Name: Optimist Fields

Country: United States

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

I fell down the rabbit hole November 2017 and just haven’t left, number go up brought me in. Bitcoin hit 10k and that day I heard the name bitcoin around three different times and later that night I was chillin with my cousin and I asked him whether he’d heard “of this bitcoin thing”, he had, and it piqued my interest… the rest is history.

How did you come up with your alias and why don’t you use your real name?

Well before Bitcoin life I was into making music and I really love MF DOOM. I like how he uses a bunch of different aliases to tell his story and I always wanted to do that. One day I was up early doing something I really didn’t want to do, in the car pretty pissed off about it, and I looked up and this park was named Optimist Fields, and it just clicked. I knew that was one of my aliases.

I’ve always been searching for those optimist fields ya know? Lol But I’ve had Optimist Fields around for years for a project I wanted to do that I’ve never fully completed and one day I just put it on my twitter for MuH OPSEC (which is most likely pretty fucked anyways lol). But like the quote from Bane “no one cared until I put the mask on”, ever since I switched to Optimist Fields all these awesome Bitcoiners started following me so it just stuck. I’m now Optimist Fields.

I really loved that people didn’t know what I looked like or who I was and that they were gravitating to the quality of my thoughts or jokes or whatever people liked lmao. There’s a nice correlation there with MF DOOM too - the masked super-villain of hip hop. Kek

Best Bitcoin experience and worst Bitcoin experience?

My best bitcoin experience (besides the moment when bitcoin clicked for me and I had that ah-ha moment) would have to be going to BitBlockBoom this year. To be around so many dope Bitcoiners in one room, all my internet friends, and finally feel like I was home, was a blessing and a high all it’s own. Diehard Bitcoiners are honestly the best people I’ve ever been around. There’s a revolutionary vibe that’s palpable around bitcoiners, like we know we’re about to change the world so fuck you if you don’t see it. It’s a beautiful thing. I can’t get enough of it.

My worst bitcoin experience was falling for a telegram phishing scam around my first year or so in this space. I’d gone to my local meetup a few times and hung out with the boys there and they were super nice (even though I now know they’re shitcoiners). And what I thought was the local head jumped in my DMs, and I was stoned feeling myself listening to music loud, just vibing; and after a short back and forth he asked if I could help him out on a “loan” and send him some bitcoin because “he was at work, away from his stash, and it’d be super quick” etc etc. I tried telling him I wasn’t comfortable with it, but he was persistent, and I got him on the phone to talk but I’d never talked to the guy I thought it was on the phone so I didn’t really know his voice like that (should’ve FaceTimed smh or better yet told him to fuck off). And even though my gut was telling me something was iffy I still fell for it.

That incident almost broke me tbhaf. I sent him what was a good chunk of my stack at the time for some quick returns and got rekt. Greed’s a bitch. But it was an expensive lesson in scarcity, social engineering, never sticking your neck out at the expense of yourself, and trusting your gut. Ever since that day though something clicked and I’ve been savage af, so lol, I thank that mf’er. I wouldn’t be here without him. I wasn’t gonna let some parasite take this opportunity from me, and I just put my head down, studied, grinded, and got my stack back up. It’s been a journey.

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

Well I haven’t been in the space that long but the biggest one for me was Trace Mayer. I listened to every episode of his pod and he was one of the people that got me to understand the potential of Bitcoin and quickened my learning curve. And to see him shill a shitcoin in such an underhanded, slimy way was just fucked up. Greed kills. It was a good case study on the idea that it takes years to build your reputation and only minutes to ruin it. What’s the saying “succes up the stairs, failure down the elevator”? Yea, that.

What do you think about the Bitcoin markets volatility this last year and where we are at today. What’s your prediction for Bitcoin’s future?

Personally it’s been a blessing for me. I saw Bitcoin go from 10k to 20k within the first three weeks of me falling down the rabbit hole, and if the price found escape velocity back then, I don’t think I’d be as diehard as I am today. The volatility hardens your resolve and forces you to understand what bitcoin is. When you first get in the space, price drops are scary but at a certain point, price drops turn into opportunities to stack more sats. BUY THE FUCKIN DIP. As Friar Hass says, “if you want the price to be stable, put your nuts on the fuckin table!” Put that skin in the game. Risk it for the biscuit. You don’t want to look your future self in the mirror and regret not capitalizing on this once in a humanity opportunity. The future is orange. Are you ready? Bitcoin already won.

I think, like many others, that we’re at the beginning of what will be the biggest bull run yet. It’s ‘bout to be crazzzy and I’m just happy to be here. Buckle up. Do the inner work. Make sure those hands are stronk.

What fundamentals of Bitcoin do you think many people miss? 

I think people just don’t know what money is. We’ve taken the dollar for granted our whole lives and have to fundamentally reprogram how we view money from first principles. I know I did. But once you cross that desert, it’s not hard to see that it might be smart to own some just in case it catches on ;).

What are your thoughts about the US Federal Reserve injecting so much money into the economy because of COVID and what do you think this means for the future?

Personally, I think it’s a sham. COVID was just a scapegoat for a fundamentally bigger issue, namely,  that our system’s fucked. Specifically, that our money is broken and way over-leveraged but the powers that be are too afraid - or too arrogant -  to let things take their natural course. I.e. the “it’s too big to fail” mentalities. But like anything in nature, failure is a part of evolution. Clear out the old to make way for the new. Whether the rebalance happens tomorrow or years from now, we won’t be able to kick the can down the road for that much longer. But thankfully we have bitcoin, maybe, just maybe, it will smooth out this transition.

How do you think this affects Bitcoin?

Well first of all I think the scamdemic was a huge red-pill for the masses. Most may not fully understand exactly what’s going on but they know something’s wrong. The first step to change is acknowledging something’s not right so it’s only a matter of time until people realize that bitcoin is the solution they seek and bitcoin fixes this… all this ;).

But also it’s only a matter of time until the inflation of the dollar supply wreaks havoc on the american economy, let alone the rest of the world. It may still be a little early to see the effects, but I've noticed in my personal life how some of my favorite products have already gone up in price. This may just be the beginning, but what do I know … I am biased afterall and have had little faith in the system since I was about 11. LOL

What do you think most shitcoiners miss about Bitcoin? 

That Bitcoin is money, and not only that but the best money we have and our one shot to fix this fucked up situation we’re in. If Bitcoin fails, their shitcoin has no chance. Bitcoin facilitates all this, and they should put some damn ‘speck on Bitcoins’ name ffs!

Why do shitcoiners feel so threatened by HODLers?

Because HODLers don’t pahmp their hopium bags, and we have enough conviction to go down with our ship. Can they say the same? Money is a zero-sum game. History has taught us that those who hold the worst money get left in the dust. Bitcoin is the best money we’ve had in at least a hundred years and might even be the best money we’ve ever had. Only time will tell. HODLers have made their bets.

Maximalist HODLers will hodl Bitcoin until it achieves the quintessential function that defines money: a universal medium of exchange to move economic value thru time and space. And Bitcoin will not only store its value/ purchasing power but will increase its value/ purchasing power to achieve such goal. You can’t say that about any shitcoin. BULLISH ON BITCOIN.

Who is the biggest Bitcoin sell out that deserves to be put on blast and what lessons did it teach us?

Damn man! Well, whether it was Trace selling out to wizardry; or “maximalists” like Lopp and Samson with “not yo mama’s ico” token on ethereum; or Pomp and Pedro shilling garbage like coinmines shitty gpu miner or blockfi’s rehypothecation platform; or a Pleb brother losing their way to defi ponziland, there’s a lot to choose from.

But I think the worst fall from grace is Andreas. My first couple of months I just watched every one of his videos and read multiple books of his etc, and to see his indirect shilling of the ethereum garbage chain, is just sad. But he’s in it for the tech so who am I to judge. ;) teheheh

The biggest lesson imo is that your reputation is worth more than a few sats. Don’t fuck it up for a quick payout. Fight to keep it clean. Your name is all you got (which is sort of ironic coming from an “anon bitcoiner”) People don’t forget and you don’t want to be branded as a scammer. Provide honest value and you’ll receive the sats. Few understand this.

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

Basically all of my Taco Carnivore Bitcoin Plebs. You know who you are. They’re ride or die for Bitcoin and there’s no fakery in the bakery, nahmeanson?! But specifically guys like you, Psychedelic Bart, Awyee, Karo, Rory Highside, Joe Rodgers, bitcoin memehub, even the young guns like our bitcoin zoomers Jaky and Nik, just to name a few. I could name everyone in the chat but it’d get out of hand but they know what’s up - they know who they are. I talk to them basically everyday lol.

But some of the more influential Bitcoiners (and plebs) like Pierre Rochard, Bitstein, Francis Pouliot, Aleks Svetski, American Hodl. I love those guys. They each bring something different to the table and they get me fuckin fired up. Generals in this meme warfare. Glad they’re on my side tbhaf lmao.

What do most people get wrong about plebs?

That we’re an organized mob of gatekeeping assholes. Let’s be clear: we’re not organized for shit, besides being aligned ideologically that bitcoin is the way, everything happens organically. Plebs are the salt of the earth. Plebs are everyday people that have put their skin in the game. Most of us have put our life savings, and life work, into Bitcoin and don’t appreciate people fucking with something so precious. That’s where the toxicity comes from. We love this shit and we’re willing to stand up for our convictions. Fuck bending the knee. PLEBS RUN THIS SHIT. DON’T FUCK WITH THE PLEBS.

Why should Bitcoiners run a node and what tips can you give them to get started?

You want to run a node so you can verify your personal transactions. Remember: Don’t trust. Verify. My node is the final judge. As long as my node tells me I receive bitcoins I don't have to trust anything else. The more people running their own nodes the stronger the network and the more resilient Bitcoin is to attacks. Do yourself a favor: RUN A NODE.

It’s really not that complicated. It can be as easy as downloading Bitcoin Core wallet and waiting for it to sync and sending your bitcoins from an exchange; or getting a bit more tech savvy and setting up a BTCPAYSERVER for a storefront or building a DIY node over the weekend with a raspberry pi; or even shelling out some cash for a plug-in-play node from nodl, mynode, and the like. There’s a bunch of options for everyone, it really depends on what you want to spend and how much time you’re willing to put into it. If you don’t have a node up yet, put in the time, there’s nothing like that first time you send a UTXO to your very own node knowing there was no middle man. This is what we’re here for.

What Bitcoin startups or companies are you most excited about?

I’m a huge fan of BTCPAYSERVER and have been using them basically since the beginning. I can’t wait to see my favorite sites having BTCPAYSERVER payouts. That’s gonna be so rad. It makes e-commerce so much easier and better when you pay with bitcoin. No longer do we need to type in credit card numbers and all this sensitive information to strangers over the internet. Just scan a QR code and pay with bitcoin. Easy.

What are your goto Bitcoin storage options and what mistakes do you see people making?

I’m currently in the process of reassessing and improving my Bitcoin storage methods, but i would definitely recommend people go get a ColdCard hardware wallet. For some the ColdCard may be daunting but unless it’s grandma or your boomer parents, you can handle it (and even then, you may be surprised how simple it is!) There’s some cool new hardware wallets arriving on the scene but as of now Coldcard seems to me to be the best. Set it up with PSBT, and I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like a fuckin secret agent during that process!

Personally, the biggest mistakes I’ve seen, and committed myself, is not fully understanding how to properly control ones UTXO’s. Combining UTXO’s, losing track of what sats came from where, and potentially where you may have doxxed some UTXO’s, is a lot to wrap your head around sometimes, but it’s just a learning curve on extreme personal responsibility. I know I need to level up my privacy practices but coming from the system we’re used to where there’s always an undo button, it can get very scary but we’ll pick up on it imo. I know it.

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

To the noobs: follow the assholes...  or “assholes”. I’ve noticed the nicer someone is to you upfront, the harder he’s stabbing a knife in your back. Remember the heuristic “Everyone’s a scammer” and you should make it out relatively unscathed. People aren’t toxic for no reason (well most aren’t lolol). Toxicity is a defense mechanism against scammers, attacks and leeches. One day you’ll look back at the nice person you once were and laugh cause you were such a pussy and be glad about it. Take back your mind. Develop a thick skin. Question everything. Go against the grain. Say the crazy thing. What’s the point of uncensorable, permisonless, fuck you money, if you don’t piss a few people off along the way? Do what you want in life, but realize there will be consequences. Act accordingly.

You started a podcast recently. Why did you start and who is it geared toward?

Well the origin of the pod wasn’t even our idea lmao. Nikcantmine and I basically got volunteered for the job by our friend Jermeh (currently on twitter but who knows how long till he gets suspended again lolol). But Nik and I did a pod episode for a podcast Nik had started a while back, and our episode was about helping noobs get into bitcoin, answering noob questions, sharing our perspectives, etc.

So when Jermeh brought the idea of hosting a live bitcoin radio-call-in show up on twitter and volunteered us, Nik and I looked at each other and were like fuck it, we’ll give it a shot. If we fail we fail, but at least we tried and we’ve just been going with it ever since. We’ve been at it for about 4 or 5 months, putting out content every week and just trying to improve the show as much as possible and giving the listeners something that’s educational but also entertaining. Bulltard juice if you will. It’s still funny to me that I’m a “Bitcoin podcaster”. I’m just a dude that loves talking about Bitcoin with his friends - only none of my IRL friends are into bitcoin (yet)!

But what really makes Bitcoin Kindergarten great is everyone that shows up. We have a pretty solid group of awesome bitcoiners that come out every week on our discord willing to share their perspectives and give advice on Bitcoin to noobs and precoiners. It gives me life. Shoutouts to them. They know who they are.

Our main goal is to turn people into bitcoiners before the shitcoiners get to them. Bring us your precoiners, newcoiners, and skeptics, and we’ll turn them into bitcoiners, armed with the knowledge to do battle by our side - we’ve done it before and we’ll do it again, and again, and again. Recently we’ve been doing presentations on different topics related to bitcoin, for the educational side;  as well as having what we call “Teachers Lounge”, where it’s an open format to talk about the current events or any questions people may come up with live on the spot, that’s usually where we get cosmic af! It’s been a lot of fun and I’m just super humbled and proud that people like what we do and enjoy the time we spend with them.

Also, shoutout to our first sponsor Citadel 21. We’re so proud to be a part of the Citadel 21 family, it’s got that raw Thrasher Mag vibe back when Thrasher mag was actually cool and not just some t-shirt on some hipster thot lol.

… I can’t wait to see what other projects our pleb brothers and sisters come up with. We outchea!

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

I’ve got a special place in my heart for TFTC, The Noded Bitcoin Podcast, and The Stephan Livera Podcast. Without those guys I wouldn’t be here today. They showed me the way. I would binge listen to their podcasts everyday and just get more and more bullish while I was wrapping my head around what Bitcoin is. They took me from shitcoiner to Bitcoiner. Those guys helped me change my life. Fo real fo real. Shouts out to those legends!

Other podcasts I listen to are Bitcoin Rapid Fire, Fun With Bitcoin, Bitcoin Pleb Talk, Swan Signal, Citizen Bitcoin, Bitcoin Audible, Bitcoin Mag’s Fed Watch, Once BITten!, Aleks Svetski’s Wake Up Podcast, Bitcoin Rehab, Bitcoin Echo Chamber, Block Digest, BITVOLT pod, LN Junkies, BottomShelf Bitcoin, The Investors Podcast, Simply Bitcoin and a few others from time to time … So a ton of podcasts! Lol The Bitcoin-only content game has really exploded and imo has already paved the road to the citadels for the newbies to be. BULLISH.

One of the best sites imo is the classic nakamotoinstitute.org. If you’re new just go read as much as you can from that site and follow your interests. I still go back and read those articles every couple of months. They’re great, timeless pieces.

Also, once you find the signal from the noise, nothing beats Bitcoin Twitter. I’ve been getting most of my info lately from my efrenz’s threads, links, and shitposts. Lol Shouts out to all the savage Bitcoiners on twitter - I fuckin love it. Keep doin ya thing!

Any last words of wisdom?

Just stay humble and stack sats. Bitcoin will change you - believe that. Bitcoin will make you better. Bitcoin has a way of domesticating your greed and turning it into a virtue. Sacrifice now for the life you want to see yourself living in the future. Quit fucking your future self over. STOP IT. Save daily, weekly or monthly in the hardest money ever known, and enjoy prospering as bitcoin takes over the world. The future is bright. The future is orange. Bitcoin is the way. And if you’re reading this right now, you’re still early. Hyperbitcoinization is inevitable. Act like it. Find bitcoin zen.

Peace.