Why You're Broke and What You Can Do About It Today

As the creator of TEXITcoin, I've spent years studying money, its history, and how the current system affects everyday people. The hard truth is this: many of us are struggling financially not because we're lazy or bad with money, but because the money we work so hard for is fundamentally dishonest. It's fake in the sense that it can be created out of thin air, endlessly diluted, and used in ways that quietly steal from savers and workers. Let's break it down plainly and see what steps you can take right now to fight back.

The core problem is fiat currency—government-issued money like the U.S. dollar, backed only by trust in institutions rather than anything tangible. Central banks and governments can print more of it whenever they want, increasing the supply without a corresponding increase in real goods and services. This drives down the purchasing power of every dollar already in existence. Your wages, savings, and investments lose value over time through inflation. It's a slow, relentless tax on labor that makes every year harder than the last. You work the same hours or more, but your money buys less food, housing, gas, and everything else. You can't keep up because the game is rigged against you.

To see this in stark terms, consider what life would be like if wages were still paid in honest money, like silver. In 1964, the federal minimum wage was $1.25 per hour. That amount could be paid with five 90% silver quarters (pre-1965 coins, when quarters contained real silver). Those five quarters represented real, scarce value—about 0.9 troy ounces of silver total.

Fast-forward to today, February 2026. The federal minimum wage remains stuck at $7.25 per hour (with some states higher, but the federal floor unchanged for years). But if we measured that 1964 minimum wage in silver terms, those same five silver quarters now have a melt value far higher due to silver's appreciation and the dollar's devaluation. Recent spot prices show silver around $80–$84 per ounce, meaning five pre-1964 quarters (containing roughly 0.9 ounces of silver) are worth approximately $72–$76 in melt value alone—often more with premiums.

In other words, if minimum wage had stayed tied to that silver standard instead of fiat dollars, today's equivalent hourly pay in silver terms would be in the $70+ range, not $7.25. That's the real erosion: your labor's value has been diluted dramatically by endless money printing. Inflation hasn't just raised prices—it's robbed purchasing power, making survival tougher year after year while wages lag far behind.

Crypto changes this equation. Well-designed cryptocurrencies are the digital equivalent of silver or gold: scarce, verifiable, and impossible to inflate arbitrarily. Bitcoin has a fixed cap of 21 million coins; TEXITcoin has a fixed supply of 353 million, distributed gradually over 138 years through proof-of-work mining. No central authority can print more. This makes them honest money—sound stores of value that can't be debased.

But crypto has an edge silver doesn't: massive untapped adoption potential. The world already knows silver's value—it's been money for millennia, so its upside is limited by existing awareness. Crypto, though, is still early. As more people wake up to fiat's flaws, learn about decentralization, and accept sound digital money, demand rises while supply stays fixed. Market forces drive value higher through genuine adoption, not manipulation. We've seen this with Bitcoin's growth; TEXITcoin aims to bring that same principle to Texans with fast, low-cost transactions and a focus on education and community.

So what can you do about it right now?

1. 1. Educate yourself first — Understand inflation, the Cantillon effect, and why sound money matters. Read classics like Ayn Rand's insights on money or modern analyses of fiat failures.
2. 2. Start holding honest money — Allocate a portion of your savings to scarce assets. Silver or gold for physical tangibility; cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or TEXITcoin for digital portability and growth potential. Even small, consistent buys build exposure.
3. 3. Demand better payment options — Where possible, seek employers or clients who pay in crypto or explore side gigs in the crypto economy. TEXITcoin's community is growing—join discussions to see real-world use cases.
4. 4. Protect your wealth — Avoid keeping everything in depreciating cash or low-yield accounts. Diversify into assets that outpace inflation.
5. 5. Spread the word — Talk to friends and family about honest money. The more people understand, the faster adoption grows.

You're not broke because of personal failure—you're up against a system designed to transfer wealth from workers to printers and insiders. But you don't have to stay stuck. By shifting toward honest, scarce money like TEXITcoin, you reclaim control. It's not overnight, but every step today builds toward financial independence tomorrow.