Why I'm Investing $2k in Substack

A psychopolitical perspective

There was a time when I was living in Moscow and was paid by the hour at my American job. To keep track of finances, I used a Google spreadsheet. I’d put in the number of hours worked on each day, and that number would automatically convert into amounts in RUB and USD.

I also had some Bitcoin, because that’s how you buy drugs in Russia. The spreadsheet had a different line for my balance in BTC, which too translated into RUB and USD.

At the bottom, there was a line that read TOTAL.

One week, the work was very slow, and the drug intake was fairly high. I remember taking a drag of a joint while looking at my spreadsheet at the end of that week. I expected to be disappointed by the number I’d see under TOTAL. But the number was higher than it was on Monday—even though, during that week, my spending was as high as usual, and my income was quite close to zero. This was because the price of Bitcoin rose during the week.

I smoked some more and I wondered if I needed to reassess my understanding…