If you know me at all, you probably already know I’m a huge fan of bitcoin, digital currencies in general (a.k.a. cryptocurrencies or virtual currencies), as well as the amazing underlying blockchain technology. I’m quite certain that Satoshi Nakamoto‘s invention is going to completely change the world. And I mean in ways far beyond bitcoin’s value as a currency. As the saying goes, money is just the first application on the blockchain.
So yeah, sometimes I’m pretty zealous as an evangelist for bitcoin. Now I’ll admit that the whole concept of a globally distributed, peer-to-peer currency outside the control of any government or other authority can be a bit difficult to wrap one’s head around. We’re all conditioned to believe that money has to come from the government, much in the same way pretty much everyone in the mid-18th century just assumed that the church and the government were pretty much one in the same. Back then, the separation of church and state was a pretty radical idea. Today, I’m an advocate for the separation of money and state.
To get to the point, I learned a long time ago that the best way to teach someone about bitcoin is simply to give them a little bit and let them start using it. So now I’m going to give away $50 worth of free bitcoin ($10 each to five different people). Here’s your chance to get your hands on some free bitcoin!
What’s the catch? First, I’m doing this only for people who have never before owned or used bitcoin. Second, I just started this new blog, and I really need to get a jump start on some search engine optimization. The best way to do that is to get some external links. So to get your free money, just do the following:
- Create at least one permanent link somewhere on the Internet to TimTotten.com. Posting to a social media site like Facebook or Twitter doesn’t really do any good. The link needs to come from your personal web site, blog, business site, or some other public Internet page.
- Choose a bitcoin wallet and install it on your computer or smart phone. Bitcoin.org has a helpful page that details some of your best options. Personally, I like MultiBit HD on Windows and Mycelium on Android. I don’t have any direct experience with bitcoin wallets on iOS, but I’ve heard good things about Airbitz.
- Be sure to create a backup of your wallet! Typically, this is a string of 12 or more random words that will allow you to recreate your wallet if it is lost or destroyed. With bitcoin, you have to take personal responsibility for securing your funds. There is no native insurance or online password reset. If you lose your wallet and have no backup, your money is permanently gone. (Pretty much just like losing the paper fiat money in your pocket, except with bitcoin, you can at least recover it if you have your backup.)
- Copy your bitcoin address and paste it below into a comment on this blog post, along with an indication where you linked to TimTotten.com. Your address will be a long string of numbers and letters, probably starting with a “1” or “3”–like 1TimTn1TSkWJw6TPuNHic6VYhV3AkgHsR. If you installed an “HD” wallet, you will get a different address for each new incoming transaction. Please post your comment here on this blog post (as opposed to some other social media site or direct message to me) to generate some additional traffic on my blog.
That’s it. Follow these steps and I’ll send you $10 worth of bitcoin. If you have any difficulty, I’ll try to help, but remember this offer is only good for the first five people who follow the steps above, and only for people who have never before owned bitcoin. Limit one free bitcoin gift per person.
Of course, once you are the proud new owner of some bitcoin, I’d be happy to help you learn more about it and how you can use it. If you live in the Louisville area, feel free to join us at the Louisville Bitcoin Meetup. The next one is tonight, 05 August.
I’m finding this a little hard to believe! More than 12 hours later and no takers? Last time I gave away free bitcoin on Facebook, I had a dozen requests in a matter of minutes!
OK, Tim, I’ll bite. I’ve never owned any bitcoin.
1E8vNAvPKj3YyVB4uiMfkDdpTY1jS54Y8Z
http://www.ericjamesstone.com/blog/home/links/
Alright, Eric, just sent you $10 worth of Bitcoin! I’ll also add a link back to your blog when I get home and have a minute.
As promised, I’ve added a back link to EricJamesStone.com from my external links page. I’m just guessing, but from what I know about you, I bet you’ll really dig in and learn all kinds of amazing things about bitcoin. There are certainly some scams out there, but I’m sure you can sniff them out. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. And thanks again for playing along!
Is this still valid sir?
Yes, it is!
1BP51CAqCnsaLb9YtUzGkajfe9JZ1HztgW
Thanks Tim I’m learning about all this
Reading about mining it’s a little hard to grasp this system, I just used it in the past by loading money in the wallet and then purchasing something that was the extent of my experience with this
Yeah, it takes a little effort to get your head around Bitcoin. It usually doesn’t come quickly the first time you hear about it.
So, can you post a link somewhere to my blog? I’m basically blatantly trying to buy links, but overpaying by something like 500 x the normal price. I’m willing to provide a reciprocal link, of course. 🙂
Hi Tim,
I would love to try this.
1NB3FEBGnTkuKTaybipagwpn9jtRKuv3L8
Link is on http://lb1gb.com/links
Hi Bjørn! Thanks for the link. I just sent 10 USD worth of bitcoin (0.01738 BTC or 17,380 bits) to you. I will also add a link back to lb1gb.com. Thanks again! And feel free to spread the word. Would love to get some more hams involved.
73 de N4GN
My very first Bits received.
Thank you Tim.
I managed to buy bitcoins or bits today as well. It takes a little setting up and verifying the account and stuff, but exiting. I instantly lost some money because of the fluctuation but I believe it will up again. Now I need to find a place to spend it. It’s hard to find a place that accepts bitcoins in Norway so I might have to do it online.
Thanks again Tim!
Great! According to coinmap.org, it looks like there are a few businesses in the Oslo area that accept bitcoin. I guess most of them are consulting firms or other professional services, but I do see at least one cafe. One place I use constantly is purse.io. Most things I buy online are through this service, where I average about a 28% discount over normal Amazon prices. But I’m not sure if the service is available there in Norway. If nothing else, it does look like there are a couple of interesting bitcoin-related meetup groups in Oslo: DecTec and BitSpace. Maybe you can show up at one of those meetings and learn more about the local scene.
1DXGh5XWHht2VGszeBuHE7HxTz6twu7DCx
You are now linked through http://www.dfarns.com
Thanks, Dave! Bitcoin is sent, and I’ll also link back to you.
What’s all this bitcoin stuff?
1NGioHoq2bHQ7V7reK2YtarAc8qi5JB4cs
Sorry, Paul. You’ve a regular bitcoin old-timer! But I will buy you a drink at Dayton. 🙂
booooooooooo
send bitcoin anyway
128z1PnMk9U5qzDogyP6hSbVUQSQrx5G3r with link over at http://UofLCardGame.com
Thank you, sir! I just sent you $10.00 worth of bitcoin. You’re lucky it’s on sale today. 🙂 I will also add a link back to your web site from my links page.
Thanks, Tim. I am now in the mining business I think. At Genesis Mining.
I don’t know for certain with Genesis, but I do know most cloud mining “opportunities” have turned out to be total scams. Genesis might be the one that turns out to be legit, but I’m not putting any money into it. Even if it’s legit, margins are too tight in mining unless you have government subsidized power (like China, Venezuela, etc.) or the price is rocketing up. And in the latter case, you’ll do better to just buy bitcoin and hold. At least that’s the way I see it.
Wonderful.
Turns out Genesis is in China so there’s that.
I will have your link up on buymontanaland.com shortly.
my wallet is 1t2dtea6jJgJCymts8Rx2bfYUxtAafmgn
Link is up. Thanks Tim.
Cool. Just sent the bitcoin. Sorry for the delay. We’re in Spain today, and got a little caught up in the “no pasa nada” pace of life. 🙂 I’ll also add a link back to your site from https://timtotten.com/links/ shortly.
And with that, I’ve given away $10 of bitcoin each to five different persons, so I’m closing this offer, at least for now. I might re-open a similar giveaway at some point in the future, so stay tuned!