Bitcoin Peer Stories: #03, Building Europe’s First Zero-Euro Bitcoin Lifestyle

Publication: Şelale Malkoçoğlu | Brought to you by: Felix Billert, co-founder of wave.space, empowering Europeans to live entirely on Bitcoin through innovative, self-custodial financial tools | Date: 9/21/2024

The following content was published on behalf of Bitvocation—a unique space dedicated to helping Bitcoiners break free from fiat jobs with resources and guidance—as part of the monthly series "Bitcoin Peer Stories."

From Airbus Screws to Bitcoin Startups

Before discovering Bitcoin, I felt lost.

I was studying mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen, yet haunted by the idea of working on something as mundane as designing a lid-closing mechanism for an Airbus A320. Deep inside, I knew I craved something far bigger.

Driven by this restlessness, I dropped engineering and enrolled at WHU, a renowned business university in Germany. WHU had fascinated me for its high concentration of successful entrepreneurs – alumni had founded unicorns like Zalando, HelloFresh, Flixbus, SumUp, and Enpal. Although I had little interest in studying business itself, I was eager to understand the secret sauce behind such entrepreneurial success.

Orange-Pilled in Italy

It was the summer of 2017, right before starting my new journey. Sitting in Italy with my family, I stumbled upon a headline: “Bitcoin hits 3000 USD!” A sudden flashback transported me to 2014, remembering when my dad had curiously asked about Bitcoin's dramatic price crash.

Coming from a STEM family – my dad an engineer, my mother a chemist, my brother a physicist – I was diving into unfamiliar waters. But as I delved into Bitcoin while simultaneously trying to grasp traditional economics and central banking, it clicked instantly.

From that moment forward, two things were crystal clear:

1. I wanted to start my own company.
2. It had to revolve around Bitcoin.

Turning Fiat Into Bitcoin Work

After graduation in 2020, I strategically joined SumUp – Europe’s fintech leader – in their U.S. partner program. This role allowed me to stay close to Bitcoin, learning vital skills from incredible people in fintech. When SumUp offered me a full-time role, I respectfully declined and instead joined Mode, a UK-based Bitcoin brokerage.

Yet, the real turning point was at the Baltic Honey Badger Conference in 2023.

Lightning Strikes at the Honey Badger

At the conference, I eagerly tried to pay for food truck meals with Bitcoin via my Phoenix wallet, thrilled by its seamless, self-custodial Lightning experience. However, disappointment hit when I realized no vendor accepted Bitcoin – only cards.

At Europe's highest-signal Bitcoin conference, this disconnect between Bitcoin’s theoretical potential and real-world usability shocked me. While a friend hastily set up LNBits for tipping, actual payments remained impossible.

I couldn’t shake the thought:

If Bitcoin is truly better money, why doesn’t it feel like it?

This frustration catalyzed my mission – to empower people to live entirely on Bitcoin, making zero-euro living genuinely viable.

Building the Bridge

In January 2024, I reunited with Eivydas and Mantas, former colleagues from my time at Mode. Together, we combined deep expertise in simplifying complex products into seamless user experiences – expertise spanning growth marketing, product development, and operations. It was the perfect recipe to build a bridge between the traditional fiat world and a hyperbitcoinized future.

Over the following year, we meticulously conceptualized, wireframed, designed, and developed our core products. By January 2025, we proudly launched Instant Swap, closely followed by Europe’s first self-custodial Bitcoin debit card in February.

Wave.space was featured on this recent episode of Bitcoin TL;DR. Learn how you can easily use it to start living on a Bitcoin standard now.

Creating Luck and Building Networks

Early on, I made my passion for Bitcoin known clearly yet unobtrusively. This openness led directly to my first Bitcoin job – an introduction by a friend to a Chief Product Officer needing analytical support.

I adopted a founder’s mindset, willingly tackling tasks no one else wanted, embracing roles beyond my job description. Becoming a strong generalist was invaluable. My advice for those starting: Just do it. Move decisively, embrace varied tasks, and don’t hesitate.

Building my network involved actively contributing to Bitcoin communities – writing articles, engaging on Twitter, and attending intimate, technical conferences. Luck, I've learned, is merely recognizing and seizing opportunities decisively and frequently.

Bitcoin Values Shaping My Work

Bitcoin doesn't inherently possess values – it demands them from us. Freedom, ownership, and sovereignty became cornerstones of my professional ethos. Bitcoin taught me low time preference, diligence, and thoughtfulness, shaping my long-term, mission-driven approach.

Life Today: Zero Euros, Maximum Impact

Today, our company has hundreds of passionate customers across Europe living entirely on Bitcoin. They pay rent, utilities, and groceries seamlessly via our Instant Swap and Bitcoin debit card. Using Nostr Wallet Connect, they safely bridge their self-custodial wallets to fiat infrastructure – automatically, seamlessly, and securely.

My workdays are dynamic – recording podcasts, crafting content, designing, researching, working remotely, or collaborating in-office. The freedom is priceless but demands rigorous prioritization. It’s demanding, yet profoundly fulfilling.

Tangible Advice for Future Bitcoiners

If starting today, here’s exactly what I’d recommend:

• Be vocally passionate: Clearly communicate your interest in Bitcoin without overwhelming others.
• Embrace generalism: Early on, tackle diverse tasks outside your comfort zone.
• Actively contribute: Engage deeply in Bitcoin communities through writing, speaking, or technical contributions.
• Create deliberate luck: Recognize and seize opportunities frequently and decisively.

Bitcoin as a North Star

Working in Bitcoin isn’t merely a job – it’s contributing to something lasting far beyond your lifetime. Bitcoin gave me purpose, a North Star guiding my professional journey.

My challenge to you: Stay curious, flexible, and relentless. If you persistently move toward your goal, you WILL reach it.

Enjoyed this story? Discover more: Tanja Baechle "Pursing The Pathless Path", Philip Charter "From English Teacher to ‘Totally Human Writer".

Want to share your own? Contact Bitvocation. They will always give priority to their POW Lab members, but there might be room for others too.