Why Andrej Majcen Thinks Bitcoin, Not “Crypto”, Is the Only Bet That Matters

In this episode of When Shift Happens, I sit down with Andrej Majcen, co-founder and Group CEO of Bitcoin Suisse, to unpack one central idea: we are living through a narrow, five-year window that may define who preserves and compounds wealth, and who doesn’t. As pension systems strain, trust in institutions erodes, and inflation quietly eats away at savings, Andrej argues that Bitcoin is no longer a speculative trade but a structural response to a broken financial system.

This conversation moves well beyond price predictions. It’s about mindset, risk, discipline, and why Bitcoin, not the broader crypto casino, has emerged as a distinct asset class. Along the way, Andrej shares the unlikely journey of building a Swiss financial institution from a $500 Bitcoin era, surviving multiple near-death moments, and deliberately choosing to grow slowly in an industry obsessed with speed.

Learning to Work Before Learning to Win

Andrej’s worldview started with physical labour at warehouses, call centres, and construction sites at 14. The lesson wasn’t just about earning money, but gaining independence and perspective. Physical labour showed him early what he didn’t want long-term, while also instilling a deep respect for effort and self-reliance.

That early exposure shaped a philosophy he still holds: ambition scales, but ratios change. What feels like a fortune at 14 becomes insignificant later. The real skill is thinking ahead and aligning today’s actions with where you want to end up, not where you are now.

Discovering Bitcoin Without Fully Understanding It

When Andrej first encountered Bitcoin in 2013, he didn’t fully grasp the implications of the 2008 financial crisis or Bitcoin itself. What drew him in wasn’t perfect understanding, but curiosity: the idea that a decentralised form of money could exist outside the traditional system he was studying at university.

That curiosity deepened through people. Bitcoin, in its early days, attracted builders, thinkers, and outsiders questioning how money actually works. While peers took safe consulting and banking roles, Andrej committed to an industry most people told him would ruin his career.

Bitcoin Suisse began with modest ambition: maybe ten employees, sustainably earning a living in crypto. Nothing more. The irony is that this lack of grandiose vision may be why the firm survived.

Building Through the Boring Years

Bitcoin was around $500 when Andrej started. It ran to $1,300, and then collapsed. Mt. Gox. Silk Road. A three-year bear market that wiped out enthusiasm and capital alike. For many, it was the end. For Bitcoin Suisse, it was a proving ground.

Those years forced experimentation and humility. Mining, ATMs, consulting, many things didn’t work. But bear markets clarify what matters. Andrej learned that every downturn is an opportunity to reassess focus, strip away noise, and rebuild with intention.

Crucially, Bitcoin Suisse resisted the temptation to make waves through high yields. When unsustainable yields swept the industry years later, the firm stayed conservative and paid the price in the short term. But when platforms like Celsius collapsed, that “boring” discipline became the difference between survival and ruin.

Why Bitcoin Stands Apart From ‘Crypto’

After more than a decade in the industry, Andrej’s conviction has sharpened. The crypto market has ballooned to tens of millions of tokens, but that dilution is dangerous because most projects won’t survive the next cycle, and neither will many investors. 

Bitcoin is different.

It has longevity, simplicity, and a clear role: a hedge against monetary debasement. Andrej pushes back on the idea that Bitcoin is “too expensive.” Price, he argues, is irrelevant without context. The real question isn’t where Bitcoin has been, but where fiat systems are going and what alternatives exist to transport value through time without erosion.

Bitcoin is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s a get-rich-slow discipline, and a get-wrecked-fast trap for those chasing 100x narratives.

Rethinking Real Estate, Banks, and Retirement

One of the most striking parts of the conversation is Andrej’s willingness to challenge deeply held assumptions. He owns real estate only as a place to live, not an investment. For those living paycheck to paycheck, he believes buying property is often a financial mistake that creates fragility rather than security.

Banks fare no better in his analysis. First came digital banks, now stablecoins. He believes that there’s a shift in utility, so banks will begin to collapse as people switch to something that works better. 

Retirement, too, is due for rethinking. The promise that governments will manage pensions effectively is, in Andrej’s view, outdated. Declining birth rates, longer lifespans, and mounting liabilities point to an inevitable reckoning. The only solution is literacy. Everyone should understand money, incentives, and systems before it’s too late.

The Real Risk Facing Bitcoin

Despite his optimism, Andrej doesn’t ignore risk. Ironically, Bitcoin’s biggest threat today is success. ETFs, large custodians, and dominant counterparties introduce centralisation into a system designed to avoid it. If one of these pillars fails, the damage would ripple across the entire industry.

Still, Andrej remains focused on opportunity. 

A Five-Year Window That Won’t Repeat

The conversation closes where it began: urgency. Andrej believes the years immediately ahead represent a rare alignment of macro forces, from institutional adoption and monetary stress to technological maturity. Yet most people underestimate the magnitude of what’s happening and overestimate the time they have to act.

The takeaway is to avoid speculation or gambling. Instead, slow down, study Bitcoin seriously, and resist the noise. Real wealth is built with patience, self-reflection, and an understanding of how the system truly works.

Andrej leaves us with one final reminder: Bitcoin didn’t emerge to make people rich overnight. It emerged to offer an exit from fragility, from debasement, and from blind trust in systems that no longer serve the future.

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