The "Hard Money" Mindset
Let me tell you about my mate Dave. He's been prospecting on the West Coast for 15 years. Drives an old Hilux, lives simply, doesn't trust the banks. Classic gold bug.
Last year, he started buying Bitcoin. I asked him why.
"Same reason I pan for gold. It can't be printed. No politician can create more of it. The maths is the maths."
That's the core insight. Both gold and Bitcoin are hard money— they can't be inflated away by central banks.
The Numbers That Matter
~2%
Annual gold supply increase
21M
Fixed Bitcoin supply. Forever.
Gold's supply increases by about 1.5-2% per year through mining. That's pretty good compared to fiat currencies (the NZ dollar supply increased 35% in just two years during COVID).
But Bitcoin? There will only ever be 21 million. Not 21 million and one. The code enforces it. That makes it the hardest money ever created.
Different Tools, Same Workshop
| Scenario | Gold | Bitcoin |
|---|---|---|
| Grid goes down | ✓ Works | ✗ Useless |
| Border crossing | ~ Risky | ✓ In your head |
| Hyperinflation | ✓ Proven | ✓ Likely works |
| Upside potential | ~ Modest | ✓ Asymmetric |
Gold is your defensive play. The thing that's worked for 5,000 years. Your insurance policy.
Bitcoin is your offensive play. The asymmetric bet that could 10x (or go to zero). The speculation with sound money properties.
The "Barbell" Strategy
A lot of prospectors I know use what finance nerds call a "barbell strategy":
- •Physical gold: 10-20% of portfolio. The bedrock. Hidden at home or in a safety deposit box.
- •Bitcoin: 5-10% of portfolio. The "in case it goes to the moon" position.
- •The rest: Cash, property, maybe some boring index funds.
The Prospector's Edge
Here's the thing most people miss: as a gold prospector in NZ, you can literally create gold from nothing — just time and effort. That's pure savings. No tax, no middleman. Then you can convert some of that to Bitcoin if you want digital portability.
How to Start
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