Darren sat hunched on the chair by his bed, scrolling through his old — now his present — computer at a particular business website that had a recent story on Bitcoin.
So far, there had only been a few purchases of Bitcoin with its first recorded purchase in January 2010, just a few months ago. Back then, Bitcoin was priced around $0.0008 per BTC.
Darren wondered why the system hadn't regressed him back to that time. The price would have been even cheaper. However, he realized that was him just being greedy and overexcited.
He scrolled.
Following the chart, Darren could see a lot of information he was already well versed on. But seeing it happen, being more aware of it in the same year the internet currency began to bloom was exhilarating.
The chart on the laptop showed that Bitcoin's price began to rise slightly in May, reaching around $0.01 per BTC.
Darren knew this, just as he knew what the website said in the next paragraph, stating that Bitcoin marked its highest point so far in July of this same year. It reached the price of $0.08 per BTC.
He narrowed his eyes and studied the chart before him. The chart projected that Bitcoin was going to receive a significant drop soon, falling in price to an abysmal $0.0003 per BTC.
The writer of the article from the news website, Business Everyday, Brooklyn Baker, had this to say:
'Although the internet money appeared to have had some potential, this concept of a decentralized digital currency is still not trusted by the common folk and the business investors of the world.
Cryptography enthusiasts have shown their interest in the digital currency but that interest is falling fast. There are presently a little less than a million Bitcoin in circulation, but these numbers are also speculated to drastically reduce as newbie investors are already impatient, and old investors have given up on waiting for a tangible growth.
There is still a small group of participants engaging in mining, transactions, and discussions about the cryptocurrency. However, over the last week, that group registered a significant drop and is also speculated to drop more.
Certainly and hopefully, by the end of the year, the company, Satoshi Nakamoto who launched this project, will realize what a failure it is and take it off the market. That way, we can all focus once again on real and actual money.'
"Hah!" Darren chuckled. "Talk about unbiased journalism. The government must be paying this news website heavily so that they can relay as much negative news on Bitcoin as possible."
Darren had studied on this. He knew how much the government was against the rise of Bitcoin in the early stages.
It's not like their concerns were unjustified. Things such as worry over illegal transactions, tax evasions, scams, money laundering and terrorist fundings. Also competition with the main national currency were all good reasons for the government to be against the cryptocurrency.
But the advantages of Bitcoin were much too palatable for investors, so the only way the government could stop its growth was to make the currency appear as unprofitable as possible so that no one bothers to buy.
And to be fair, the charts did support their claim. From the looks of it, Bitcoin's present growth appeared to be something of beginner's luck and a massive decline was imminent.
However, Darren knew what no one else knew.
That wasn't going to happen. The charts were only speculation, and just like most speculations when it came to business and finance, it was wrong!
Darren grinned.
The opportunity was too enticing, especially with the government stopping people from buying by twisting the narrative of Bitcoin being a waste of money. That would only mean more Bitcoins for Darren to buy, and less people being as rich as him.
There were no questions left to ask. He didn't have to wait a whole week to decide. Out of all the investment options given to him, Bitcoin was the one he was most informed on.
So, Darren summoned the purple interface by using his mind as he had learnt some moments ago. Then, he selected Bitcoin to invest in.
┏Host, you have chosen Bitcoin (BTC) to be your first investment┛
┏Splendid choice! Your knowledge of the cryptocurrency is your ticket to wealth and success┛
The screen then vanished and was replaced with a new one.
┏Suggestion!┛
┏You have astounding knowledge of Bitcoin's history and its market. Do you want to upload your knowledge into the system to avoid forgetting them? Once knowledge is uploaded into the system, all the information will be arranged for easier access┛
Darren let out a low whistle, impressed by the system's functionality. "That's... actually really useful," he muttered, before selecting ┏Upload┛.
The moment he confirmed, a sudden wave of dizziness attacked him, like he had just pulled himself from almost drowsing off. His vision blurred for a moment, and he instinctively reached for the desk to steady himself.
"Yikes," he shook his head. "I felt high for a moment there."
The loading bar on the screen completed and a ding echoed in his mind as a new message appeared:
┏Loading complete. Your knowledge has been successfully uploaded. Information is now accessible and arranged for streamlined reference┛
As Darren watched, a section called Bitcoin Investment Window stretched before him. The interface arranged itself into neatly organized categories, displaying all the crucial information Darren remembered, and it seemed it might have even added details that he forgot.
Whatever the case, it was well arranged.
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┏Bitcoin Investment Window┛
┏Price Presently: $0.08/BTC┛
┏Price in Future: $50,000/BTC┛
┏Rises:
— January 2011 - Minor Rise - $0.3/BTC
— March 2011 - Major Rise - $6/BTC
— April 2011 - Minor Rise,- $9/BTC
— June 2011 - Major Rise - $31/BTC┛
(Tap to see further rises for more than one year)
┏Crashes:
— March 2011 - Minor Crash - $4.3/BTC
— August 2011 - Major Crash - $2/BTC┛
(Tap to see further crashes for more than one year)
┏Your Investment┛
┏Invested: Zero┛
┏Profit: Zero┛
┏Number of other investors: 2609┛
┏Potential Investment Rivals: Adam Scotland┛
┏Adam Scotland has purchased the most Bitcoins, owning over 150 thousand out of the near million circulating┛
┏Adam Scotland stands to make a gain of $900,000 in the next Major Rise┛
┏Strategy┛
┏Invest during dips and Minor Crash periods┛
┏Avoid all-in bets. Use Bitcoin as a portion of the broader portfolio┛
«Note: To access this window, tap on Investments on your Profile and then tap on Bitcoin»
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Darren scrolled through the interface, his mind racing with possibilities. The sheer amount of information now neatly compartmentalized before him gave him a sense of confidence he'd lacked in his previous life.
"This... this is like having my own crystal ball," he murmured, a sly grin forming on his lips. "I know when the currency rises and when it crashes. That way I can withdraw after a massive rise and invest after a crash! This is unbelie—."
The phone on his table buzzed, singing the old ringtone he had those ten years ago.
Darren froze, staring at the screen and at the person who was calling. He'd almost forgotten, they were very close around this time. Almost inseparable.
The caller ID read the name: Lily.