The bitcoin circular economy: earning, spending and never touching fiat
Most bitcoin activity still ends in a conversion. A circular economy is the part that doesn't — sats in, sats out, no exit ramp required.
What is a circular bitcoin economy?
An economy where people are paid in bitcoin and spend it directly on goods and services, without converting to fiat at either end. Every merchant that prices in sats shortens the loop.
Which businesses make it real?
- Merchants and marketplaces that accept Lightning at the till.
- Services priced natively in sats rather than converted at checkout.
- Payroll and freelance platforms paying in bitcoin.
- Maps and directories that help people find all of the above.
Why does native sat pricing matter?
Because a business that quotes in dollars and settles in bitcoin is still fiat-denominated. Quoting in sats is what makes the unit of account bitcoin, and the unit of account is where money actually lives.
Where does a sats leaderboard fit?
It is a small piece of that loop: a service you buy with sats, priced in sats, that helps other sats-denominated businesses find customers.
live from the board
- sats bid so far
- 0
- listings live
- 0
- highest bid
- 0 sats
- board clicks
- 0
sources
keep reading
- analysis
A field guide to .lol leaderboards: how to spot a live board from a dead one
- the vision
Attention is the scarce asset — so why is it priced in an unlimited unit?
- payments
Chargebacks, refunds and why final settlement changes a public leaderboard
- growth
How to write a leaderboard listing that actually gets clicked
- analysis
Are pay-to-rank boards a bubble, and what survives when the hype fades?
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What currency debasement quietly does to your advertising budget
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How to promote a bitcoin business when the usual ad channels won't have you
- seo
Do pay-to-rank leaderboard listings help your SEO?
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Why 21 million bitcoin, and what hard supply caps actually do
- basics
What is a satoshi, and why price anything in them?
- payments
Lightning or onchain: which should you use to pay for a leaderboard spot?
- pricing
What does it cost to reach #1 on a satoshi-priced leaderboard?
- basics
What is a pay-to-rank leaderboard, and why do people pay for a spot?
- the hype
Outbid.lol explained: the pay-to-rank leaderboard hype, and how many clones exist
- the numbers
Does paying for a leaderboard spot actually work? Real numbers on attention, clicks and revenue
- the vision
Priced in sats, not dollars: why a bitcoin leaderboard measures value differently