I’m giving away free bitcoin! (Yes, really!) 28

Bitcoin

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.)
  4. 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.


About Tim Totten

Amateur Radio @N4GN/NP4TT/OH4GN/@4F1GN; Pres. @SouthGain; former Wireless Architect @UPS; gun nut; lover of #liberty and #Bitcoin Puerto Rico, Philippines, or somewhere in between

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