What is fiat?
What Is Fiat? (And How Learning About It Changed Everything)
For most of my life, I didn’t question money. I worked hard, paid bills, saved what I could, and assumed that was the responsible thing to do. But in 2019, I stumbled into a YouTube rabbit hole that changed everything. I learned something that seemed almost too simple to be true: our money isn’t backed by anything.
That’s fiat — and understanding it opened my eyes to how deeply it affects everything.
What Is Fiat Money?
"Fiat" means "by decree." Fiat money is currency that’s declared legal tender by a government, but it has no intrinsic value and isn’t backed by anything tangible like gold or silver. Its value comes purely from trust in the issuing authority — and most importantly, it can be created out of thin air.
That’s exactly what happened in 1971, when the U.S. permanently abandoned the gold standard. From that moment forward, money became unlimited — and so did the problems that came with it.
How I Learned the Truth
I started watching videos on Bitcoin, and suddenly I was hearing terms like "fiat money," "sound money," and "1971" thrown around. I paused. Googled. Then fell headfirst into a world I didn’t know existed.
I discovered that:
Governments and central banks can print new money with the click of a button.
This devalues existing money, silently stealing purchasing power from people who save and work.
Since 1971, we've seen explosive growth in debt, housing costs, college tuition, healthcare costs, and social division.
It hit me: money printing isn’t just about economics — it’s tied to many of the problems we face today.
What Fiat Does to a Society
When money loses its anchor, so does everything else:
Time preference rises — people focus on the short term.
Trust erodes — between citizens, businesses, and governments.
Values shift — consumption replaces production, and noise replaces truth.
We’re now living in a world of fiat money, fiat food, fiat education, and fiat culture — things created quickly and cheaply, without lasting value.
Bitcoin Led Me Out — But the Journey Had Just Begun
Understanding fiat was the first step. Bitcoin was the second — a form of money that can’t be printed, won’t be inflated, and does reward patience and long-term thinking. That journey didn’t just change my portfolio — it changed my health, my parenting, my marriage, and even how I view time and truth.
Learning what fiat is wasn’t just a history lesson — it was a wake-up call. And once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Stay tuned, and stay sovereign.
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