Why I'm using cryptos? - my motivations

I've been thinking for days to write about how I came to the world of cryptocurrencies. And I thought that a good way to tell my story with cryptocurrencies is through my motivations. This also gives me an excuse to write on another of the so appreciated @JonicaBradley prompts. That helps us so much to make our writing flow. If you haven't read Jonica's post on the Motivation prompt, you can read it here.

I started with cryptos a few years ago. I'd say that my interest in crypto has been on the rise over time. And my motivations have changed a bit since I first heard about them. I got my first satoshis online in December 2015. At that time, I was eager to find extra sources of income online. Venezuela's economic situation by the time was already showing signs of heading towards a disaster. And those days, the satoshis that I won were just another extra income for me. So my motivation then was to earn some extra money to spend.

During 2016, I was still earning satoshis, mainly from faucets. And my interest in cryptocurrencies was growing. I began to accumulate most of the cryptos I earned. But 2017 was the year. Cryptocurrencies' premise to be a payment alternative at that time was very promising. We had exchange controls, a cash shortage, a devalued currency, bank credit was disappearing, and miserable wages.

My first crypto payment and my bumpy starts into trading

I still remember the first time I paid with cryptocurrencies during those days. I went with my husband and son to eat sushi at a place called Paradise Sushi. We went there because I'd read that it was one of the first spots in Caracas to accept Dash. It was so cool. Thanks to my extra crypto income. We were able to indulge ourselves in something out of reach of most Venezuelans. But also, I felt I had power by paying with cryptos. And forget about all the restrictions we had back then in handling money.

Then the bull market began. And I began to trade. I started studying some technical analysis and created an account at Bitfinex. Back then, Bitfinex accounts didn't require a minimum balance. And that's where I started my journey in cryptocurrency trading. My motivation at that time clearly was to get easy money, a big mistake. I made a lot of bad decisions. Luckily, I only lost some of what had cost me much time to win on the internet. But, I did much better than some of my friends, who invested in miners and some of their savings and bought BTC at $ 20,000 to sell at a loss months later when they panicked. Does the story sound familiar to you? For me, It wasn't too bad. Although, I lost a lot of what I'd invested, mainly betting on Altcoins. I never invested more than I was willing to lose.

I'm already onboard the train. I'm here for the long term.

But the 2018 price drops didn't discourage me. I remained interested in cryptocurrencies. And here I'm. My motivation today is obviously no longer to get rich easily with cryptocurrencies. But to achieve a better financial situation for my present and my future. I've learned my lesson very well. Now, I'm more cautious when it comes to investing. Maybe too conservative, but I feel comfortable that way. Using cryptocurrencies as a means of payment is still also a big motivation for me. There is a lot of potentials there. Despite the volatility of cryptocurrencies, ​​having a payment option that doesn't depend on any government law is very attractive. Although in Venezuela, there is no longer exchange control, and pay in dollars isn't forbidden anymore. Crypto payments are still a great option. And they can even get you out of trouble sometimes when you least expect it.

Just before the pandemic, I traveled to Spain to visit my sister-in-law. And the best tickets offer we got was making a stopover in Istanbul. A dream come true for me, I always wanted to visit it. But I had a problem with how to make a hotel reservation without a credit card. Venezuelan cards aren't longer accepted anywhere. And if they did, the amount of credit is laughable. I had an international card that I could be used. But at that time, due to some of the sanctions imposed on the country by the US, my card had some restrictions. But cryptos came to the rescue. I was able to buy a gift card with my satoshis and book my hotel week in Istanbul, thanks to cryptocurrencies. And now, one of the to-dos on my travel list, it's a trip someday, depending solely on cryptocurrencies.

I still use Dash occasionally to pay here. And it's the crypto I use in exchange to get my local currency. I find that their fees are low and the transactions are fast, and it's accepted here on many sites.

And I'm also ready to try BCH to pay. And I'm expectant about it. I've been looking to the map of Bitcoin.com to find a place nearby where I can try it. I still haven't found it yet. Even do apparently I have near home some spots that are already taking BCHs, most seem to be cell phone sales and technical service sites. But hopefully, I will find "the place" one of these days. I'd love to be able to pay with BCH in a supermarket, a store, or a pharmacy, as I can do now with other cryptos. And hopefully, this day will come soon.

I believe cryptos are here to stay. And the world will be split between those who use crypto and those who don't. We can choose to use them and be freer or ignore them. You can board on the train or stay on the platform. I've already made my choice. And, I'm here for the long term.

But I'm not a maximalist at all. I don't believe that one single crypto will rule the world. I think there is room for many of them. Of course, there are also many scams out there. And we must always keep our eyes open and do our own research.

And that's it for now, as far as my motivations on why I use cryptos.

If you have reached this point, thank you for reading me.

If you want to participate in the prompt, here are the rules:

1. Write about motivation

2. Write 100% original content

3. Write at least 600 words

4. Tag @JonicaBradley and me @CoquiCoin

5. Have fun

All photos are my own.

You will find me on Noise as CoquiCoin as well. ;)