In 2012, when Bitcoin (BTC) was just beginning to emerge in the financial world, an anonymous user decided to invest $500 in one of the legendary Casascius physical bars, which held 100 digital coins. Today, twelve years later, those Bitcoin funds are worth more than $10 million. And its owner recently made one of the toughest decisions yet: selling it.
This is the story of a Bitcointalk user known by the pseudonym John Galt, who endured years of volatility, psychological pressure, and temptations to sell. However, the weight of holding that sum of money forced him to act.
In a forum thread created by Satoshi Nakamoto, Galt shared his experience in the midst of 2025. “When Bitcoin surpassed $10,000 a few years ago, I started getting really nervous. Holding onto something worth over a million dollars? That’s a lot of pressure,” he noted.
However, unlike many who panic-sold during sharp rises or falls, he held on. Not out of greed, but out of an emotional connection to that physical object: "To me, an unredeemed physical bitcoin seems worth more than just money."
He referred to a bitcoin Casascius bar, a physical representation of the pioneering digital currency. It was launched between 2011 and 2013. These bars, which were imprinted with the Casascius coin (usually made of a gold-plated alloy), became collector's items.
A few bars were produced, with an estimated total of 27,938 Casascius coins and bars. Source: Casascius.
The breaking point: Sell or keep saving?
Only a few bars were produced, as production ceased in November 2013 due to regulations from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), which deemed this activity unlicensed money transmission. As a result, Casascius coins became extremely rare.
Physical coins contain a Bitcoin private key embedded in a piece of paper protected by a tamper-evident hologram. This hologram hides the key, which allows access to the associated BTC value (such as the 100 BTC Galt confessed to having).
Galt says he tried to sell the bar several times, but ran into a problem: who could he trust when he's dealing with so much value? He explored auctions, but the risks dissuaded him. "I would have gotten less than it was worth," he explained.
Meanwhile, the price kept rising. $100,000 per BTC… 50,000… 60,000… And every time, the question was the same: “Should I sell now or wait?”
However, in May of this year, encouraged by the price of Bitcoin reaching new six-figure all-time highs, Galt made the decision to invest in his physical currency. "Now that it's worth over 10 million, I knew I couldn't keep holding it." And so, after years of resistance, the Casascius bar, acquired when Bitcoin was trading at $5, changed hands in a transaction Galt shared as proof.
His story resonates with anyone who has invested in bitcoin and felt the fear of selling too soon, the anxiety of losing everything, the difficulty of parting with something that is not just money, but a symbol of a quiet revolution.
For some, this story is an inspiration. For others, it's a warning that saving in Bitcoin, now trading for $106,000, can change anyone's life—though it can also keep them awake at night. The fear of losing overcomes the fear of making mistakes, until it's too late, as Robert Kiyosaki captured in his own story. The financial guru, author of the book Rich Dad Poor Dad, confessed to feeling a similar psychological pressure to Galt's: "What if Bitcoin hits $1 million and I didn't buy enough?" So, even if it seems "expensive," he advises, he continues to accumulate.
Based on his experience, Kiyosaki learned that bitcoin is “priceless. In any case, both stories, Galt's and the author of the famous bestseller , present different perspectives. On the one hand, selling relieves stress, but it can lead to regret if the price continues to rise. On the other hand, not selling is a bet on the future, but it requires enduring volatility.
