If you’ve read any news on Bitcoin over the years, it’s understandable if you think that it’s solely used for speculation. Unfortunately, this view is outdated—and it forgets all the work that’s happening on the ground. 

People now use Bitcoin as a financial lifeline and live their everyday lives, allowing them to finally participate in the world economy in a way they were previously denied. 

What does it mean to be on the ground?

It’s time to forget the price charts, graphs, and speculation which, at this point, have dominated Bitcoin’s narrative for far too long. We need to focus on the stories that show Bitcoin being used the way Satoshi Nakamoto intended it: peer-to-peer. 

People are using it as real-world money to better their lives—these are the stories we need to share and learn from. People who use Bitcoin to buy groceries, send money to loved ones abroad, book travel, and do so much more—these are the people we need to empower. We need to teach our friends and family so they, too, can become part of a bigger community that’s pushing for a financial revolution that’ll benefit the entire world. 

An “on the ground” relationship goes both ways: Bitcoin provides opportunities to those who need them but people also need to push the mission of global adoption so that anyone, anywhere can benefit from what it brings. 

The growing Bitcoin community

People are already using Bitcoin in their everyday lives—not only as a means of earning money but also as a way to better their lives. Here are some of Bitcoin’s biggest real-use cases: 

• Payments
  With more businesses beginning to accept Bitcoin as a means of payment for their goods and services, people can use their BTC to buy what they need in one of the most secure and cost-effective ways possible.

• Store of value
  Inflation is a problem that is affecting billions around the world. Bitcoin was designed to stop central figures from inflating your money. By converting money into BTC, people can preserve the value of their funds and hedge it against inflation.

• Remittances
  Sending money to family and friends living internationally using traditional methods can take too long and cost far more than it should. Bitcoin—especially with Lightning—can make these transfers not only faster but significantly cheaper as well.
• Philanthropy
  Bitcoin has become a leader for social good. Donations can travel across the world in a matter of minutes and provide help almost instantaneously.

To many, these use cases seem like simple actions to perform. However, not everyone has equal access to banks and financial services. For many, bank accounts are a hard thing to come by. Bitcoin levels this playing field and allows everyone to participate, with or without a bank account. 

It’s about the people

While the West is obsessed with speculation, those in the Global South have led the way to show how Bitcoin is a financial passport anyone, anywhere could use. This is thanks to the people who have pushed its boundaries and set an example we can learn and take notes from. 

Bitcoin opens the door to many opportunities—but let’s not forget that it’s just a tool. It’s something people can use to better their lives and the lives of others around them. Remember that behind satoshi is a real person that could be using BTC as a means of survival. 

Being on the ground means putting the focus back on the people instead of the speculation, the price, and all-time highs. It means realizing how much Bitcoin can help and empower communities all over the world, especially those that are unbanked. 

As long as we keep that in mind, things like price and speculation will become nothing but a distraction.