SegWit2X: You’re fucked if you do, you’re fucked if you don’t

Over the last few months there has been no project or company that has suffered more dramatically due to SegWit2x and the New York Agreement than OB1 and OpenBazaar. You could argue that Bitpay has, but they actually have customers and still make profit so they’re in a stronger position to weather upset Bitcoiners. When I was approached about the NYA around Consensus earlier this year I spoke with many people I respect in the space who supported the idea and it seemed like I was in a unique position to help move things along at a time when SegWit just wasn’t happening. It seemed win-win. But as time has gone on I have realized just how horrible some people are in Bitcoin and how hard it is to actually stand up for a position you believe in without it negatively impacting everything and everyone around you.

When I first brought up the idea about agreeing to the NYA the group of us running OB1 agreed that whatever we chose to do, we wanted it to be crystal clear that OB1 as a company would support it and help move things along, but that OpenBazaar was a neutral project that shouldn’t project principles and ideas that not everyone agreed upon. Unfortunately some people are too stupid to realize that OB1 and OpenBazaar are different and the rhetoric has remained that OpenBazaar itself is fucking over Bitcoin. But as they say perception is reality and I believe this was now a mistake to stick out our necks for this cause. Not because I believe that off-chain scaling is the appropriate way to improve Bitcoin, but because it has negatively impacted our business and the hard working team at OB1. I apologize to them for putting them in a negative position that diminishes their hard work when they should be celebrating the amazing accomplishment of OpenBazaar 2.0.

Another reason I supported SegWit2x is because I hoped that by making SegWit a reality that we could somehow bring a fractured Bitcoin community tighter together when it needed it most. I was wrong. I no longer feel this is a reality. The Bitcoin community does not care about unity other than to preserve the wealth already accumulated by so many early holders and wealthy investors. I am constantly bombarded with messages from people telling me that I’m harming Bitcoin by encouraging users to spend their Bitcoin on OpenBazaar. Someone actually flagged our Crypto is Currency Day effort as a malicious effort because they did not believe in usage of Bitcoin as a form of payment. It is disappointing that people are so petty, but once again this is reality.

A lot has happened since the agreement was created, but another fun twist has made life harder for myself and our team: Bitcoin Cash. Bitcoin Cash, or /r/btc, has now decided to bombard us with a second attack explaining that we’re a waste of time until we support Bitcoin Cash, the “real” Bitcoin. As we always explained from day one, we’re currently only supporting Bitcoin proper, the most secure and reliable digital token on the market. We have verbalized plans to incorporate more alt coins directly, but this still does not stop the wave of criticism for not supporting the competition.

I had hoped that the people who supported SegWit2X from larger businesses that have a big impact on the Bitcoin ecosystem would step up and vocalize their support for the agreement, but thus far it has amounted to a nebulous whimper and this has basically sent the rain of shit down off their umbrella to smaller folks, mainly OB1. It’s hard to support something when you’re colleagues can’t even articulate what they plan to do properly.

So in closing I no longer plan to participate or “support” SegWit2X (or NO2X for that matter). I will be instead focusing on building great software that advances decentralization and improves Bitcoin and hopefully other crypto currencies in the very near future. I work extremely hard every day to create free and open software that anyone can use, I’m a Bitcoin holder (and spender), I’m a parent that hopes to make a better life for my family through Bitcoin and I want to keep my life positive.

So in closing you can officially put me in the #Whatever2X column. I’m more interested in creating positive situations in the world, not fighting trolls and assholes in the community.

We’ve got some really great stuff in the pipeline for OpenBazaar and OB1 and if you think blacklisting us on Reddit or tweeting nasty comments is going to stop our progress you’re wrong. We’re a team, a community and we’re OpenBazaar! The unstoppable marketplace.

To all the haters: I love you and hope you at least spend the rest of your time giving others your positivity.