Adam O’Brien, Founder and CEO of Bitcoin Nicely, found Bitcoin in 2013 throughout its early days as what he describes as “hilarious web cash.”
Right this moment, he leads a publicly traded Canadian firm that’s redefining how folks work together with this magic web cash, all whereas navigating a monetary system that has personally debanked him and even his uninvolved family members.
“I had a horrible expertise making an attempt to purchase bitcoin in 2013,” O’Brien explains. “Now in fact at this time there are platforms like Bitcoin Nicely and plenty of others that assist you to purchase bitcoin with ease on-line, however in 2013 that wasn’t the case.”
This irritating expertise sparked the entrepreneurial query that might form his future: “There should be a greater approach.”
With a background in restaurant administration and customer support, O’Brien began small, assembly folks regionally in Edmonton, Canada to promote them bitcoin.
Quickly after, he bought and deployed Alberta’s first bitcoin ATM. The enterprise grew organically, with a second machine following, then a 3rd. Earlier than lengthy, Bitcoin Nicely had turn into certainly one of Canada’s largest bitcoin ATM operators.
Right this moment, Bitcoin Nicely operates roughly 160 bitcoin ATMs throughout Canada. Whereas they’re not deploying new machines, these ATMs present an important service that O’Brien is especially happy with:
“In Canada, you’ll be able to truly purchase bitcoin as much as $1,000 with out giving your identification to Bitcoin Nicely. We’re the one platform within the nation that is ready to supply that service, which is absolutely authorized, absolutely above board.”
The Pivot to Freedom
In 2020, O’Brien’s imaginative and prescient for the corporate advanced. What started as a mission for Bitcoin accessibility remodeled into one thing deeper: a quest for monetary freedom.
“I’m debanked throughout Canada. I don’t have my financial institution, even my spouse has misplaced her financial institution accounts due to my work,” O’Brien revealed. “She’s not concerned with the enterprise in any respect. She’s a stay-at-home mom to our 4 children, and he or she’s unbanked from the vast majority of the banks in Canada.”
This private expertise crystallized a troubling actuality: “It turned very clear to me that my cash within the banking system was at all times going to be topic to how a lot I play by the foundations.”
For somebody self-described as “freedom-focused” and “freedom-minded,” this realization prompted a strategic shift. Bitcoin Nicely started creating its on-line platform, the Bitcoin portal, permitting customers to purchase, promote, and truly use bitcoin to switch conventional banking capabilities. O’Brien explains:
“The aim right here is that we is usually a conduit between the legacy monetary system you understand, and the way you pay your payments, your hire, your energy, bank card and telephone payments and all that stuff with out having to have cash in what I might name a captured fiat account.”
He summarizes the corporate’s North Star merely: “Permit folks to switch their financial institution with bitcoin in self-custody.”
Residing the Mission
O’Brien doesn’t simply preach Bitcoin independence, he lives it. Debanked throughout Canada, he depends on Bitcoin Nicely’s companies for his every day monetary wants.
“I’ve acquired a traditional American Specific, however I pay that off with Bitcoin on the finish of the month,” he shares. “In Canada, we’ve acquired the equal of Venmo, it’s referred to as Interac e-Switch. I can ship an Interac e-Switch to anybody within the nation from bitcoin in self-custody.”
This enables him to navigate on a regular basis conditions the place retailers don’t settle for bitcoin straight.
“It’s spring proper now. I’ve acquired a bit of property. The man comes and picks up our rakes and trims the bushes and all these things, and I pay him. He doesn’t wish to settle for bitcoin, however I’m capable of pay in bitcoin, and he will get the cash that he needs.”
Within the U.S., Bitcoin Nicely clients can have their paychecks deposited with a delegated portion mechanically transformed to sats and despatched on to self-custody, permitting shoppers to stack sats sovereignly with out having to suppose a lot about it.
Constructing the Proper Group
The journey hasn’t been with out challenges. O’Brien candidly describes how fast progress in 2021 led to hiring missteps.
“We scaled so quick I type of misplaced management of hiring observe and tradition, and we ended up with those that I felt like we needed to nearly persuade of the mission,” he admits.
“A few of them weren’t satisfied…they had been simply there due to the job, or they didn’t actually perceive the necessity for the liberty that I discuss each single day.”
After scaling again from that hiring spree, the corporate refocused on constructing a crew aligned with its core values, emphasizing “hiring Bitcoiners actually.”
The end result has been transformative: “It’s a lot enjoyable having a crew that’s mission-focused and aligned on our mission to allow independence. Having everybody aligned and type of operating in direction of that mission is fairly particular.”
This alignment creates a strong filter for decision-making: “When we now have a call to make, it’s like, properly, which one permits extra independence? And normally there’s a reasonably apparent reply. So we’re capable of make very quick selections that assist the enterprise and assist the mission.”
Elevating the Subsequent Technology
Past constructing Bitcoin Nicely, O’Brien and his spouse are elevating 4 kids with intention. The household is transitioning to homeschooling subsequent yr, permitting them to journey to Bitcoin conferences collectively whereas educating their kids to query every part.
“When you don’t indoctrinate your children, the state will do it for you,” O’Brien states firmly. It’s a good level, as indoctrination normally comes with a detrimental connotation, nevertheless it shouldn’t, since everybody will get indoctrinated with one thing.
It’s as much as mother and father to determine what their children are going to be indoctrinated with, and as mother and father, the O’Briens have chosen to actively form their kids’s worldview relatively than defaulting to institutional influences.
Their strategy combines Bitcoin ideas with biblical values, with a heavy emphasis on reducing time desire. One thing O’Brien notes is “10, 20, 30, 50 occasions extra vital” with kids, although admittedly “approach tougher.”
“I believe Bitcoiners greater than anybody perceive the necessity for generational pondering,” he observes.
“I’m so bullish on the quantity of Bitcoiners which have extra children or that wish to have extra children and which might be truly excited to have children in comparison with a few of my fiat associates which might be like, ‘Oh, it’s too costly and I wish to celebration.’ It’s like, man, you’re simply lacking the purpose.”
A Name to Help Bitcoin-Solely Companies
Considered one of O’Brien’s most passionate messages is a name to motion for fellow Bitcoiners: assist companies that align together with your values.
“I wish to name folks to assist companies which might be truly making steps in direction of the change they wish to see on the planet,” he urges. “If I hear yet another Bitcoin maxi inform me that they’re utilizing Kraken or Coinbase as a result of it’s cheaper — why do you assist the casinos?”
He expresses concern in regards to the future if Bitcoin-only firms wrestle to outlive: “It might be very unhappy if all of the Bitcoin-only and non-custodial companies went out of enterprise. That will make it very exhausting for me to really feel snug onboarding my no-coiner associates.”
His message to Bitcoiners is evident: “A name out to all my fellow Bitcoiners to assist and use the platform that they wish to see their children use.”
Bitcoin Nicely (TSX.V: BTCW, OTCQB: BCNWF) continues to construct infrastructure for individuals who wish to use Bitcoin every day whereas sustaining self-custody. For O’Brien, the mission is easy however highly effective: allow independence and provides folks the liberty to regulate their very own monetary future.
