<center>![enter image description here](https://i.gyazo.com/5e8b0eb9c0b82375e3ea75623ab4273e.png)</center>

<center>Four years ago, on the Fourth of July we set out on a Quest to develop BitShares.
This year, we are kicking off the [Billion Hero Challenge](https://steemit.com/hero/@stan/the-billion-hero-challenge). </center>

Unfortunately, I can't talk about that today because we now have a world-class [New York City Marketing Firm](https://steemit.com/bitshares/@stan/the-pr-campaign-behind-the-billion-hero-challenge) telling us not to publish anything on a holiday.  Even if it's only observed in America. I guess that's progress.

So, instead I will concentrate on our plan to make the Fourth of July a holiday for everyone.  
<center>**Global Independence Day!**</center>
Some people expect there to be market fireworks today, but there were no fireworks on July 4, 1776.  Skirmishes had been happening since the Boston Tea Party the prior year and the battles continued for many long years afterwards.  But Americans still celebrate the Fourth of July.  

<center>**It's because that's when we made our intentions very clear.**</center>

I'm not sure which Fourth of July will be remembered more,  1776, 2013, or 2017?  It doesn't really matter, the struggle will no doubt continue.  As Thomas Jefferson once said, 

> <center>**"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time 
with the BitShares of patriots and tyrants."**</center>

...or words to that effect.

And so on this Fourth of July we have added 3,000,000 BTS, more precious than blood, to that noble cause.  The cause of freedom.

Where did we get that number?  Three million BTS was worth one million dollars when BitShares first gained 100x above its all time low five month's before.  That forms the new base on which we will build another 1000x of growth this decade.  Our puny million dollar sacrifice to freedom in the billion-hero-prize account will quickly grow to become a billion dollar juggernaut in a trillion dollar platform that the no power on earth will be able to resist.  
Like a rolling stone.

<center>![BillionDollarPrize](https://i.gyazo.com/aab0895973c6be9f62d59809789b3379.png)</center>

These days our freedom is most in danger from those who control our money.  "Give me control of a planet's money and I care not who makes its laws," they still believe.  Our goal is to motivate humanity to take back control of their own money. To join us in deploying honest money and a level playing field in which to spend it. A playing field where would-be tyrants can no longer gum up our economic machinery and siphon off our prosperity.  We plan to start lighting brushfires of freedom everywhere.

"A way to secure life, liberty, and property" was the stated goal when Dan Larimer set out on the quest to develop BitShares on July 4, 2013.  That is still what we are doing today.  Then, Dan aimed to deploy overwhelming technical firepower.  He succeeded and continues to succeed in that arms race.  Today we add even more awesome marketing firepower.  
*And the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it!*

So you may not see many fireworks in the BitShares markets today.  But we have just fired another shot heard around the world.

Do you feel that butterfly flapping its wings?  You surely will.

Cheers!

**Stan Larimer,** President
[Cryptonomex](https://cryptonomex.com)
*The Godfather of  [BitShares](https://bitshares.org) and [the HERO](https://sovereignhero.com)*


[Origin of BitShares - Part 17 - The Fourth Guy Fawkes Day in BitShares History](https://steemit.com/bitshares/@stan/the-fourth-guy-fawkes-day-in-bitshares-steemit-history)

--------

#### **About the Author -- Stan Larimer**
[Follow Me On Steemit - The Social Media Platform That Pays](https://steemit.com/@stan)
[Please Connect To Me On Linkedin!](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanleylarimer)

**Greatest Hits**
[Bitcoin and the Three Laws of Robotics](https://letstalkbitcoin.com/bitcoin-and-the-three-laws-of-robotics)
[Engineering Trust with Charles Hoskinson](https://steemit.com/bitshares/@stan/engineering-trust-with-charles-hoskinson)
[The Origin of BitShares](https://steemit.com/bitshares/@stan/the-origin-of-bitshares-rides-again)
[Why I will never give up Christianity](https://steemit.com/philosophy/@stan/why-i-will-never-give-up-christianity)
[The Hero from BitShares Island](https://steemit.com/bitshares/@stan/the-hero-from-bitshares-island-5)

<center>![BitShares Cryptonomex Stan Larimer](https://i.gyazo.com/360615c22b3a172966373de9860563dc.png)

### Key Links
Here are some of the best links for inquiring about us:

**The Original HERO Definition Post - “The Hero from BitShares Island"**
https://steemit.com/bitshares/@stan/the-hero-from-bitshares-island-5

**The Billion Hero Challenge Announcement**
https://steemit.com/hero/@stan/the-billion-hero-challenge

**The Avant Garde Magazine Special Issue**
http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1313226

**The Video**
By far the best resource for new people is our “TED Talk” in front of a live studio audience in Hollywood. Everyone loves it for some reason.  There is no better way to know all about us in one sitting. https://vimeo.com/220235370
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glPwdKivxTw - MarketHero BitShares Intro

**Tutorials on How to Participate**
https://steemit.com/bitshares/@testlump/coffee-on-the-blockchain-a-step-by-step-guide-to-bitshares-and-smartcoins-for-absolute-beginners
https://steemit.com/bitshares/@ash/how-to-join-the-hero-challenge-as-leader-and-participant
https://steemit.com/bitshares/@billbutler/borrow-hero-and-short-it#@billbutler/re-stan-re-billbutler-borrow-hero-and-short-it-20170615t222439640z
https://steemit.com/bitshares/@ash/bitshares-how-to-take-out-profit-from-borrowing
https://steemit.com/hero/@ash/excel-sheet-to-calculate-your-hero-portfolio

https://bitshares.org/ - Features of BitShares Overview
http://www.sovereignhero.com/ - A collection of information about the Hero currency offered on the BitShares platform.
http://www.sovereignhero.com/thehero/
http://docs.hero.global/en/master/  - Great documentation
https://steemit.com/eos/@trogdor/eos-vs-ethereum-for-dummies - EOS is the growth path for BitShares and the Hero
http://docs.bitshares.eu/_downloads/bitshares-financial-platform.pdf

**Contrarian Articles - Risks, Special Case and Exceptions**
https://steemit.com/bitshares/@biophil/will-hero-work-or-can-you-brute-force-the-free-market
https://steemit.com/bitshares/@biophil/who-will-pay-the-interest-on-hero

**Excel formula for calculating today’s reference price for the Hero: **
=(1.05^((TODAY()-DATE(1913;12;23))/365.2425)) 

**Elevator Pitch**
It's about _Honest Money_. The hero is a stable, fast, appreciating market pegged asset that is backed by the equity of the platform which manages it. No counter party risk like other currencies backed by government debt or gold that may or may not be in a vault. And it grows, by definition, by 5% APR against the dollar.  The Hero is borrowed into existence by someone who uses BTS as collateral - like a home equity loan uses your house as collateral. Except you can sell, trade, spend or hold the Hero like a coin.

http://cryptofresh.com/a/HERO
https://web.telegram.org/#/im?p=@sovereignhero