A Peaceful Revolution

During the 1980’s, a genuine popular movement arose in Poland that ended up toppling the communist regime in that country. Although there were many anticommunist intellectuals writing and being read in Poland at the time, the spark that ignited the peaceful revolution that ended Soviet rule was lit not by the educated elite but by the working class: workers at the Lenin shipyard in Gdańsk launched a strike in 1980 that quickly spread to workers across industries and throughout the country. These workers formed the Interfactory Strike Committee, which drew up a list of 21 demands. Then, in a move reminiscent of the apocryphal story of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the Church in Wittenberg, they wrote their demands on wooden boards and hung them from the gates of the Lenin shipyard.

The Gdańsk strike was triggered, predictably, by the government raising prices in a price-controlled economy while also denying wage increases. To make matters worse, Lenin shipyard managers had just fired a popular forklift operator, Anna Walentynowicz. Her co-workers believed this was political punishment for her union organizing. “What?” You might ask. “A communist government opposed to labor unions?” Yes—throughout the Soviet Bloc, only government-authorized labor unions affiliated with the ruling communist parties were permitted. One of the key demands of the Interfactory Strike Committee was the ability to form independent trade unions.

Of course, the image of workers striking against a communist government was terrible optics for the Polish government. In addition, as a Warsaw Pact country, Poland faced the continuous prospect of military intervention by the USSR. No one knew if or when Moscow would decide to “send in the tanks” like they had done in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968. Indeed, Brezhnev and the Politburo debated the idea in 1980. Eventually, they decided against it—in part because the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR), Edward Gierek, feared a national bloodbath. The first round of strikes and protests in Gdańsk had attracted over 700,000 people, and, simply put, the Polish state feared Polish society. PZPR leadership opted to declare Martial Law instead. Thus began a decade of power struggles between the government and the people which culminated in the overthrow of the communist system in 1989.

The remarkable thing about the Polish transition to a market economy was how peaceful it was. That was largely a result of the overwhelming social consensus among Poles of all political orientations that government control of the economy needed to be dramatically lessened. The movement that emerged from the Interfactory Strike Committee was called “Solidarność”, or “Solidarity”, drawing on the trade union tradition of workers standing in solidarity with one another to collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions. Solidarity’s demand for independent trade unions was met: it did indeed become the first non-communist, non-government trade union in the Soviet Bloc.

When the strikes in Gdańsk first erupted, a marginally employed graphic designer, Jerzy Janiszewski, designed a logo for the union based on graffiti that he had seen scrawled on walls in the city. He shaped the letters of “Solidarity” to look like people standing together in a crowd, and he added a Polish flag to emphasize national unity. This logo “went viral”—it quickly began to be used nationwide as a symbol of victory over tyranny.

The success of the Solidarity trade union soon inspired non-working class Poles to “stand in solidarity with Solidarity”, and in this way it became a genuine mass movement. People from all corners of Polish society came together to oppose dictatorship and economic control: Whether left, right, or center, religious or non-religious, people—even many actual members of the PZPR—were so disillusioned and unhappy with “actually existing socialism” that, for a good decade, other social divisions started to matter far less than standing together in the fight for economic and political freedom. In 1989, the Solidarity trade union won the first partially free elections in the Soviet Bloc. This inaugurated the fall of communism in Poland and generated momentum for many similar movements in other Warsaw Pact countries.

Bitcoin as Solidarity

Today, I see many resonances between Solidarność and the growing social movement behind Bitcoin. Like Solidarity, Bitcoin crosscuts ideological and cultural divisions. Whether you are left, right, center, or unaligned; religious or not; a proponent of “tradition” or of rethinking traditional social roles; and regardless of the form of government you prefer (democracy, republicanism, monarchy, theocracy, party rule, etc.)—Bitcoin has appeal. This is because, regardless of what type of government or culture people prefer, they generally want to spend their own money whenever and however they choose. They also want that money to keep its value over time, so that they can save it profitably for themselves and for future generations.

For decades, governments around the world have been chipping away at both of these human desires: they insist on controlling how people spend their money while devaluing it at the same time. This destruction of the savings and economic freedom of entire populations can only continue for so long before people come together to say, “enough.” That is why Bitcoin can be seen as a much-needed monetary reformation: the separation of money and state.

Like Solidarity, Bitcoin is a grassroots movement emerging from below. It has a name, a logo, and open source code that are used worldwide but are not owned by anyone. While the mainstream media pays a lot of attention to “Bitcoin billionaires”, the vast majority of Bitcoin owners are ordinary people—mostly working class—who see in it hope for a better future: A future where the fruits of their labor, their life savings, are not frittered away by irresponsible governments engaged in schemes to devalue currency and control economic life. More symbolically, the 21 demands of the Interfactory Strike Committee mirror the absolute scarcity of the only 21 million bitcoin that will ever be in existence, a number hard coded into the Bitcoin protocol.

Noah’s Ark: Surviving the Flood of Money

During the rise of Solidarity, a group of poets and musicians were touring Poland, performing songs to remind people that a better life was possible. Their names were Jacek Kaczmarski, Przemysław Gintrowski, and Zbigniew Łapiński. They recorded many “protest songs” whose messages had to be carefully worded and concealed to avoid being censored. However, despite their use of poetic metaphors and allusions to history, literature, art, and the Bible, everyone understood what they were really talking about. Their songs enjoyed immense popularity throughout Poland.

I grew up listening to the songs of these three troubadours. My parents, like many in their generation, were active in the Solidarity movement and brought that ethic with them when they immigrated to the United States, where I was born. Some of the trio’s songs have particular resonance for our own historical moment and for the Bitcoin movement. In that spirit, I wanted to share with you one of Kaczmarski, Gintrowski, and Łapinski’s great songs, “Noah’s Ark”. It references the Biblical story of Noah, who survived a massive, months-long flood by building an Ark.

One way to interpret the “flood” the trio sings about in “Noah’s Ark” is as the “flood” of currency that accompanies periods of hyperinflation. Governments that are politically in trouble or collapsing always face severe economic problems, and they often print dramatic amounts of money in order to “boost economic activity” within their borders. This tends to backfire, however, as the value of the money plummets and people become increasingly reluctant to use it. This only compounds the political and economic woes of the regime, accelerating its demise. For this reason, periods of hyperinflation tend to accompany turnovers of political regimes. When I first visited Poland in 1990, for example, it was in the middle of a hyperinflation accompanying the transition between a communist and a capitalist mode of political economy. The national currency had to be entirely re-based and reissued in order to restore public confidence in it.

Those who have survived “floods” of hyperinflation around the world know how devastating they can be. Millions of Polish people lost their entire life savings as a result of the collapse of a politically and economically non-viable system of government. But Kaczmarski, Gintrowski, and Łapiński’s song reminds us that the deluge is survivable—if we have planned ahead and if we believe in our own power, as individuals and as a community, to navigate the storms.

Please enjoy their music and lyrics, which I have translated into English below.

This is a guest post by Natalie Smolenski. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.

As we enter January 2025, Dogecoin (DOGE) is once more piquing the interest of investors and crypto aficionados. With a market capitalization of more than $50 billion, this meme-inspired coin—which is presently trading at around $0.34—has grown to be a key participant in the cryptocurrency market. Given recent price swings, many are guessing about the direction of Dogecoin.

Historical Patterns And Future Growth

There is considerable cause for excitement around Dogecoin. Analyst Cephii has concentrated on historical trends, particularly the notable 1,107% increase in Dogecoin following the January 2021 inauguration of US President Joe Biden.

Cephii speculates that something like this could occur following Donald Trump’s January 20, 2025 election. History will most likely repeat itself, hence the value of Dogecoin will grow significantly and reach roughly $4.15.

Last cycle, $doge pumped about 1100% a week after inauguration. Interesting. So far, post election pattern is nearly identical. pic.twitter.com/DnCK82fvNw

— Cephii (@Cephii1) January 13, 2025

Trump’s inauguration is scheduled for January 20, 2025. In contrast to previous administrations, his victory has already positively influenced the whole crypto market. The values of other cryptocurrency assets, including Dogecoin, surged immediately upon the confirmation of Trump’s victory.

Market Predictions And Sentiment

Market sentiment about Dogecoin is caution and optimism all mixed together. While some analysts would call for a more cautious approach to pricing, others join Cephii in his bullish stance.

There are vast variations in predictions of the future price of Dogecoin, with some even hitting modest increases while others believe the meme coin has a big chance of reaching $5.

The latest 14% increase has been primarily credited to large investors, or “whales.” This is an indication of a rising confidence that Dogecoin will soon cross the much-anticipated $1 threshold.

The Bitcoin Connection

Investors in the volatile cryptocurrency market need to be ready to deal with a wide range of challenges and opportunities. While some analysts are pessimistic about Dogecoin’s long-term prospects, experts like Cephii are bullish on the prospect of significant price gains.

Though Cephii’s research points to a fascinating potential for value growth, investors should proceed with care due to the unpredictable nature of the cryptocurrency market.

The Road Ahead

The future performance of Dogecoin will be continuously tracked. Given its impressive correlation with the flagship digital asset—nearly 97% over the past month—Dogecoin may profit if Bitcoin continues to rise. This connection highlights the significance of monitoring these market dynamics by linking Dogecoin’s trajectory to fluctuations in the price of Bitcoin.

Featured image from Pixabay, chart from TradingView

Last year on May 25, Donald Trump vowed to commute the sentence of early Bitcoin pioneer and Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht to time served if elected president. As we all know, Trump won the election and will take office one week from today.

This leaves a major question on the minds of Bitcoiners: Will Trump actually pardon Ross?

I believe Trump will 100% stay true to his word and free Ross from prison. I have not seen anything to suggest that Trump would do otherwise and have only seen things that make me confident he will follow through on this promise. It should be relatively easy for Trump to do, and given his continuous backing of the Bitcoin industry, I am confident Ross is going to be walking as a free man again soon.

Judging by Ross’ X account, which is currently run by his wife, he is preparing to leave prison soon.

“For my last monthly resolution of 2024, I intend to study every day and to get up to speed as much as I can as I prepare for freedom,” she recently posted on behalf of Ross.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Ross has been in prison since 2013 for creating a website, Silk Road, where users could buy and sell things transacting in bitcoin. He was a non-violent, first-time offender, sentenced to double life plus 40 years without parole. At Ross’ trial, he was not prosecuted for causing any harm or bodily injury, and no victim was named. While Ross was not tried for selling drugs or illegal items himself, he was held responsible for what others listed on Silk Road, which included drugs.

Now, 12 years later, the time has come for Ross to be freed.

In 2022, Ross wrote President Biden a letter asking to be pardoned, in which he explained he did not create the website with any bad intentions and was simply promoting the libertarian ideology he believed in. He also shared that, if freed, he would not do anything to “break the law” again.

President Biden ignored the letter, and kept him in prison. And now President Trump has the chance to let him live the rest of his life as a free man.

Ross himself also believes that Trump will deliver on his promise.

Immense gratitude to everyone who voted for President Trump on my behalf. I trust him to honor his pledge and give me a second chance.

After 11+ years in darkness, I can finally see the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel. Thank you so much, @realDonaldTrump 🙏

— Ross Ulbricht (@RealRossU) November 12, 2024

I look forward to seeing Ross come home.

This article is a Take. Opinions expressed are entirely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.