The Problem
Monetary System How the System Works Federal Reserve History Bonds & Interest Rates The Petrodollar Dollar Milkshake Theory World Reserve Currency The Gold Standard Consequences Inflation Types Sanctions & Money Shrinkflation Cost of Living
Bitcoin
Learn Bitcoin Why Bitcoin Bitcoin for Beginners How Money Works Why Bitcoin Can't Be Shut Down Proof of Work Practice How to Buy Bitcoin Dollar-Cost Averaging Bitcoin Allocation Wallets Compared Bitcoin Taxes (US) Expat Bitcoin Taxes Skeptics & Critics Common Objections Bitcoin Skeptic Bitcoin vs Altcoins Life Situations What to Do When BTC Crashes Talking to Family About BTC Bitcoin and Divorce
Strategy
Sovereignty Stack Hardware Wallets Seed Phrase Rules Custody Levels Wallets Compared Spot ETFs (Roth IRA) Exit Strategy Bitcoin Retirement Inheritance Planning Privacy Guide
Money
Foundation Order of Operations How to Actually Budget Where to Bank Credit Card Strategy Financial Mistakes Spending & Saving Spending Less Unconventional Savings Saving for a House Investing for Beginners What to Do With $X Buying a Car Geographic Arbitrage Debt Debt Types Building Credit Income Salary Negotiation Getting Promoted Career Switch Math Income Types Stock Options & Equity Tax-Advantaged Solo 401(k) Backdoor Roth Mega Backdoor Roth 529 Plans I-Bonds & T-Bills Protection Credit Freeze Disability Insurance Wills & Estate
Tools
Featured All Tools (50) Savings Rate to FI Tax Estimator Cost of Living Opportunity Cost Retirement & FIRE Am I On Track? FIRE Calculator Retirement Planner Net Worth Percentile Pension vs Lump Sum Career Tools Salary Negotiation Calc Career Switch Calc Equity Vesting Tracker Severance Evaluator Bitcoin Tools DCA Calculator Bitcoin vs S&P 500 Halving Countdown Sat Converter Personal Finance Paycheck Allocator Emergency Fund Compound Interest
Learn
Start Take the Quiz Your Reading Path Zero to One Life & Career Life Stages Life Event Checklists Tech Worker Finance Public Sector Finance Military Finance Doctors & Dentists Mindset & Behavior Financial Mindset Behavioral Finance Letter to Younger Self Reference Financial Numbers Financial Metrics Financial Q&A Glossary Guides FIRE Guide What Influencers Get Wrong Case Studies Account Security More Resources Don't Trust, Verify Non-Americans Disclosures
FREE BITCOIN & PERSONAL FINANCE EDUCATION

Your
money
is losing
ground.

The dollar has lost 87% of its purchasing power since 1971[1]. The same paycheck buys less every year. This site explains why, and what to do about it.

Start with the problem → Take the quiz

You don't have to agree with the Bitcoin thesis to use this site. The personal finance content stands on its own. Start wherever fits.

WHAT $1 BUYS OVER TIME $ 1971 Full dollar $1.00 purchasing power 1.00 $ 1980 Sixty-two cents 0.62 $ 1990 Forty-nine cents 0.49 $ 2000 Thirty-eight cents 0.38 $ 2010 28 cents 0.28 $ 2026 13¢ Your dollar today. 0.13 of 1971 purchasing power SOURCE: BLS CPI-U INFLATION CALCULATOR
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Where are you right now?

Pick whichever is closest to your situation. Everything here is free and requires no position on Bitcoin to be useful. Start wherever fits.

START HERE

“I’m behind and stressed about money.”

Credit card debt. No savings. Paycheck to paycheck. The whole site feels too advanced for where you are right now.

→ Zero to One → Fixed-first budgeting → Credit score basics
Start with zero-to-one →
GETTING STARTED

“I’m just getting started.”

Some income, some expenses, not much saved. You’ve heard of Bitcoin but don’t own any yet.

→ Personal finance → Bitcoin for beginners → How to actually budget
Take the 11-question quiz →
ON EXCHANGE

“I own Bitcoin on an exchange.”

You bought BTC but it’s still on Coinbase, River, or another custodian. That’s a risk.

→ Sovereignty stack → Buy + self-custody → Inheritance planning
Get off the exchange →
GO DEEPER

“I want to go deeper.”

You understand the basics. Now you want the monetary system, tax strategy, and the long-term plan.

→ Monetary system → Tax strategy → Life stages
Bitcoin economics →
200+ pages · 300,000+ words · 40 interactive tools · always free
See what happened to wages, housing, and debt in one place: wtfhappenedin1971.com ↗

What’s on this site

THE PROBLEM & BITCOIN
→ The problem with fiat currency → Why Bitcoin is the solution → How to buy and self-custody Browse all →
YOUR FINANCIAL FOUNDATION
→ Personal finance order of operations → Tax-advantaged accounts → Life stage guides Browse all →
GO DEEP
→ Bitcoin technical infrastructure → Tax strategy and estate planning → Interactive tools Browse all →

Run the numbers yourself

📈
DCA Calculator
Pick any year. Put in a dollar amount. See what consistent buying would have returned.
🏦
Retirement Planner
Your age, your DCA amount, your target. See the stack across four scenarios.
💳
Debt Payoff Calculator
Enter what you owe. Find out whether to pay it down or invest, the math tells you the answer.
₿
Sat Converter
Type a dollar amount. See exactly how many satoshis that buys right now.

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https://fiatisfake.org
SOURCES
  1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Inflation Calculator, bls.gov
  2. Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), M2 Money Stock (M2SL), fred.stlouisfed.org
  3. Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin Whitepaper (2008), bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
  4. CoinGecko historical price data (BTC CAGR, 10-year trailing), coingecko.com

Last updated 2026-04-17. Not financial advice. Do your own research.