Back in April 2013, I first heard about this thing called ‘Bitcoin’ while chilling in Dalston, a cosy spot north of Shoreditch in London. I decided to take a walk and grab a coffee on my usual Saturday routine (not working at Route Café). Strolling down Kingsland Road from Dalston Junction to Shoreditch, I hit a café at the Old Street crossing. I have no clue what it was called back then. I think it was something like “Shoreditch Old Station”, but it’s Junction East now.

I ordered a double espresso, and while waiting, I noticed a sticker on the entrance that said, “Bitcoin Accepted Here.” So, naturally, I asked the barista what Bitcoin was. He goes, “It’s a new digital currency. I don’t get how it works, but if you got some in your digital wallet, you can use it to pay.”

It got me curious, so I asked how to get some Bitcoins. The guy started talking about exchanges and digital wallets, and it felt like too much info then. I was just an assistant manager at a nearby café, making £400 a week – enough to get by in London but not much else. So, I kept on walking that day.
But my curiosity got better, so I Googled it right outside the café. The first thing that popped up was that 1 Bitcoin was $140.
I couldn’t wrap my head around paying for a £2 coffee with something that expensive. I went back in and asked the guy again, and he gave me a wrong answer (probably why I didn’t jump on the Bitcoin train right then). He said I had to buy a whole coin but didn’t mention I could buy a fraction. And honestly, I didn’t know either.

Life got in the way. I had bills, living expenses, and the deal. So, I forgot about getting into Bitcoin at that moment.

Fast forward to December 2018, after the big market crash post-Bull Run. It took me five years, but I finally understood the potential of this tech. I worked as a Visual Designer then; yes, I did it.

It took a while for me to get money. I was too focused on finding a good job, not realising that if you want money to work for you, you’ve got to understand how it works. You can only rely on a salary for a while. I tried to get out of the 9-to-5 grind and do something more with my life. Time’s limited, so the smart move is to make money work for you, so you’ve got more time for the people and things that matter.

Bitcoin taught me the basics of how money works and pushed me to understand investing and managing money wisely. 

I wouldn’t be this interested in how society works and working on Web3 today if it weren’t for that simple encounter with a sticker and a cup of coffee.