgan Freeman put one out a few months back that is pretty hard to top:

What inspires your best memes?

My best memes come out of conversations I have with people on Bitcoin topics. The funniest people I know are my brother, my wife, and the Meme Factory™ memers. Nearly all of my best memes have come out of conversation with those people.

Why do people always say, “Fuck you Greg?”

It’s not that complex. I’m an asshole. I’m a loveable asshole, but I’m definitely an asshole. I’m always pissing someone off in any number of ways. The Fuck U Greg meme was birthed from me being an asshole to my friends, and them popularizng the response.

What is the best memer rivalry story you have? 

Chairforce. That dirty bastard immortalized Fuck U Greg by paying to have it displayed on one of CryptoCloaks’ printers. We had been memeing insults at each other all day, this is a useful exercise for any memer, and he just happened to get this one final one-up on me to put the battle to rest.

Who is the biggest Bitcoin sell out that deserves to be put on blast?

That’s a tough question. I don’t know. Everyone who has needed a shellacking in recent history has gotten it.

Why is it important to call out the bad actors?

It is important to call out bad actors because there is already enough fraud, grift and lies in the legacy finance system. Bitcoin is about restoring truth to economic calculation and bringing human economic activity in line with natural law and the laws of thermodynamics. Bad actors delay that future, and keep the legacy fraud and grift alive longer than it has any right to exist.

Who are some of the most hardcore Bitcoiners you know and why?

The two most hardcore Bitcoiners I know are Christine Lagarde, and Jerome Powell. Those two have been doing everything in their power to usher in a Bitcoin Standard. I can’t think of anything more hardcore than killing the system in which you currently operate to bring about a bright orange future. My hat is off to both of them. I’m not sure that anyone, other than Satoshi, has done more to advance Bitcoin than either of them.

Why do you think some people, especially noobs gravitate to shitcoins?

People are losing hope. They don’t believe in the future. They are watching their institutions fail in real time. Narcissism and Postmodernism are the isms of the day. People gravitate towards shitcoins because it’s a chance at escaping a life that they don’t want. They know the financial game is rigged against them, and they are looking for a quick fix to their situation. Shitcoins offer the narrative that one could get insanely rich overnight if one just chooses the right coin. It’s bullshit, the vast majority of them are scams designed to separate good hard-working people from their money. It takes a lot of work to grok Bitcoin. That work is daunting. A noob, by definition, hasn’t yet put in the work to understand what Bitcoin is and how it fits in the world.

What do you think about this latest dip and the short term future of Bitcoin?

It’s a great opportunity to stack some relatively cheap sats. The short term future of Bitcoin is volatile. Zoom out. Plan on a longer timeline than you have been accustomed to. Think about where Bitcoin is headed 10-20-30 years from now. Nobody knows what will happen with Bitcoin in the short term. Anyone who tells you they know is full of shit.

Do you consider yourself a Bitcoin Maximalist? If so, why?

I do, insofar as it describes me as a person who sees Bitcoin being the base layer of money in the future.

What Bitcoin startups or companies are you most excited about?

Any American Bitcoin mining company. These are the people that will create the most important Bitcoin derivatives. Through political influence, they will create a favorable regulatory environment. With Bitcoin’s economic incentives, the miners will help to develop new energy sources and make the electric grid more antifragile. Their demand for ASICs will drive down the cost for the mining equipment, and help to onshore production in the USA. More production and local production means the prices will continue to drop, and the miners will become ubiquitous which will only strengthen the network.

What are your goto Bitcoin storage options?

I have Bitcoin spread across multiple devices and types of wallets. Some sits on my node. I have a Jade wallet from Blockstream which works quite well. I have a Ledger (I know) and a Trezor. I use OpenDimes from CoinKite for when I’m gifting Bitcoin to friends and family. I use the BlueWallet, Blockstream Green, and Strike wallets on my phone. I want to get a ColdCard as well, but haven’t purchased one yet.

Any tips you want to give to people new to Bitcoin?

Just do the work to understand the asset you have and its place in history. Stick to Bitcoin-only companies and news sources for products and information when and where you can. Get your Bitcoin off of the exchange and into a wallet for which you control the keys.

Name some of your favorite information sources and/or podcasts in the space.

TIP - Preston Pysh

Bitcoin Audible - Guy Swann

TFTC - MATT ODELL and Marty Bent

Bitcoin Rapid Fire and Closing The Loop - John Vallis

The Bitcoin Standard Podcast - Saifedean

Citadel Dispatch - MATT ODELL

Orange Pill Podcast - Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert

Blue Collar Plebcast - LC Hodl

The Meme Factory™ Podcast

Bitcoin Kindergarten

Simply Bitcoin - Nico and Phil

Once Bitten - Daniel Prince

Stephan Livera

Anything Swan

Bitcoin And… - David Bennett

Wake Up Podcast - Svetski

Any last words?

DYOR