NSFW-Disclaimer: some all of the links in this article might contain material not suitable for viewing in a workplace environment. If you don’t want to look at porn, don’t click any links.
Girls Gone Wild
To enjoy this little story that has developed over the last few days, one should probably first understand a reddit subcommunity called “/r/gonewild”. If you’re so inclined, take a look: [NSFW] /r/gonewild. The description reads:
Gonewild is a place for open-minded Adult Redditors to exchange their nude bodies for karma; showing it off in a comfortable environment without pressure.
The basic action the boys can take in this subreddit is to give the girl some love in the form of upvotes (reddit karma) and positive comments. As for the motivation of the girls, let us quote LadyBytes, whom we interviewed for this story: “I have posted, just once before. I did it because I felt beautiful, and I wanted to explore my sexuality in a new way.”
Girls Gone Bitcoin
Intrigued by this, a group of Bitcoiners following the reddit subcommunity suggested the idea of giving some additional love to the girls in the form of Bitcoin tips. This could be done by simply having them overlay a Bitcoin address on the pictures they post. It is up to the reader to judge for himself whether or not it was the intention to provide an additional incentive to reveal a little more in the photos.
Given the historically poor reception of Bitcoin in the general reddit crowd, it was decided that a new separate sub-community would need to be established. And thus, the subreddit [NSFW] /r/girlsgonebitcoin was born. The description reads:
“Girls Gone Bitcoin is a place for open-minded Adult Women to exchange their sexy photos for Bitcoin and Karma. If you don’t know, Bitcoin is a virtual currency that can be exchanged for just about any fiat currency like Dollars, Yen, or Euro.”
A bounty (the typical term used in the Bitcoin community to describe a reward for completion of a task) was collectively offered by various Bitcoiners in the community; half towards making a tutorial for the sub-community to follow, and half towards the first ten girls to post at least partially nude pictures featuring a Bitcoin address in the form of a FirstBits address or QR-code.
The first half of the bounty was quickly claimed by the aforementioned redditor. She published a simple tutorial on how to receive bitcoins that is also rewarding to look at in other ways ([NSFW] Video, [NSFW] step by step instructions). As for LadyBytes’ (that is her handle on reddit) motivation to do this, let’s hear her own words again: “I was turned on by the idea of creating a video that would teach women (especially women) a little bit about Bitcoin, and how to use a new currency to their advantage. Also, I’ve never had the chance to make a video before…I thought maybe I’d be good at it. The video I posted was my first take, and I even surprised myself I also saw the potential for employment. Work anonymously…no taxes, no work visa? Yes please…”
The Show must go on
By word of mouth the message started to get around about how Bitcoin could make what these girls were already doing much more exciting, and a few girls began to wander their way in from their previous stomping grounds of /r/gonewild. Despite the obvious taboos and learning curve involved, it has worked out quite well. At the time of writing totaling an equivalent of USD 424.27 in Bitcoins shared among 9 redditors.
Unfortunately our front-girls money got snatched by a thief. She had used an online wallet service that puts the full credentials into the wallet access url, no additional password. She had masked out the URL-bar, but had unfortunately forgotten about the “Welcome to your Wallet” box on the site which also shows that URL ([NSFW] compromizing picture). The thief must’ve managed to read that and stole almost all the coins. LadyBytes: “pride and confidence momentarily waivered”.
Conclusion and Outlook
LadyBytes wraps it up nicely: “I think the hate is derived from confusion and lack of knowledge. A lot of people don’t know what Bitcoin is. My response to them: Get used to it, this is the future of porn.”
She also shared her more general view on Bitcoin with us: “On a broader note, I fully support Bitcoin as the decentralized anonymous currency that it is meant to be. I think we humans should be able to monetarily support whomever we want, whatever activist groups we want, regardless of any government opinion or non-consensus among peers. I believe the power of Bitcoin goes far beyond nude photos and illicit substances.”