About The Artist
For our Bitcoin Anniversary 2021 Design Block we’re featuring BTCPins. The Bitcoiner behind these dope enamel metal designs is Pardus (@pardus79). He’s based in Califonia and brews beer, cooks Tomahawk steaks and makes kick ass, enamel pin art. Pardus is a family guy who’d be keen to drop his 9-5 desk fiat job and work full time on BTCPins if he could. He’s an eclectic hobbyist whose played bass in bands and dabbled in Mead making & woodwork. Who hasn’t?
He discovered Bitcoin in early 2013 but really fell down the rabbit hole in 2017. Recently he’s got a kick out of attending the Orange County Bitcoin Network, shooting the shit & spending time with other Bitcoiners & blue sky thinkers.
"A few other Bitcoiners & I ordered half a cow. It should be ready by March. That might be my $50K celebration steak 🙂"
Launch & Collaboration
Pardus started BTCPins in the summer of 2020, when he reached a stage where he could no longer sit on the sidelines. He was compelled to create for the community after soaking up inspiration from dope little projects like SHAmory & SatsLedger. He’s always had pins on coats & bags himself and saw a niche there.
"I wanted to make something & collaborate with other Bitcoiners. I hit my limit of NOT being part of this."
He first pin was the iconic Orange Pill and he then reached out to Swan Bitcoin and Coinkite who were super positive about collaborating. He was shocked by the response to those first few pins and to see how much love people had for them.
Designing these is very much a labour of love for him right now and he’s not worrying too much about profits. As long as it funds his collaborations – he’s good. His most recent collab with CryptoCloaks had a massive response. It’s an exciting time and one project is literally leading to the next.
He’s collaborating with 21ism too this month to launch a set of pins inspired by our ‘21ism Graphic Comic’. They’re beautiful and we totally love ‘em. For one, he’s taken the Comic’s front cover design of Hal, in full gas mask & crucifix pose. It’s a stunning image designed by @jcsketches (story and concept by myself @selfbankt). These are available to buy from BTCPins now and from our 21ism store soon. Every Featured Artist this month and next, receives a 21ism pin too. Boom!!
Pardus attended the last few OCBTCN Meetups and has found the group super warm & welcoming. They’re passionate about the Bitcoin Circular Economy and Lightning Network and he’s sold pins at their latest Market Events. He also sells via btcpins.com, after building the site based upon @Bitcoinshirtco’s BTCPay webstore guide. Check out our concurrent BTCPay feature for more on that.
"Lightning was a real switching on point for me about how UTXOS and Bitcoin security actually works."
CREATIVE BULL MARKET
When people aren’t worried about their money & savings eroding away, work weeks are likely to get shorter and they’ll have more free time. People who’ve never made anything before, will have the opportunity to Create. Art could experience something of a Bull Market too at that point he believes. He feels Ancient cultures were passionate about their traditions and it inspired their Great Art and that in a similar way, Bitcoiners are passionate about freedom & sound money. Pardus sees great passion and quality in Bitcoin Art, writing and discussion and it gives him a lot of optimism.
"Creative freedom is so huge with Bitcoiners. Make what you want. Make what you love. It’s a permissionless system."
BTCPins
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2020 & BEYOND
It was a hell of a year and he admits it takes imagination to see a solution to the world’s problems right now. He sees Bitcoin as that potential reset though. He’s in it for liberty, personal responsibility and self sovereignty. This is the first year he’s been truly angry with the government. He’s not a fan of lockdown and feels its taking people’s livelihoods away. People losing businesses, being forced to stay home – he’s hating that.
"Bitcoiners have our fuck you money but it’s everyone else I’m concerned about – having their savings inflated away. I worry about that."
Pardus finds it hard to imagine what governments can do about Bitcoin without shooting themselves in the foot. If they screw it up, they’re the ones who’ll get hurt from it. As he sees it the regulation is essentially unenforceable. Perhaps Mnuchin doesn’t understand how threatening Bitcoin is yet. It’s underestimated and right now, that’s fine for him.
"I’m doing this so my family will be secure."
Maybe the first irritations of citadels will be people and their families. You’ll help the people you love who have no Bitcoin.
In terms of the future for himself and BTCPins, it’s all about developing new links and collaborations – that’s what floats his boat. So reach out if you’ve ideas or want something custom. Check out his website for more.
BTCPINS
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