Lately, as the news about Bitcoin has spread into more mainstream channels like The Wall Street Journal, I’ve had friends and family who know I’m a Bitcoin advocate ask me if I can explain Bitcoin to them.

While I am delighted to initiate the uninitiated, if I’m honest with myself I know that my breathless, wide-eyed panegyric is not the best educational format. It’s really easy to forget how massively confusing Bitcoin can seem the first time you hear about it.

So now when I get asked for the Bitcoin pitch, I take a breath, smile, and say I am so delighted to help them get started. Then I shut my mouth and add them to the list of people receiving my Bitcoin Education Email. In it, I break up introductory Bitcoin information into manageable chunks (with time estimates for completion, no less!), attempting to deliver a core nugget of knowledge in 15 minutes or less, with extra credit for the overachievers.

I keep editing my first installment of my Bitcoin Education Email as I come across more and better resources myself. Here’s how the latest version of Email #1 might look if I sent it to my parents today:

Hi Mom and Dad,

Since Mom asked me about Bitcoin yesterday, I thought I’d send you this email to help you get started learning about it.

Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll send you a follow-up email in a few days with another 15 minutes of educational material.

Welcome to Bitcoin!

Love,

AudenX

P.S. You might want to forward the Voorhees link to your friend Dale. You mentioned he was trying to explain Bitcoin to other people in his investment club and was having trouble.

Today’s Bitcoin education (~15 minutes, plus up to ~40 minutes extra credit)