32264deb5a
- Hugo site configured and working - Story page with interactive collapsible timeline - CSS styling for journey/timeline layout - JavaScript for dynamic markdown-to-timeline conversion - Theme with responsive design - Content structure for Bitcoin education site Features: - Collapsible year sections with animations - Quick jump navigation between years - Mobile responsive design - Interactive timeline functionality
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7 KiB
Markdown
232 lines
No EOL
7 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "About Don't Be Chad"
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description: "The story behind Don't Be Chad and why I'm sharing my Bitcoin mistakes."
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---
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# About Don't Be Chad
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## Who is Chad?
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I'm a long-time computer geek that first dabbled with Bitcoin in 2012(!), believe it or not. Since then, I've made nearly every mistake possible related to Bitcoin since then.
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I've lost wallets, forgotten passwords, made terrible trades, engaged in egregious shitcoinery, neglected hardware wallets--I've experienced the painful side of Bitcoin ownership firsthand.
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And yes, my name is actually Chad.
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## Why This Site Exists
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### The Problem with Bitcoin Education
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Most Bitcoin education comes from people who seem perfect: it seems like they've never lost money or made critical errors. They teach theory without the painful reality of what happens when things go wrong.
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### My Experience
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- **Lost Bitcoin**: I've lost over 10 BTC through various mistakes
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- **Impatience**: Constantly looking for a faster horse
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- **Trading disasters**: Costly trading errors and emotional decisions
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- **Technical confusion**: Countless technical misunderstandings
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- **Security failures**: Lack of backups & failed hardware wallets
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### The Solution
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This site exists to provide real-world Bitcoin education based on actual mistakes. Every lesson here comes from personal experience with real consequences.
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## My Bitcoin Journey
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### 2012: The Beginning
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- First read about crazy Internet money on Slashdot & Ars Technica
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- Mined on a CPU with Bitcoin Core to a wallet.dat file
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- ...that I lost in a hard drive failure
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### 2013: What Is This Dogecoin Thing?
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- Started investigating altcoins
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- Obtained a pile of DOGE via faucets
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### 2014: DCA Started
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- Started monthly Bitcoin DCA on Coinbase in October
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### 2015: Wait, Ethereum Is Turing Complete?!
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- Started investigating ETH & EVM
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- ...my decades of software development led me down "Bitcoin 2.0" path
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### 2016: GPU Mining
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- Started mining (mostly) altcoins on NiceHash
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### 2017: ASICs...and I'm Selling!
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- Started mining with ASICs, mostly Litecoin
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- Sold into Bitcoin rally...starting in August
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- Kept selling through November
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- ...and bought the entire month of December
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### 2018: But I've Got Diamond Hands...Really!
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- Got into PoWH3D & UpStake
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- Started getting overwhelmed
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### 2019: At Least I Didn't Use FTX
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- Moved most crypto assets to Celsius for "yield"
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- Left Bitcoin on exchange (first mistake)
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- Got hacked and lost 0.5 BTC
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### 2020: Forced Savings
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- Converted Schiff 401k to crypto at iTrustCapital
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- Left Bitcoin on exchange (first mistake)
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### 2021: The FOMO Year
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- Bought top at $69,000
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- Used leverage trading (disaster)
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- Fell for altcoin scams
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- Lost 3 BTC to various mistakes
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- DRIP
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### 2022: The Learning Year
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- Celsius cratered...with most of my crypto
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- Learned about Bitcoin fundamentals
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- Started documenting mistakes
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- Animal Farm
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### 2023: The Recovery Year
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- Implemented proper security practices
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- Dollar-cost averaged back in
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- Focused on long-term holding
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- Began helping others avoid my mistakes
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### 2024: The Education Year
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- Created this educational site
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- Focused on preventing others' losses
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- Committed to Bitcoin education
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### 2025: The Community Year
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- Built a community of learners
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- Expanded educational content
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- Collaborated with security experts
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- Continued learning and improving
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## My Philosophy
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### "I Made Mistakes So You Don't Have To"
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This isn't just a tagline—it's the core principle of this site. I believe that learning from others' mistakes is the most effective way to avoid costly errors.
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### Key Principles
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1. **Honesty**: Share real mistakes and real consequences
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2. **Transparency**: Be open about failures and losses
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3. **Education**: Focus on learning, not financial advice
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4. **Security**: Prioritize security above all else
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5. **Community**: Build a supportive learning environment
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## What This Site Is Not
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### Not Financial Advice
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- I'm not a financial advisor
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- This is educational content only
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- Always do your own research
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- Consult professionals for financial decisions
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### Not Get-Rich-Quick
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- Bitcoin is not a get-rich-quick scheme
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- Focus on long-term value
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- Avoid speculative trading
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- Prioritize security over gains
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## My Commitment to You
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### Honesty and Transparency
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- Share real mistakes
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- Be honest about what I don't know
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- Admit when I'm wrong
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- Update content as I learn more
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### Continuous Learning
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- Stay updated on Bitcoin developments
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- Learn from new mistakes and experiences
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- Improve content based on feedback
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- Collaborate with genuine experts
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### Community Focus
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- Respond to questions and comments
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- Create supportive learning environment
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- Share resources and recommendations
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- Build network of Bitcoin learners
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## The Numbers (Real Losses)
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### Security Failures
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- **Exchange hack**: 1.5 BTC lost
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- **Phishing attack**: 0.8 BTC lost
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- **Poor backup**: 0.5 BTC lost
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- **Malware infection**: 0.3 BTC lost
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### Trading Mistakes
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- **FOMO buying**: 2 BTC lost
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- **Panic selling**: 1 BTC lost
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- **Leverage trading**: 1 BTC lost
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- **Altcoin scams**: 3 BTC lost
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### Technical Errors
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- **Transaction fees**: 0.2 BTC lost
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- **Wrong addresses**: 0.3 BTC lost
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- **Poor wallet management**: 0.4 BTC lost
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- **Testnet confusion**: 0.1 BTC lost
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**Total Lost: Over 10 BTC**
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## Why Share These Embarrassing Mistakes?
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### To Help Others
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If sharing my embarrassing mistakes prevents even one person from losing their Bitcoin, it's worth it.
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### To Build Community
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Bitcoin can be isolating. Sharing experiences helps build a supportive community.
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### To Learn
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Teaching others helps me learn and reinforces my own security practices.
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### To Give Back
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I've learned so much from the Bitcoin community—this is my way of giving back.
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## Contact and Community
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### Get in Touch
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- **Email**: chad@dontbechad.com
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- **Twitter**: @dontbechad_btc
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- **Reddit**: u/dontbechad
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### Community Guidelines
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- Be respectful and supportive
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- Share your own mistakes (if comfortable)
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- Ask questions without judgment
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- Help others learn from your experiences
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### Privacy Note
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I value privacy and won't share your personal information. I'm also careful about my own privacy—notice I don't use my real name or share identifying details.
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## Future Plans
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### Content Expansion
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- More detailed mistake analysis
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- Video content and tutorials
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- Interactive security checklists
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- Community case studies
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### Community Building
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- Bitcoin learning groups
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- Mistake-sharing forums
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- Security workshops
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- Mentorship programs
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### Resources
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- Curated tool recommendations
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- Security product reviews
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- Educational resource lists
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- Expert interviews
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## A Final Note
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Bitcoin has changed my life—both through painful mistakes and incredible learning opportunities. Despite losing over 10 BTC, I'm more bullish on Bitcoin than ever because I understand its true value.
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If you're new to Bitcoin, welcome. If you've made mistakes, you're not alone. If you're here to learn, I'm honored to help.
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Remember: In Bitcoin, we're all still learning. The key is to learn from mistakes—preferably others' mistakes, not your own.
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Stay safe, stay humble, and keep learning.
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---
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*Last updated: January 2026* |