I’ve been attending the Tokyo Bitcoin Meetup since fall 2013. I’d been into Bitcoin for awhile, but with relatively few friends locally who shared the interest. I felt a bit silly when I learned there had been a meetup here since 2011, but was happy to learn of my oversight and to join the group. I’ve made so many new friends since then, and it has been central to my social life ever since.

Unlike some groups which meet monthly or biweekly, we have weekly attendance, and I’ve attended regularly for about 4 years now. Attendance ebbs and wanes, with price, sentiment, and (with a significant proportion of foreign attendees) the migration to and away from Japan that I’ve experienced in other aspects of life as a gaikokujin.

We’ve had spats of drama to be sure. The mtgox debacle turned many of our meetups into total shit-shows of press, depression, anger, and speculation. I’m one of the “mtgox protesters” who’s image is regularly used when new gox stories come out.

The blocksize controversy has also been a frequent, and often intensely controversial debate topic among our members. As a large block proponent, I’ve certainly had my share of heated conversations with peers who did not share my viewpoint. In recent times I’ve lost patience in these moments and surely have been rude and hostile. I’m done being nice and if you come talk to me about it I very well might lose my patience with you too.

But I’m just one guy, among many viewpoints. While I believe the majority of our founding and long-time members tend to share many of my views, they are as nuanced as the individuals themselves. I would not ever presume to speak for the Tokyo Bitcoin community as a whole, and I strongly suspect none of the founders and organizers would either.

The fact that the Seoul Bitcoin Meetup apparently has some organizers who think it is okay to do so makes me very sorry for that group. It is emblematic of the authoritarianism rife within the censored forums controlled by core and their sycophantic followers.

I’m not sure who exactly is behind the stunt of their segwit2x statement. I’d be surprised if it wasn't Samson Mow, or some similar complete piece of shit who feels the need to produce astroturf such as this. Whatever one’s viewpoint is on the technical merits of this debate, they should be sickened and angry by these kinds of fascist theatrics.