Mt.Gox fell hard, the prices fluctuate, the graphs are sinusoidal, bankruptcy and getting hacked has become a routine. This has been the life of a bitcoin in the last two years. Every time there is something new and powerful, two groups eventually emerge.
- The Supporters
- The Skeptics
Both these groups work against each other and help make things better, together.
Bitcoin Foundation
The Support & Advocacy Group in the case of Bitcoins is the Bitcoin Foundation, founded in 2012. The skeptics are everyone who doesn’t use Bitcoins yet. Patrick Murck, served as the General Counsel of the foundation. He has been the voice of the community and has more than once been the punching bag, for the accusations on Bitcoins.
Advocacy & Lobbying is a Drain on Resources
In the Bitcoin Foundation blogpost titled “Comings and Goings” in December, Patrick Murck, states clearly, why advocacy is not the way to go forward. In his own words…
Change means…losing some weight.
“As a Foundation we will consistently assess the best way we can add value to the bitcoin project, and at times that will require us to shift focus. In this case that assessment led us to decide that we are no longer going to pursue a strategy of proactive lobbying and policy engagement. That, in turn, means saying goodbye to some talented and hard working team members including Jim Harper our Global Policy Counsel. We wish Jim the best and I’m certain that he will continue to do great work for the bitcoin community.” — Comings and Goings, by Patrick Murck.
What this means to Bitcoin Foundation?
“You can’t be what you were, so you better start being just what you are.” -Fugazi