On January 1, 2025, I made a guess with myself: for 30 days, I’d reside solely on cryptocurrency – no money, no bank cards, simply digital cash. Why? I’d been dabbling in crypto since 2022 – made a couple of bucks on Solana, misplaced some on a meme coin – and saved listening to it was “the way forward for cash.” X posts hyped Bitcoin ATMs, crypto debit playing cards, even espresso retailers taking Ethereum. However was it actual? May I, a 32-year-old barista with $2,000 in my pockets, truly survive on it?
Spoiler: I did – largely. These 30 days have been a rollercoaster of triumphs, frustrations, and coffee-fueled revelations. I paid hire, Purchased groceries, even tipped my barber with crypto. Right here’s the way it went, what it price me, and what it taught me about cash – digital or in any other case – in 2025.
– –
I began with $2,000 break up throughout my portfolio: $1,000 in Bitcoin (BTC), $500 in Ethereum (ETH), $300 in Solana (SOL), and $200 in USDC for stability. My instruments? A Coinbase pockets, a BitPay debit card (loaded with crypto), and a prayer that retailers wouldn’t chortle me out the door.