How did Hivers encounter cryptos? Discover the TOP 10 stories !

Dear HODLers, dear Hivers,

HODL 1st Contest ! More than 40 USD in prizes 🎁.A little bit more than a week ago; @hodlcommunity organised this contest

The question was the following: "Tell us about your first encounter Crypto and what were you first thoughts about it?

This contest had a great turnout with more than 197 total comments and 36 different Hivers shared their personal story.

As many participants mentioned, it would be nice and interesting to share these different stories in a post, so here we are !

We also shared this post in the different #writing communities such as @freewritehouse, #PowerHouseCreatives or @theinkwell as this would qualify as Hive Community writing.

Story number 1: @daltono

Hello, I am @daltono from West Virginia in USA.

The story of how I got into cryptocurrency. It started mid-2017. I won a contest to the first annual https://www.consciousmediafestival.com/. Upon winning I flew on an airplane for the first time (besides the one time I went skydiving), all the way to Austin, TX. It was there I met many people who were working on blockchain projects. Actually the only other person to win a ticket like myself ended up becoming the social media manager for Holo.

I did not get involved with crypto immediately. It was not until September 2017 that I saw an interview between Giselle Koy and Stan Larimer, he of course mentioned Steemit at the time. Seeing users earn giant payouts for posting got me very interested, yet confused. It took me until December 1st 2017 to actually create my account. After that I have been a daily user ever since. Literally no days off for me and I honestly love it. Earning crypto is really the only way I am able to stack it up, so being able to share things I create on Hive is fundamental.

Story number 2: @joetunex

Hi, I am @joetunex from Johannesburg South Africa.

My first encounter with crypto ( Bitcoin ) was in 2015. I had a good relationship with my ex boss Sheldon, he was the kind of boss that wanted he employees succeed. One day he invited all of us his employees to a network seminar and I was the only one of his employees that showed up on that faithful Saturday.
Karatbars was the topic and focus on the seminar that day. Few weeks later Bitcoin emerged as a topic from the network meeting I used to attend every weekend.

I liked this short video that was shared in the meeting The End of Money As We Know It I like the idea of the banks can do nothing to stop it because I HATE the banks after watching Mike Maloney's Hidden Secrete of Money The Biggest Scam In The History Of Mankind

So at that time we were introduced to mining Bitcoin, we invested in a couple of them, the likes of; BTC Flex, Carborn7, and few others I can't recall now. Sadly these companies we invested in were scams. We lost money, and the painful part if I look back is I was able to afford 1 BTC then in 2015-2016 if I knew I should have bought and just seat on it 😃.

An exciting moment for me was when I ordered my Xapo Bitcoin Debit card and I was able to swipe and spend Bitcoin in the local PnP stores here in SA, the smile on my face was quite a broad one, I felt like a Hero.
So it has been quite a journey I love, I like the idea of decentralization and I believe if blockchain and cryptocurrency is well utilised it can alter the course of humanity for the better.

Story number 3: @adityajainxds

Hello, I am @adityajainxds from india,

My friends introduction me to cryptocurrency. It was 2016 I remember I first purchased 1 bitcoin and with that bitcoin I have done some good and bad investmen. 0.5 btc I lost in project that turns to be Ponzi schemes (MLM). But I learned from my mistake. Then I have made investment in ripple most trusted at that time.

Then steem changed my life in 2017 as I found it Luckily browsing, from then I never looked back.

So lastly crypto changed my financial needs as other sources of income. Their are ups and downs, but it's life we have to accept it.

Story number 4: @oredebby

Hello, I am Oreoluwa Debby and I'm popularly called @oredebby as that is also my username. I'm from Nigeria and Ibadan, Oyo state to be precise.

Well from the onset, I knew nothing at all about crypto not until December, 2017 that one of my cousins came visiting. I noticed he was always with his phone and transacting. I wondered where he was getting such money from and then I asked him. He smiled and sat me down and told me about "steemit" and how it works on the blockchain. I was confused and didn't really understand and my main question was "Who is paying the money?" He laughed and said "Even if the money is from the sky, he doesn't care so far he was getting paid" 😁 This was so funny the way he said it and my mum was also there at that time and she said I should better be careful with all these internet stuff.

Few days passed after Christmas and then we were preparing for the new year when I finally made up my mind to join. I finally started steemit on the 3rd of January, 2018. It wasn't so easy at first because I didn't get the upvotes as much as he explained. But I got so close to few friends like @olawalium who made me believe so much in this and then I took it upon myself that no matter what, I won't quit. It went on and on like that and I joined some groups and communities where I got to know more about cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Avinoc, EOS and few more. And now hive, I'm still here and standing. Yippyyy

Story number 5: @achim03

Hi, I'm @achim03 from Switzerland

I'm kind of an old dog in the crypto world. My first contact with Crypto currencies was in 2014. At that time Bitcoin was traded for 200 USD.

I was dealing before with a german based virtual currency called Klammlose. I found the concept inspiring but unfortunately the founders of these Klammlose produced a huge inflation. One day per chance I found an ad for a btc faucet. It was love on first sight. These faucets were giving away crypto for free! I loved the fact that I had only to enter a wallet address to get these coins.
Nothing similar was available anywhere else and I immediately saw the potential of cryptos.

At the time when I claimed from a faucet I recieved around 2000 satoshis ;-). I learned and built my own crypto faucets. I have distributed around 4 BTC to users from all over the world with my faucets.

Story number 6: @chekohler

I'm @chekohler - From Cape Town, South Africa

My first run-in with crypto was back in 2016, someone told me about this Bitcoin thingy and said I should try buying some, so I purchased it on an exchange and then sent it to a wallet, a desktop wallet on my laptop and it took ages for the transaction to go through for some reason I think it was 30 mins and I was freaking out did I get the address wrong, checking the block explorer and seeing no confirmations I couldn't understand it, naturally it was a small transfer so it sat in the mempool for a while but for a noob, it was nerve-wracking.

I honestly didn't think much about it at first and I left it in the wallet for some time and then we got the run fo 2017 and I really took note and lost my mind thinking I was going to strike it rich, lol I didn't but it was fun

Story number 7: @moeknows

Hello, I am @moeknows from the US

I guess you could say it started with Facebook. One of my friends happened to be an outspoken anarchist and capitalist. In one of his threads, a buddy of his was trying to get him into bitcoin. I can't remember when exactly that was, but bitcoin was around 2k back then. I didn't have any money to invest, but I was curious and asked questions.

Eventually the friend invited both of us to an anarchist crypto group on Facebook. I'm not an anarchist but I was interested in crypto. I basically lurked in the group for a while. I saw them debate Ripple and Litecoin and others. The first crypto I ever owned was an ERC 20 token one of the people in the group created.

One day, they were discussing Steem. They said you didn't have to invest anything to earn, so I jumped in and I've been here ever since. I haven't always been really focused on earning, and sometimes I regret that, but I can say that this blockchain has given me a much more thorough understanding of crypto than almost all of my IRL peers.

I'm happy to have been onboard for the majority of the history here. I look forward to the changes to come.

Story number 8: @cmplxty

Hi I'm @cmplxty from Boston, Taxachus..I mean Massachusetts

Interestingly enough, I had first learned about crypto back in 2017 from a YouTube guy that used to post on here @lifttheveil411. He would always shill (not really, just talk about it and try to get people interested lol) about crypto and this website "Steemit" where you could earn crypto on it.**I was naturally intrigued but also naturally a damn American. Did I jump on it when he told me to? **

Nope, it only took me 6 months before I actually made the account lol, in typical procrastinating American style. I signed up and took 2 weeks but eventually got an account and on here is where I earned my very first crypto. A few weeks later, I made an account on a major exchange from the UK (try to guess) and bought some Litecoin. I participated in the FOMO a bit before I came to my senses and started to hodl.

Story number 9: @miguelbaez

Hello, I'm @miguelbaez, from Tachira, Venezuela.

My history in the world of cryptocurrencies begins in 2017, as you already know in my country there are great economic difficulties due to the government and hyperinflation, I decided to save my money in bitcoin at that time and it was one of the best things that I have done, since the money would not be devalued.

In 2018 I discovered steemit at that time I saw it as an excellent site to publish my poems, since I dedicate myself to writing poems.
Over time I have learned a lot about cryptocurrencies since I have taken the time to read about it every day. Now I am very happy to belong to this community and eager to know what will happen after the bitcoin halving.

Story number 10: @goldmonsters

Hello, I am @goldmonsters from India.

I would like to explain about my first experience about Cryptos was a news in an Indian website where Cryptos being banned by local Government and the value of Bitcoin and how the people may misuse that along with why Indian Government is banning it.
I just went thru that articles and it made me to explore more on the Cryptos especially Bitcoin and different ways of earning it along with exploring on other Crypto Currencies such as Steem.

The very moment I heard about Steem and steemit and blogging, it fascinated me and that is how I became a Crypto earner and now I earn different coins thanks to different tribes and also my interest in gaming especially Steem Monsters, earns me Crypto for just playing the battles.

I have been trading the cryptos using steem-engine for Splinterlands cards and aim to earn more by investing in different cryptos.

Bonus choice of the jury: @jacuzzi

Hello, I am @jacuzzi, born in the USA but living in Vietnam now.

My first exposure to cryptocurrency was when I was working in a video game company.
This had to be at least two or 3 years before the big crypto boom happened. I worked as a concept artist,

My boss his name is Lucas, he had a mining rig setup in the office. He had it set up so every time he mine a Bitcoin it would make a cash register noise.

That thing would chhing once or twice a day I remember. One time ask him about what he was doing and he gave me an explanation that confused the hell out of me... But got me thinking.
Years later I dove into crypto, and... Kicked my self for not learning more back then lol.
Lucas is now happily retired somewhere last I heard. Myself I'm just trying to rock and roll and catch the next wave before it passes.
:)

N.B from @hodlcommunity: The comment about the cash register noise killed me xD

Here is what I imagined :D.

We would really love to hear the personal stories from some very important HIVE Community members !

@theycallmedan, @thedarthknight, @isaria, @themarkymark, @acidyo, @anomadsoul, @bluemist, @twinner, @gerber, @khaleelkhazi, @starkerz, @stackin, @crypto.piotr, @good-karma, @heimindanger, @tibfox, @jaynie, @thekittygirl, @tattoodjay and so many more !

Appreciation to our members and delegators

After just 10 days of existence, #HODL Community has >120 subscribers and c.17k HP delegated.

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You are helping us to get closer to our self-sustained goal of generating 100HBD monthly to help GOOD content creators from emerging economies.

50% of this post rewards will go to @hodl-fund to support our crypto social initiative

Latest #HODL Community updates

Announcing HODL 1st Contest Winners ! More than 40 USD in prizes 🎁

We were amazed to see that 36 Hivers shared their story and we had more than 197 comments on the post !

And what a bunch of great comments, right?
If you took time to read some, you surely ended up like us; feeling sorry, happy, amazed by some of the comments !

The goal of this contest was to stimulate interactions between Hivers and I can proudly: we succeeded !

🗞 1st Weekly HODL Jewels 🎊

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