If you’ve been involved in the Bitcoin scene in Southeast Asia for a while, then you’ve certainly come across Sidd.
As an active member of the Thai Bitcoin community, he has found a way to combine several of his passions:
Bitcoin, biking, and a profound appreciation for the serene and often surprising landscapes of rural Southeast Asia, which you can discover by riding the less-traveled path.
Right after the Thai Bitcoin Conference next month, Sidd is organizing a special, invitation-only event for Bitcoin meetup organizers, hub runners, and community builders in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.
The event will take place on September 17th and 18th, just ahead of the upcoming Bitcoin Tokyo 2024 conference.
We caught up with Sidd to discuss his journey into Bitcoin, Southeast Asia, and why you might want to consider joining this or one of the future Ride of Passage events.
BitcoinVN News: When did you discover and at what moment did it “click” for you that Bitcoin will play a huge role in your life from here on out?
Sidd: Starting off with a tough one! In truth, understanding Bitcoin was a very gradual process for me. At first it was an interesting technology – an uncopyable form of ‘digital property’. Then I came to understand that Bitcoin was unique and separate from those “cryptocurrencies” others were interested in; because Bitcoin focused solely on what the ‘blockchain’ is good at versus any centralized database: removing the capability of human operators, even well-organized groups of them, to override the rules built in to the software at inception. And finally the investment case dawned on me; that Bitcoin is so much more than “money for the internet” or a better payments system, but instead a powerful way to reverse the deep-rooted problems which fiat money printing has wrought on our world – from nutrition to education to our mindsets.
BitcoinVN News: When did you come to South East Asia for the first time, what were your initial impressions and at what point did you decide to move the centre of your life over here for good?
Sidd: I was fortunate enough to be born into a family that loves to travel and works in the airline industry, so I went abroad often in my childhood. My first trip to Southeast Asia was to Vietnam, and I was about 12 years old. As an American kid from the suburbs, that was a very eye opening experience – just seeing how differently people lived, ate, and gathered. My one month backpacking trip through Southeast Asia in 2016 planted the seed that led to me moving here for good, however. That idea nagged at me for several years before I finally found the opportunity to move; with a remote job and an exhaustion with my current situation (living in a shoebox in New York City) I decided to take the leap. Tried it for 90 days and never looked back.
BitcoinVN News: You also participated in the – in its own way legendary – CryptoEcon 2020 in Hanoi, mere days ago before the world changed for many of us forever. What are some of your favorite memories from those special days in Hanoi?
Sidd: Indeed legendary. The venue being a classic motorcycle garage played a strong role in my fascination with the two wheeled beasts, which was just taking root at that time. One memory from that gathering sticks out to me above all others. Back then I was very interested in Bitcoin mining: what the economic case was for it, and whether anyone actually wanted to mine Bitcoin who wasn’t in it – at least in part – for ideological reasons. I met Steve Barbour at that conference, who at the time was early in his journey to create the juggernaut that is Upstream Data (he was the only attendee from outside Asia, if I remember correctly – everyone else canceled out of fear). I asked Steve about whether his clients – oil and gas companies – actually like Bitcoin, or if they only mine it for profit. His response was shocking and very encouraging for Bitcoin. If I remember correctly, he said that due to the tight collaboration between finance and oil, the companies using his off-grid data centers to mine bitcoin with their waste gas actually hate Bitcoin. But they have no choice but to mine it, because mining bitcoin is the most economical option.
BitcoinVN News: When and how did you develop your passion for biking? What makes it such a special pursuit for you?
Sidd: Motorcycling to me is a form of meditation. It’s hard to describe but easy to feel, and I think this is why there is such a strong bond of kinship between motorcycle riders. I never rode motorcycles before I moved to Asia. I started with automatic scooters, moved up to small CC bikes, and eventually bought a Harley and rode across the USA. Motorcycles grant a high level of freedom – there is nothing around the rider to separate you from the environment, and they can go more places than other vehicles. But they also require a high level of personal responsibility. You must know your limits, while also pushing them out to new reaches. That thrill and the risk it requires just hooked me from the first twist of the throttle.
BitcoinVN News: What was your all-time favorite biking experience?
Sidd: Every time I get on a motorcycle is special. But the one experience I can never repeat is that sweet sweet first time on a manual motorcycle. As with many great risks taken by men, this one started with a girl. She invited me to ride from Chiang Mai to Pai for a weekend with her. For context, the ride to Pai has 800+ curves covering many mountain ranges and vans chock full of tourists barrelling around every corner – it is certainly a “ride of passage”. Given she rode a proper 300cc BMW motorcycle, I decided then and there I’d rent a 250cc sport bike with manual gears and go for it. With jeans, a denim jacket, a pair of gardening gloves and the most expensive helmet I could find at the grocery store (only helmet for sale at 9pm!) I set off the next morning. The many close calls on that ride made it one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.
BitcoinVN News: For beginners who would like to start to get into biking, where should they start?
Sidd: Bicycle. The same principles apply, the speeds just reach much higher. Also, do not discount the importance of training. In the USA, the MSF courses are a great way to get a motorcycle license and learn techniques for better handling and general awareness on the road. There is a very cheesy but very useful movie (available on YouTube) called Twist of the Wrist II that explains the mechanics of cornering and practical tips, and many books on riding that will help a new rider grok how to ride safer and/or faster.
BitcoinVN News: In the days after the upcoming Thai Bitcoin Conference you are organizing a special retreat in Chiang Mai. What should participants expect? Who should consider signing up? And are there any specific personality types that might not align well with the retreat’s atmosphere?
Sidd: Recently I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of the ‘mastermind’ concept and wanted to apply it to help the Bitcoin community. Many meetup organizers and community builders I know in Bitcoin are in siloes, innovating alone without a support network or regular interaction with other organizers to bounce ideas around. A mastermind fixes this, giving us a forum to share our biggest problems and opportunities in order to get focused help from peers. And doing it in person means we can build a level of trust between participants that can take years to build remotely. So our first day will be a structured mastermind session, while the second day will be a hike and relaxation – a chance to show off why Chiang Mai is loved by so many people. This will be a Bitcoin-only event for Bitcoin community organizers, not for crypto/shitcoin promoters.
BitcoinVN News: Bitcoin and the Bitcoin communities in South East Asia have for a long time been flying very much under the radar, little attention has been paid to it from Western observers.
How do you see the community and general ecosystem in the region develop in the years ahead?
Sidd: I like it this way – it allows for the proof of work to lead the way. Just now as I type this I am visiting the Bali Bitcoin House, and absolutely stunned at the progress this group has made in coordinating and supporting meetups and educational initiatives across Indonesia. As the number of solid Bitcoin conferences across Asia grows (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan come to mind), communities in each country will have a chance to meet in person and improve our educational efforts in our respective countries. I see demand for Bitcoin growing in Asia as well, as the average person here doesn’t have the “financial privilege” of most Westerners which makes them able to afford ignoring Bitcoin. Bitcoin will become a way out of currency debasement and political turmoil – I believe most people in Asia will see that before most people in the West. Only time will tell.
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Interested? You can find out more about the upcoming Bitcoin Educators Mastermind and about the mission and future events of Ride of Passage here.
Follow Sidd for more on his socials:
- Nostr: npub1v5g4gkhazw4g7ncm9avpf8all4r3mgfw2fz0g9erzl6srv0vsz4sj9nsq4
- https://x.com/captainsidd
