Confessions of a Boomer Bitcoiner
How a 67-year-old discovered freedom and curiosity in the Bitcoin revolution?
I’m Marius — born in 1958, proud boomer, who started his journey almost 10 years ago into this strange and fascinating world of Bitcoin.
Sidenote: Around 2013, as a techie I did dabble in some mining but quickly abandoned that as something that is going nowhere (In hindsight, not the wisest thing)Now, before you roll your eyes — no, I haven’t joined some crypto cult, and I’m not day-trading meme coins on my phone. What drew me in wasn’t hype or greed. It was curiosity, mixed with a fair bit of scepticism. Like many of my generation, I wanted to understand what all the fuss was about — and why so many young people were suddenly allergic to banks.
At first, I’ll admit: I thought Bitcoin was a scam. Magic internet money? Anonymous developers? A network with no central authority? It sounded ridiculous. Even 3 years before (around 2013), I actively started to take notice of Bitcoin, as a techie, I set up a Linux machine and mined some Bitcoin. But the deeper I dug, the more I realised it wasn’t the scam — it was the system around us that was broken.
From Chequebooks to Seed Phrases
I still remember balancing my chequebook with a calculator and a pen. Fast forward a few decades, and I’m sitting at my desk trying to figure out what a “seed phrase” is — 12 or 24 random words that somehow control my money.
- It was intimidating.
- It still is, sometimes.
The first time I set up a hardware wallet, I felt like I was handling plutonium. The warnings were terrifying:
- “Don’t lose your seed phrase.”
- “Don’t take a photo.”
- “Don’t connect to the internet.”
I must’ve checked that thing ten times before I felt confident. But once I got it — really got it — it clicked. I wasn’t just using an app. I was becoming my own bank.
And that was a powerful feeling for someone who grew up trusting banks, governments, and neat little passbooks.
Learning Not to Trust (and Verify Instead)
Our generation was raised to trust institutions. The bank was safe, the news was honest, and the government would look after you — or at least try. But over time, that trust has been chipped away.
We’ve seen currencies devalue, pensions underperform, and money printers go brrr. So when I stumbled upon Bitcoin’s mantra — “Don’t trust, verify” — it struck a chord. For once, the rules were transparent. The supply was fixed. The math didn’t lie.
It felt… refreshing. Maybe even hopeful.
The Scammers and the Noise
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and sats. The number of scams out there is staggering. Every week, someone forwards me a “great opportunity” to double my Bitcoin — and it’s always fake.
The crypto world is noisy, flashy, and full of distractions.
That’s why I’ve learned to stick to Bitcoin.
No “next Bitcoin,” no “new project,” no influencer nonsense. Just Bitcoin. The rest feels like a casino designed to separate the hopeful from their money.
The Dinner Table Dilemma
When I bring up Bitcoin at family dinners, I usually get a few smirks. My kids roll their eyes — “Dad’s orange-pilling again.” My friends joke that I’ve gone off the deep end.
But that’s fine. We boomers have been through cultural revolutions before. We went from vinyl to cassettes to CDs to streaming. We’ve seen the Cold War, the internet, and social media rise and fall. Bitcoin is just the next shift — only this one actually gives us freedom, not just convenience.
And truthfully, learning about Bitcoin has given me a sense of youthful energy again. I’m learning, experimenting, and challenging assumptions. It keeps the brain sharp and the spirit curious.
Leaving Something That Lasts
What drives me most is legacy.
I want my kids and grandkids to inherit something more stable than the fiat system we grew up with. Bitcoin offers a way to pass down value that can’t be printed away or frozen by a bureaucrat’s pen.
It’s not easy. It takes patience, caution, and humility. But for anyone my age who’s willing to learn, it’s one of the most rewarding adventures out there.
My Advice to Fellow Boomers
- Start small.
- Read, listen, and ask questions.
- Don’t let the tech intimidate you.
- And most importantly, don’t outsource your understanding. Learn enough to hold your own keys, even if you just buy a few thousand rand worth.
- Bitcoin isn’t just for the young. It’s for anyone who believes in self-reliance, fairness, and freedom — values that boomers like us actually helped build society on.
- So yes, I’m a boomer. But I’m also a Bitcoiner.
- And honestly? It feels good to be early to something again.
About the author
Marius Bock is a 67-year-old boomer who stumbled into the Bitcoin rabbit hole and decided to stay awhile. When he’s not managing tech projects or exploring the world of digital finance, he enjoys hiking the mountain trails in the Western Cape and enjoys small town life in Yzerfontein and reflecting on how fast the world is changing. As a hobby, he dabbles in coding some Rust applications.