When the World Goes Dark: Can Bitcoin Still Shine?

Credit for this exploration goes to my wife who is hyper aware of the state of the world across a vast array of factors. While I can say that I am responsible for orange pilling her, she has long since surpassed me in her deep dive into the question of what money is and how the economy truly works.

Out of the blue, this morning she asks me “Should we get some bivy sticks?” “What for?” I said breathing deeply. “So we can communicate in case of a disaster. Oh and can we use Bitcoin if the internet goes offline?” It’s that last part that sent me off on my current exploration. “I saw a post on X just this morning of a guy bragging on his node connected to a satellite.” I mentioned casually. (remember this for later) “I’ll look into it and make a blog post!” “About time you make a blog post…” she laughs.

So now I am here and you’re here with me which is great because otherwise I’d be talking to myself.

Ok so where to start. Well with the volcano and ChatGPT of course! Yes - I use ChatGPT - it’s a WAY better search engine and doesn’t steal any more data than the others did. I digress:

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What are the potential effects of a major volcanic eruption in Iceland for me living in Portugal?

A major volcanic eruption in Iceland could have several potential effects, even as far away as Portugal. The impact depends on the scale of the eruption and prevailing weather patterns. Here are some of the possible effects:

Ash Clouds and Air Travel Disruption
Atmospheric Effects and Climate Impact
Environmental and Health Impact from Ash Fallout
Economic and Supply Chain Impact
Tsunami Risk

In summary, while the direct physical effects of a volcanic eruption in Iceland on Portugal might be limited, the indirect effects through air travel disruption and possible economic and supply chain impacts could be more significant.

I cut it down for brevity, but you get the gist. Could be painful though not likely to be the apocalypse at least not here but hey let’s keep going down the rabbit hole and see how we use Bitcoin in more apocalypse like scenarios. Specifically, can we use Bitcoin with a bivvy stick?

A bivvy stick, in this case, is not what it was to me in the army, which was a pole that went with your bivvy or personal tent. In this case it is a satellite communicator:

Choose Bivy Stick for a lightweight and feature-packed satellite communicator. Benefit from unrivaled two-way and group messaging, emergency SOS, GPS tracking, and location sharing. Stay connected, even beyond cellular coverage.

It is basically a satellite SMS device with no voice functionality that enables sending/receiving of emails with an app on your phone. Pretty cool - pricey though ~$600 bucks for two with a $100 in activation fees and you and someone else in your family/group can communicate while one is out on a fishing expedition or zombie raid or whatever. Of course, you have to pay for service as well - which will set you back $60 a month each with a one-year minimum contract totaling another $1440! Can you use bitcoin via SMS or email? Yes, you can technically send and receive bitcoin via SMS with multiple messages and ASSUMING the internet is up maybe even use a service or wallet that will facilitate. Truth is I did NOT explore this much further as it seems batshit crazy pricey as a hedge that you pay service for every month and most likely are NOT using. On top of that if shit does hit the fan how do I pay for the service and even more importantly how do I keep my node connected - this ain’t going to work!

Enter Blockstream Satellite.

The Bitcoin blockchain from space. No internet required.

The Blockstream Satellite network broadcasts the Bitcoin blockchain around the world 24/7 for free, protecting against network interruptions and providing areas without reliable internet connections with the opportunity to use Bitcoin.

Now I finally have the excuse I have been looking for to go down this rabbit hole. The best part of this is once you have made the initial investment - it is free! Keep your node synced, validate your own transactions no internet no worries. This is sovereign exactly as it should be.

Right now, I am in investigation mode - I mean literally right now while I am writing this post. I have a SELFSAT IP22 flat antennae in my cart, I have verified my location via latitude and longitude and I’m going through instructions on Blockstream’s github. I am going to cover this as Part 2 and take you through it in detail - from unboxing, setup to syncing my node. I know others have done this before me (remember that X post I mentioned?) - now it is my turn and YOU get to tag along.

Stay tuned.

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