Bitcoin is about to hit a new all-time high. Are you making money or being brainwashed?

Original Title: Why Crypto is the Scientology of Financial Markets
Original Author: @therosieum
Original Translation: zhouzhou, BlockBeats

Editor's Note: This article compares cryptocurrency to Scientology in the financial world, pointing out that both rely on belief, terminology, hierarchy, and fear to sustain their communities. They promise freedom but create new control systems. Followers participate based on faith rather than understanding, skeptics are ostracized, and failures are blamed on the individual. Essentially, they are a "modern cult" disguised in technical or scientific terms, maintaining influence by manipulating human weaknesses and ultimately evolving into another unquestionable power structure.

The following is the original content (slightly revised for better readability and understanding):

Cryptocurrency is the "Scientology" of the Financial Market

The financial world also has its "religions," and cryptocurrency is the most successful "cult" among them.

This is not a sensational remark. Scientology (a fantasy cult founded by a science fiction writer) and cryptocurrency both emerged at times when people lost trust in the existing systems.

After World War II, traditional religions seemed dull and outdated, and Scientology began to rise. After the 2008 financial crisis, people realized that banks were taking advantage of them, leading to the emergence of cryptocurrency.

They were able to grow rapidly because they provided people with what they urgently needed: a sense of belonging, a goal of faith, and that kind of "special" feeling that comes from "secret knowledge." What's even more interesting is that their methods of dissemination are almost identical: using the same indoctrination and psychological manipulation techniques.

Why is this important? Let's break it down.

Belief Trumps Understanding: "Trust me, brother"

No one really reads the whitepaper.

Just as no one really reads "Dianetics" cover to cover (Scientology's classic work), many crypto believers also love to mention the whitepaper, even though they haven't actually finished reading it. The core logic of both circles is: "I don't need to understand, but I just believe."

They rely more on "testimonial stories":

"Dude, my investment has multiplied 10 times!"

This is like saying, "Scientology cured my depression!"

And these miraculous stories usually come from the rumors of your friend's cousin's roommate.

The Cool Kids Club

Not on our side? Then you are against us (and also poor and stupid).

Whether it's Scientology or the crypto community, they excel at creating an atmosphere: outsiders seem to have missed something "obvious." Scientology has their "Operating Thetans," and the crypto community has "Diamond-Hand HODLers." The favorite activity of these two groups is to constantly remind you: you are not one of us.

Terms like "mooning," "rugging," "FUD" are crypto terms that are not meant to make things easier to understand but to differentiate the "awakened" from regular folks. After all, one of the signs of a cult is developing its own language system.

And once you express doubt, trouble ensues.

"Have fun staying poor" is the crypto community's label for someone who questions their doctrine, akin to Scientology's "suppressive person." Translated, it means, "This heretic has questioned our doctrine; they must be excommunicated!"

Doomsday Insurance

The world is about to end, but lucky for you, we have the only antidote.

Scientology says it's psychiatry destroying humanity; crypto says it's central banks destroying civilization. And both systems "cleverly" package themselves as the only lifeboat when the great disaster is upon us.

The prophecy of "when fiat collapses" in the crypto community is like a religious doomsday prophecy, always delayed. The collapse of the dollar is always "just around the corner" (for the past 14 years).

And every "impending doomsday" requires you to spend money right now.

Interestingly, the so-called "redemption" always requires you to swipe your card.

It's All About the Course

There's always the next level; just pay a little more.

The most glaring similarity between crypto and Scientology is — paid courses.

The Scientology Pathway is: Free Personality Test → Basic Course → OT Levels 1 to 8, with each level becoming more expensive.

The Crypto Scheme is: Free Webinar → $47 Introductory Course → $997 "Advanced Strategy" → $25,000 to join the "True Alpha Masterclass".

These sales pitches have never changed: "The reason you're not making money is because you haven't learned the next layer of secrets yet."

Ironically, many "mentors" make money not from the strategies they teach, but from selling courses.

What's most amusing is that those who've bought the courses often become the most fervent promoters because admitting the course was useless would mean admitting they were scammed.

Failed? That's on you.

The system is flawless; the only one at fault is you.

Got scammed with a "rug pull"? That's because you didn't do enough research. The Scientology technique didn't work for you? That's because you used it incorrectly.

Both Scientology and the crypto world are masters of one skill: the victim-blaming philosophy. The system is always right; it's your lack of effort, faith, or understanding that's wrong.

"DYOR (Do Your Own Research)" is the crypto version of "Keep paying for courses until you succeed."

Interestingly, the blame always flows in one direction:

Things go well? It's because the system works.

Things go awry? It's because you didn't execute properly, didn't comprehend enough, or weren't steadfast enough in your beliefs.

Sci-fi Writers excel at making things up

They use scientific terminology to package non-scientific concepts.

The founder of Scientology was originally a science fiction writer (he did say, "The quickest way to make money is to start a religion"). Similarly, both crypto and Scientology like to don the "cloak of science," but what they say would make real scientists want to spit out their coffee.

Scientology has "E-Meters" and "Thetan Imprints"; the crypto world has "Cryptography" and "Consensus Algorithms." These terms aren't meant for understanding but for instilling fear of questioning – because not understanding makes you seem "unworthy of understanding."

"This is too complex to explain" has become their universal escape from scrutiny. If you don't understand, it's your problem, not theirs for proposing absurdities like "Thetans" or "trustless systems."

Crypto's Version of "Hotel California": You Can "Exit" Anytime You Like, But You Can Never Truly Leave

Let's get one thing straight: leaving Scientology does come at a higher cost. This organization is notorious for its intense surveillance, isolation, and attacks on apostates. Families are torn apart, reputations are destroyed, and real-life consequences are severe.

While the crypto community isn't as extreme, it has its own "mind trap." Once you exit a project or sell your holdings, you are immediately labeled as a "weak hand," a "fool," or even a "traitor." "Have fun staying poor" is not just a meme but a community tool to maintain loyalty.

Many people stay not because they truly believe but out of fear of missing out, fear of ridicule, or fear of admitting they were wrong.

In both systems, "continuing to believe" is often much easier than "choosing to leave."

Summary:

The future of blockchain may indeed be useful, just as some people find Scientology's "auditing" process beneficial.

However, the problem lies in the fact that both communities have evolved from a "useful tool" into a "full-fledged belief system."

The key reason this comparison hits home is not just because of the many similarities but because both are extensively leveraging the same human psychological weaknesses—desire for control, sense of belonging, and thirst for "special powers."

They both try to bypass traditional "gatekeepers" (be it religious or financial institutions), promising you a shortcut to "changing your destiny."

Their approach to questioning is also strikingly similar: not responding with facts but with emotional backlash. Not engaging in a debate but in brainwashing; not persuading you but converting you.

The most ironic part is that both Scientology and the crypto community originally emerged with the promise of "freeing you from a corrupt system," only to establish a new, even more opaque, unaccountable system.

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