I want to clarify what I meant when I said “it’s just not ready.” More accurately, it’s not ready for the mainstream. Most everyday users—“normies”—aren’t ready for Bitcoin payments.
It reminds me of something from about a year ago. I was watching a video from Linus Tech Tips, where Linus and his team took on a “Linux-only challenge.” For a month (or maybe longer), they ditched Windows and tried to use Linux exclusively. At the end, Linus concluded: “Linux is just not ready for the mainstream.”
That comment really annoyed me—because I use Linux every day. But then I realized: I’m a programmer. The way I use my computer is more complex than the average user. What’s easy and intuitive for me just isn’t the same for someone else.
And that’s the core of the issue with Bitcoin. Things need to be stupid simple to work at scale. Like you mentioned, custodial solutions sometimes fail—but setting up self-custody is even harder.
I remember the first time I used an L1 Bitcoin wallet—it felt simple and intuitive. I don’t think it’s hard for everyday people to understand how Bitcoin works after they’ve tried it once or twice.
The real friction comes from L2s. They’re just a bit too complex for the average user to casually figure out. That’s where custodians come in. And honestly, I think they’re doing the best they can—but the tech is still young. There’s no universal playbook for what “doing it right” even looks like yet.
Anyway, thanks again for your thoughtful reply. I appreciate the discussion.