The proportion of women in the Bitcoin community is still relatively low. According to one Survey by Blockfi, which was carried out in 2022, only around 24% of the women surveyed owned cryptocurrencies or Bitcoin. Our current interview partner, Rachel Geyer, wants to change this and is actively bringing Bitcoin closer to women. However, it does much more - let's find out!
Hi, I'm Rachel! I came to Bitcoin thanks to my eldest son in 2017, but it wasn't until after studying for a long time in 2020/21 that I understood the topic to some extent. Since then, I've been 100% committed to Bitcoin. As a mother of four children, I want her to have a future with healthy money. I was born in Great Britain and at home in Germany, with extended stays in China, Dubai and South Africa in between. Since December 2022, I've been working for the coolest Bitcoin-only company in the DACH region - terahash.space.
Together with a great group of women, I have in November 2022 Les Femmes Orange founded - Bitcoin education made by women to get more women excited about Bitcoin. I am also vice-chair on the board of the newly founded EBEA (European Bitcoin Energy Association). The purpose of the association is to transfer knowledge about Bitcoin mining and its interactions with energy infrastructure in the European Union
I am the mother of 4 adult children - I want them to have the same opportunities for the future as I had, such as interesting and meaningful work that is fun. Be able to start and enjoy a family. Creating value for a secure future... When mothers protect their children, their energy is limitless.
Put yourself out there. Use your own skills and be open to new things. Learn, learn, learn.
We receive mostly positive feedback. We actually manage to reach +/- 70% of women at our events and meetups. And the atmosphere is completely different from the usual Bitcoin events. Quieter. More gentle. Working together and for one another. Not a competition event, who is the smartest in the room. Lots of dialogue. Share stories. Fewer lectures. More workshops that cover the basics - e.g. how do I buy bitcoins securely and how do I store them securely?
We're still a small organizing team, but we're slowly growing. In addition to the 2 main events (winter and summer edition) that we organize annually at Hotel Princess, there have been monthly meetups in Munich for half a year. Here, “twenty-one” is my role model. What they have achieved with their decentralized meetups is exemplary and I am sure that is also a main reason why so much is happening in Bitcoin space in the DACH region.
We call on women to arrange regular meetings in their area to reach as many women as possible. That could be anything - a book club, a coffee party, a walk... And it doesn't matter how many come. It is also good to chat as a couple - and slowly the whole thing will certainly grow - by the end of 2024 at the latest! It is not about imparting knowledge, but about sharing. Share experiences. Tell stories.
Some (men) complain about Les Femmes Orange because they think Bitcoin is inclusive and Les Femmes Orange excludes men. But that is not our goal. Men are also welcome here - accompanied by a woman. There are men who are more likely to find Bitcoin on the social track and not on the technical side, just as there are women who fell into Rabbithole technology first. But that is not the rule. For us, however, it is important that the proportion of women remains in the majority, otherwise some women feel uncomfortable.
By designing the program, we are trying to arouse the interest of women. Women are more likely to be reached via the emotional track. Why do we need Bitcoin? What does society get out of it? Why is it good for me? For my kids? We focus on topics such as financial independence and self-determination.
We want women to feel comfortable with us, that they dare to open up to something new. We also offer the opportunity for our women to dare to go on stage - often for the first time ever - in a friendly environment with a supportive audience.
On our website lesfemmesorange.work Is there a contact email address. It also states how you can follow us on social media. We have a Telegram group with now over 120 participants - access can also be found on our website.
2017 by my son Patrick. But it wasn't until 2020/21, after reading a lot and listening to podcasts, that I finally understood what it was about. In 2022, I realized that I had to work for Bitcoin. And that's how it happened. First with a 3-month unpaid internship at Munich International Mining, which brought me a great deal. Then I briefly founded my own company, bitcoinpartner.io and in November 2022 I met Kris (founder of terahash.space) in Plochingen at Bitcoin in the Ländle region and 3 days later it was clear that I would start working full time at Terahash.
Terahash went online at the beginning of February 2023 - with the three areas of energy, education and events. We see ourselves primarily as a platform to bring Bitcoins closer to the 'old world' in all its facets. After half a year, however, it is becoming increasingly clear to us that in 95 percent of cases, customers are only interested in energy. I am convinced that Bitcoin will only be accepted and used successfully in Europe as an 'energy' solution (at least as a partial solution to our energy problems).
His other qualities will only come into play later. I think it makes sense to talk less about “Bitcoin as money” and more about “Bitcoin as energy” to achieve more acceptance in the EU.
We're doing a small pivot right now and will focus on 2 main areas in the future. energy and education. We are currently setting up a training center to be able to offer high-quality courses on various topics related to Bitcoin. The aim is to have everything ready by the time it halves, because we believe that interest in Bitcoin will only be rekindled when the price rises again.
At the same time, we are expanding our product range in the energy sector — here we see ourselves primarily as a service provider, regardless of whether customers are looking for turnkey solutions or see Bitcoin mining more as an investment. But I can't reveal more at this stage. But Q1/Q2 2024 will definitely be very exciting at Terahash.
We see it that way too. And we believe that we were also able to contribute a bit to changing this narrative in Germany. Terahash is part of a group of companies, the Klaeger Group, which has been around for 70 years. A normal medium-sized German company run by Kris in the third generation. That simply gives confidence. Right from the start, we felt the curiosity of those around us. There have already been television crews and media teams visiting us who, to our delight, reported factually correctly about Bitcoin mining and not the negative articles that are otherwise known.
Representatives from 3 political parties have also visited us so far. Everyone who wants to find out more about Bitcoin and/or Bitcoin mining is welcome here.
We have set up an energy lab where we test ASIC miners (the computers that mine Bitcoin) from various manufacturers and types to test their individual qualities — e.g. how efficiently they generate heat. How much processing power do they have? We can then pass this knowledge on to our customers so that they can find the right solution for their needs.
The lab really works wonders - with everyone who takes a tour of the lab with us, you really notice that 'aha moment, 'where it suddenly becomes clear to the visitor: Bitcoin mining isn't that bad at all. These are completely normal data centers. Nothing dirty. Nothing loud either, as long as you use water-cooled or immersion miners. But it is data centers that have many advantages over conventional data centers, thanks to their flexibility to be switched on and off in the shortest possible time. In contrast to Google servers or AI servers, for example, which must always be running for their customers.
Every company will have to have a Bitcoin strategy to stay relevant, the only question is when — it's best not to miss the train.
Most people who haven't gotten into Bitcoin yet say they don't have time for it. I can understand that too - especially for women with small children and perhaps a side job. But I think you just can't afford not to find time for it. Your future self will thank you for it.
The Coinfinity Bitcoin app is here! Stay humble, stack sats.
