SHTF Scenario

SHTF – Shit Hit The Fan

Ok, I received quite a lot of messages from “scared people” concerned about the latest (fake) news in regards of the coming “cyber attack”. I don’t want to take it out from a possible scenario, but also don’t want to throw more gas over the fire, unnecessary. All these “news” are actually manipulations of people’s mind. Is the old plan of problem – reaction – solution…

But let’s say that SHTF and we don’t have Internet connection or electricity for several days, in the whole world. What you are going to do, in regards of your bitcoins? Or what options you have? It’s ok to have concerns about this aspect.

But before taking actions in regards, there are more important questions you should ask yourself:

  • Do you have a bug out plan?
  • Do you have food/water reserves stored in house or somewhere else?
  • For how long you are prepared? At least 1 month should be.
  • Are you well prepared to defend your stash for any threat?
  • Did you told to somebody else that you have “reserves”? Because those will be your first enemies.
  • Do you have a secured shelter? Sounds crazy but when “zombies” not prepared for this scenario know that you are, they will come after you.
  • You should be aware that if internet and electricity are OFF, also nuclear missiles are in danger and water supply, so shelter and water will be YOUR FIRST PRIORITY and NOT “where is my ledger wallet” or “are my bitcoins safe?”.
  • Basic aliments/foodstuff also will became “currency” so be well prepared with salt, sugar, beans, coffee, chocolate, seeds etc.
  • Have some walkies talkies ready, a solar panel to charge them too. Batteries stock.
  • DON’T WAIT FOR THE SHIT TO HAPPEN!

Ok, once we are passing through these aspects, let’s talk about your bitcoins and what options you have.

  1. Bitcoins will never leave The Bitcoin Blockchain. So thinking that you have them safe in a software wallet is childish…
  2. The only need to have safe is your 12/24 seed words. THAT’S IT! Don’t complicate more things. Doesn’t matter the support you are going to use, important is that NOBODY will know and can read those words. Only you.
  3. All your digital/electronic devices will be useless without electricity and internet. All those “hardware wallets” that you think are keeping your BTC safe, will be useless, those are just keeping the keys to sign the txs. Nothing else. Those are needed ONLY when is about to make a tx in a safe way.
  4. What to do? STAY CALM. Nobody will take your BTC from the Blockchain. Wait for things to come back and once the Internet will be back, you can reconnect your wallets to the blockchain.
  5. Don’t worry too much, cypherpunks will always save the world and will bring back the Internet, in any form could be. The only problem would be when the electricity will be restored. Until then, just stay calm.
  6. Once the electricity is restored, and you really want to be connected with Bitcoin world, here you have some options:
  7. If more nodes and miners will be reconnected, slowly all the new blocks and the whole blockchain will be restored and the network will be fully functional. Bitcoin Network do not need special protocols to be activated, only needs an internet connection. What is an “internet connection”? A simple network of computers inter-connected, NO MATTER what are you using as transport provider of the data (cable, wifi, radio, modem, fiber optic, satellite), once more computers are connected, you have an “INTERNET”.