When I first began my research into James, I came across a quote of his which quickly struck me.

I think it was his ability to better identify the reason for the elusiveness of Bitcoin for newcomers to this space.

Here’s the quote:

“Bitcoin is a living protocol that emerges from a melting pot of ideas, philosophies, cultures and politics after they undergo trial by fire.”<
link here

^^^^^VIEW VIDEO HERE^^^^

In a Medium article which he wrote, he expands on this idea and applies it to the now many different Bitcoin forks that have occurred in 2017.
For the past year, we’ve experienced the never-ending (although perhaps now things are finally beginning to die down…) arguments of Bitcoin vs. Bitcoin Cash and which one is the “true” representation of Bitcoin as Satoshi would have wanted it.
I much like Jameson’s take on the multi-Bitcoin ecosystem which is as follows:

“…the only thing that you can be assured of is what the “real Bitcoin” is from your own perspective — the rules to which you agree and which you enforce. Note that this article applies to every single Bitcoin fork: past, present, and future.”<

This article goes on to explain why running a full Bitcoin node is beneficial to not only the network but to yourself as well.

• Not only would you be actively participating in the Bitcoin network and contributing to it’s decentralization and overall security, but you’ll also be able to decide for yourself how your transactions occur.
• You’ll also be perfectly preserving your own privacy and security because you will no longer be relying on a third party to manage your bitcoin for you.
  If this is something you’re interested in learning more about I’ve included a link to this article down below, which also includes some very helpful guides on how to set up your own node on your computer, and also how to configure one on a Raspberry Pi.
  As if that wasn’t enough, he graciously includes a section dedicated to explaining how to use your full node.

Running a full bitcoin node is a perfect example of the different aspects of Bitcoin that come together to produce an ecosystem that has developed thanks to its roots in freedom, and autonomy.
If you’re wondering why this topic of running your own Bitcoin node seems so philosophically and even a bit politically charged, I really encourage you to check out the links down below and begin exploring more articles written by Jameson Lopp.

I think he does a great job of mixing a logical perspective with philosophically inspired thoughts and technical knowledge to help you on your way to better grasp this crypto space and what it should be all about.

Additional Reading/Links:

His Website
BitGo
BTC Stats
Lopp Article on Understanding BTC
His Current Project for Private Key Management and Security
WOW great source for so much information about Bitcoin
How to (And Why You Should) Set Up and Use a Fully Validating BTC Node
Benefits of “Coopetition”
Moderation and Censorship
Deep Look At BTC Security Model