August 2017
My first dabbling with Bitcoin resulted in playing with a few dollars purchased at an exchange. I learned what I could from bitcoin.org and installed the basic wallet. I ran into snags with wallets in that I couldn't seem to send the money to my girlfriend be it that the transaction fee was too high compared to my available funds. Seemed no matter what combination of setting my own network transaction fee, I still could not get any amount of bitcoin to leave my wallet to be received to her wallet. I felt like there was something corrupt about my wallet. I felt that the money was stuck. Since I was only dealing with a dollar or two worth of Bitcoin, I eventually abandoned and uninstalled the wallet. I recall it being the basic bitcoin wallet available through bitcoin.org. This seemed to block functionality on both my smart phone wallet and hers.
I migrated to other wallets but have yet to find the right solution for myself. Since Bitcoin is going through its evolution, I find it most important to find ways to secure what Bitcoin you are able to mine by keeping your private keys to a secure wallet.
Since we use a debt-based fiat currency in America, I thought it flawed altogether to take my dollars and try to buy Bitcoin in a certain way through exchanges. I know that our dollar has a certain worth, yet it seems worthless in that it is printed by a Reserve Company seemingly associated with countless wars and tragedies. It seems fresh and clean altogether to be using the network of Bitcoin with appears to be a decentralized entity that uses proof of work and verified mathematical computations peer to peer. In other words, no mysterious, possibly nefarious 3rd party entity between two people exchanging value.
Since mining in ones own home has become impractical, unless you have considerable equipment, cheap electricity and are mining with other mining pools.
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