Jean Galea

Health, Wealth, Relationships, Wisdom

Aftermarket Parts for the Traxxas TRX-4M: A Brand-by-Brand Guide

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The Traxxas TRX-4M took the RC crawling world by storm as a 1/18-scale trail truck that punches well above its weight class. Its compact size, portal axles, and surprisingly capable suspension made it an instant hit — and it didn’t take long for the aftermarket to respond. Whether you’re chasing better trail performance, durability, or just want your mini crawler to stand out, there’s no shortage of upgrades available. Here’s a breakdown of where to find them and which brands are leading the way.

Electronics & Power

Furitek

Furitek has become practically synonymous with mini crawler electronics. Their Lizard Pro and Lizard V2 brushless ESCs are purpose-built for 1/18 and 1/24-scale crawlers, offering drag brake tuning, proportional throttle control, and smooth low-speed crawling that the stock Traxxas ESC simply can’t match. Pair one with a Furitek Micro Komodo or Stinger brushless motor and the TRX-4M transforms into a completely different machine. They also sell combo kits that include the ESC, motor, and wiring harness pre-configured for the TRX-4M, taking the guesswork out of the swap.

Emax

For those looking at servo upgrades, Emax offers micro servos like the ES08A II that fit the TRX-4M’s tight chassis dimensions and deliver noticeably faster, stronger steering response than the stock unit.

Aluminum & CNC-Machined Upgrades

Treal Hobby

Treal has arguably the widest catalog of CNC aluminum and brass parts specifically designed for the TRX-4M. Their offerings include aluminum portal housings, steering links, shock towers, chassis rails, and transmission cases — all precision-machined and available in multiple anodized colors (black, red, blue, titanium, and more). Their brass portal covers and knuckles are especially popular because they add weight exactly where crawlers need it most: down low and at the axles. Treal sells direct through their website and Amazon, and pricing sits in a competitive middle ground between budget and premium.

Hot Racing

Hot Racing is a veteran name in RC upgrades and their TRX-4M line doesn’t disappoint. They produce aluminum shock bodies, sway bar kits, steering links, and drive shafts. Their parts tend to be slightly more premium in finish and fitment. The aluminum front and rear bumper/skid plate combos are particularly well-regarded for both looks and protection. Available through most major hobby retailers including AMain Hobbies and Amazon.

Meus Racing

Meus Racing has been steadily building a following in the mini crawler community with a broad and affordable parts catalog for the TRX-4M. They cover a lot of ground — aluminum suspension links, shock towers, skid plates, portal housings, steering components, and chassis braces — all CNC-machined and offered in multiple anodized color options. Where Meus Racing particularly stands out is in their scale and functional accessories: detailed roof racks, side step bars, bumpers with shackle mounts, and even full chassis rail conversion kits. Their brass upgrade parts (diff covers, portal knuckle weights, and axle-mounted counterweights) compete directly with Treal and Injora on both quality and price. They also offer complete upgrade bundles that package multiple parts together at a discount, which is appealing if you’re doing a full build rather than upgrading one piece at a time. Most of their catalog is available through Amazon and their own storefront. Meus Racing occupies a sweet spot — more variety than GPM with quality that competes with Treal, all at accessible pricing.

GPM Racing

GPM offers a massive selection of aluminum replacement parts at aggressive price points. Nearly every stock plastic component on the TRX-4M has a GPM aluminum equivalent — knuckles, C-hubs, shock mounts, body posts, even the differential cover. Quality can vary piece to piece, but for the price they represent solid value, especially if you’re upgrading the entire truck at once. Widely available on Amazon and eBay.

Brass & Weight Additions

Injora

Injora has built a strong reputation in the mini crawler community for affordable brass and aluminum upgrades. Their brass portal covers, counterweights, and wheel weights are among the most popular TRX-4M parts sold online. They also offer complete brass axle housing sets, skid plates, and steering components. Beyond metal parts, Injora carries a full range of wheels, tires, body shells, and scale accessories specifically sized for the TRX-4M. Their direct website often has bundle deals, and their Amazon storefront makes ordering easy.

Yeah Racing

Yeah Racing produces brass diff covers, portal housings, and link sets for the TRX-4M. Their parts are well-machined and competitively priced. They’re a solid middle-of-the-road option if you want quality brass without paying top dollar.

Bodies & Shells

Bitty Design

Bitty Design is an Italian company known for high-quality polycarbonate body shells across multiple RC scales, and they’ve brought that expertise to the TRX-4M. Their Rock Lizard 1/18 crawler body is a standout — a purpose-designed crawling shell with aggressive lines, proper wheel clearance, and scale detailing that looks fantastic on the TRX-4M chassis. Unlike generic hard bodies, Bitty Design shells are lightweight polycarbonate, which gives you more freedom to add brass weight down low where it matters without making the truck top-heavy. They come clear for custom painting, and the fit and trimlines are precise. Available through most major hobby retailers and their direct website, they’re a premium option for anyone who wants their TRX-4M to look as unique as it performs.

Hobby Details

Hobby Details carries a growing selection of TRX-4M body shells (Bronco, Land Cruiser, Defender styles), LED light kits, and interior components. They’re a good one-stop shop for making your TRX-4M look as good as it crawls, with hard body options that bring serious scale realism to the 1/18 platform.

Tires & Wheels

Injora

In addition to their metal parts, Injora dominates the TRX-4M tire and wheel market. They offer dozens of wheel designs in aluminum and plastic (beadlock and non-beadlock), plus soft-compound tire options in various tread patterns. Their 1.0″ beadlock wheels paired with super-soft sticky tires are one of the most common upgrades and make an immediate difference on rocks and technical terrain.

Powerhobby

Powerhobby produces 1.0″ tires specifically for the TRX-4M class, including the Raptor and Armor patterns that offer excellent grip on multiple surfaces. They also sell wheel and tire combos pre-mounted and ready to bolt on.

RC4WD

RC4WD offers scale-realistic 1.0″ tire and wheel options for those building a more true-to-life rig. Their Mud Plugger and Interco licensed tires bring full-size tire aesthetics down to 1/18 scale, and their stamped steel-style beadlock wheels are hard to beat for realism.

Specialty & Scale Parts

Mofo RC

Mofo RC has carved out a niche with creative, well-designed TRX-4M-specific parts. They’re known for functional accessories like high-clearance skid plates, chassis-mounted servo setups, bumpers, and rock sliders. Many of their parts are designed to solve specific performance problems rather than just look good, which makes them a favorite among serious trail runners. Available through their own website.

Knight Customs (3D Printed)

For scale body accessories — roof racks, light bars, snorkels, fender flares, and interior details — Knight Customs offers an extensive line of 3D-printed parts sized for TRX-4M bodies. They sell through their own storefront, and the level of detail is impressive for the price.

Drivetrain & Hardware

MIP

MIP (Moore’s Ideal Products) makes precision spline drive shafts and CVDs for a range of RC vehicles. Their steel and aluminum drive shafts for the TRX-4M are a worthwhile upgrade if you’re running more powerful brushless setups that put extra stress on the drivetrain.

1UP Racing

For those who obsess over the details, 1UP Racing offers precision bearing kits and premium hardware (titanium screws, anti-wear lubricants) that fit the TRX-4M. A full bearing kit swap reduces friction throughout the drivetrain and is one of the best bang-for-buck upgrades you can make on any RC vehicle.

Where to Buy

  • Amazon — The largest selection from nearly every brand mentioned. Convenient but watch for counterfeit or mislabeled parts from unknown sellers.
  • AMain Hobbies — One of the biggest dedicated RC hobby retailers. Carries Hot Racing, Yeah Racing, MIP, and more with reliable shipping.
  • Jenny’s RC — Well-stocked hobby shop that carries Treal, Furitek, Injora, and many niche brands. Often has parts in stock that bigger retailers don’t.
  • Horizon Hobby — Carries select aftermarket brands alongside Traxxas stock parts.
  • Brand Direct Websites — Treal, Furitek, Injora, Meus Racing, Bitty Design, and Mofo RC all sell directly through their own websites, often with bundle pricing or early access to new releases.
  • eBay — Good for GPM Racing parts and deals on used or overstock items.

Final Thoughts

The TRX-4M aftermarket is remarkably mature for a truck in this size class. Whether you’re spending $10 on a set of brass portal covers or $100+ on a full brushless electronics swap, the upgrade path is deep and well-supported. Start with tires and brass weight — those two changes alone will dramatically improve capability on the trail. From there, electronics and aluminum chassis components let you build a mini crawler that genuinely rivals full-size rigs in technical ability.

The best part? At 1/18 scale, even the premium upgrades are a fraction of what you’d spend on a full-size truck. That makes the TRX-4M one of the most rewarding platforms to build and modify in the hobby today.

The Complete WordPress Performance Optimization Guide: How to Pass Core Web Vitals in 2026

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core web vitalsIs your WordPress site failing Core Web Vitals? You’re not alone. Google’s performance metrics have become increasingly important for both SEO and user experience, and many WordPress sites struggle to meet these standards.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the exact steps I used to take my site from failing Core Web Vitals to passing—with a focus on fixing the most common culprit: Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

Understanding Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are a set of specific metrics that Google uses to measure user experience. The three main metrics are:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures loading performance. To provide a good user experience, LCP should occur within 2.5 seconds of when the page first starts loading.

Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures interactivity. Pages should have an INP of 200 milliseconds or less to ensure a responsive experience.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability. Pages should maintain a CLS of 0.1 or less to avoid frustrating unexpected layout shifts.

The Most Common Problem: CLS

After auditing dozens of WordPress sites over the years, I’ve found that CLS is by far the most common reason for failing Core Web Vitals. The primary causes include:

Images without dimensions – When browsers don’t know the size of an image before it loads, the page layout shifts as images appear. This is often the biggest contributor to CLS issues.

Web fonts causing FOUT/FOIT – When custom fonts load, they can cause text to reflow, creating layout shifts.

Dynamic content injection – Ads, embeds, and dynamically loaded content that pushes existing content around.

Third-party scripts – Analytics, chat widgets, and other scripts that modify the DOM after initial load.

The Solution: A Systematic Approach

Rather than randomly trying different optimization plugins, I recommend a systematic approach using a single, well-designed performance plugin. My tool of choice is Perfmatters, but similar results can be achieved with other optimization plugins.

Step 1: Fix Image Loading Issues

The single most impactful change you can make is enabling “Add Missing Image Dimensions” in your optimization plugin. This automatically adds width and height attributes to images that are missing them, allowing browsers to reserve the correct space before images load.

Additionally, enable lazy loading for images and iframes. This defers the loading of off-screen images until users scroll near them, improving initial page load time without affecting CLS (as long as dimensions are set).

Step 2: Optimize JavaScript Delivery

JavaScript can block rendering and delay interactivity. Optimize it by:

Deferring JavaScript – This tells the browser to download scripts in parallel but execute them only after the HTML is fully parsed.

Delaying non-critical JavaScript – Some scripts (analytics, chat widgets) don’t need to run immediately. Delay them until user interaction.

Minifying JavaScript – Remove unnecessary whitespace and comments to reduce file sizes.

Step 3: Optimize CSS

CSS optimization focuses on reducing file sizes and eliminating render-blocking stylesheets:

Minify CSS – Remove whitespace, comments, and unnecessary characters from your stylesheets.

Remove unused CSS – Many themes and plugins load CSS that isn’t used on every page. Removing this unused code can significantly reduce file sizes.

Step 4: Optimize Fonts

Font optimization is crucial for both performance and CLS:

Host Google Fonts locally – Instead of loading fonts from Google’s servers, host them on your own server. This eliminates an external request and gives you more control over font loading.

Use font-display: swap – This CSS property tells browsers to use a fallback font immediately and swap to the custom font once it’s loaded. This prevents invisible text and reduces CLS.

Step 5: Remove WordPress Bloat

WordPress includes several features that most sites don’t need:

Disable emojis – WordPress loads a JavaScript file to convert emoji shortcodes to images. Unless you heavily use emojis, this is unnecessary overhead.

Disable dashicons on the front end – The Dashicons font is loaded for logged-out users even though it’s only needed in the admin area.

Disable embeds – The oEmbed feature allows embedding content from other sites but adds JavaScript that many sites don’t need.

Step 6: Leverage Server-Side Caching

If you’re on managed WordPress hosting like Kinsta, WP Engine, or Cloudways, you already have server-side caching. Make sure to clear your caches after making optimization changes so visitors receive the updated, optimized version of your site.

Measuring Your Results

After implementing these changes, measure your results using:

PageSpeed Insights – Google’s free tool that provides both lab data (simulated tests) and field data (real user metrics from the Chrome User Experience Report).

Web Vitals Chrome Extension – Get real-time Core Web Vitals metrics as you browse your site.

Keep in mind that field data takes 28 days to update fully, so you may see improvements in lab data before they appear in field data.

Additional Optimizations

Once you’ve addressed the fundamentals, consider these additional optimizations:

Use a CDN – A Content Delivery Network serves your static assets from servers closer to your visitors, reducing latency.

Optimize your database – Clean up post revisions, spam comments, and expired transients to keep your database lean.

Audit your plugins – Deactivate and delete plugins you’re not using. Each active plugin adds overhead.

Consider image formats – Modern formats like WebP and AVIF offer better compression than JPEG and PNG.

Conclusion

Passing Core Web Vitals doesn’t require technical expertise or expensive tools. By systematically addressing the common issues—especially CLS caused by images without dimensions—you can significantly improve your site’s performance.

Start with the fundamentals: add image dimensions, optimize JavaScript and CSS delivery, and remove unnecessary bloat. Then measure your results and iterate. With patience and the right approach, your WordPress site can achieve excellent Core Web Vitals scores.

Have questions about WordPress performance optimization? Leave a comment below, and I’ll do my best to help.

Don’t Just Surround Yourself With Smarter People

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smarter person

One of the most repeated pieces of advice in business and personal development is simple enough:

“Surround yourself with smarter people.”

It sounds good. It flatters ambition. It suggests that your future depends on upgrading the average IQ or success level in your WhatsApp groups.

Over the years, though, I’ve come to realise that this advice is incomplete. Often, it pushes people deeper into the very traps they’re trying to escape: burnout, golden handcuffs, status games that leave them quietly empty.

I think there’s a better version of this advice:

Don’t just surround yourself with smarter people. Surround yourself with people who are free in different ways than you are.

This idea sits at the core of how I think about life design, and it’s also the core design principle behind The Good Life Collective (GLC), the private community I run.

Want to be in a room like that?
You can learn more about The Good Life Collective and how to join here:
Join The Good Life Collective →

Two Kinds of Freedom

When I say “free”, I’m not talking about passports, politics, or being able to work from a laptop on a beach.

I’m talking about the room you actually have to move inside your own life.

In practice, I see two very different kinds of freedom:

1. Freedom to win.

This is the one most people optimise for. You pick a game—your career, a business, a public profile, a net worth target—and you get very good at winning inside that game. You learn the rules, acquire leverage, build skills, and improve your position.

If you surround yourself with “smarter people” in the conventional sense, this is usually what you’re buying: better tactics, sharper thinking, insider knowledge. You become more effective at the current game.

2. Freedom to keep playing.

This one is quieter and more important. It’s the ability to zoom out of the current game entirely:

  • to walk away from a path that no longer makes sense, even if you’re “winning” on paper
  • to change countries, careers, or identities without your life collapsing
  • to spot when a game is slowly destroying your health, relationships, or sanity—and actually change course

You can be highly free inside a narrow game and almost totally unfree outside it. Think of the executive who is unbeatable in meetings, but genuinely cannot imagine a life without their title. Or the entrepreneur who can pull off million-euro deals, but is incapable of slowing down long enough to actually enjoy any of it.

On paper, they’re powerful. In reality, they are trapped by their own success.

How We Fall Asleep Inside a Game

Most of us never consciously choose our main game. We slide into it.

You get good at something, opportunities appear, money and status follow, and before you know it, your entire life is organised around one scoreboard: revenue, valuation, salary, number of properties, number of followers, whatever.

At first, it’s energising. You’re progressing. The numbers are going up. People around you approve.

Then, slowly, the walls close in:

  • you filter people based on whether they help or hinder that one metric
  • you stop doing things that don’t “move the needle”
  • you treat anything that doesn’t fit the game as a distraction or a threat

At some point, the game becomes invisible. It stops feeling like a choice and starts feeling like “just how life is”. That’s what I mean by falling asleep inside a game.

Now imagine you take the classic advice literally and “surround yourself with smarter people” who are all playing the same game as you, just a bit better.

You’ll get sharper. You’ll get richer. You’ll pick up advanced tactics. But you’ll also share the same blind spots, the same unexamined trade-offs, and the same silent fears.

You all get better at winning. None of you get better at asking whether this is a game still worth playing.

What Differently Free People Look Like

This is where the idea of differently free people comes in.

A differently free person isn’t just “smarter”. They’ve escaped a trap you’re still in, or they’re willing to pay costs you’re not yet willing to pay, in exchange for a kind of freedom you haven’t prioritised.

Their life doesn’t fit your script, and that’s the whole point.

You’ll recognise them because their choices make you pause:

  • You’re obsessed with efficiency; they leave deliberate empty space in their week and guard it like a hawk.
  • You’re focused on accumulating more; they walked away from “more” and are clearly lighter and happier.
  • You’re chasing visibility; they choose depth over reach and are uninterested in being known at scale.

Under your current logic, some of their decisions look irrational. But you can’t dismiss them, because the results are undeniably real: they’re calm where you’re anxious, present where you’re split in ten directions, rooted where you’re constantly drifting.

This isn’t about copying their life. It’s about letting their way of living expose the invisible walls of your own.

Why I Built the GLC Around This Idea

The Good Life Collective wasn’t created as a generic “networking group” or a fan club. It’s a deliberate attempt to assemble high-agency people who are playing different games, at a similar level of seriousness, and keep them in conversation long enough for their freedoms to rub off on each other.

Within the GLC, you will find these kinds of profiles:

  • someone who sold a business early, and consciously chose a slower, more grounded life instead of chasing the next big exit
  • someone who optimises everything around being an involved parent, even if it means saying no to prestigious opportunities
  • someone who moved countries two or three times to build a legal and lifestyle setup that actually matches their values
  • someone who is “under-earning” relative to what they could command, because they refuse to sacrifice health or freedom of time

On paper, they’re all “smart”. In practice, what matters is that each of them is free in a way the others are not.

Put them in the same room, and something interesting happens:

  • the entrepreneur who only thinks in terms of net worth starts to see the cost in terms of time with kids, stress, and fragility
  • the person who over-indexes on safety starts to see how much opportunity and aliveness they’ve been leaving on the table
  • the restless nomad sees, up close, the long-term richness of deep roots and long-standing relationships

Nobody is held up as “the correct template”. Instead, each person makes different options visible. You’re exposed to freedoms you didn’t know how to value before.

This is the point of the GLC: not just to trade tips, but to expand the menu of possible lives you can consciously choose from.

If you want to be in this kind of room, you can read about how the GLC works and how to join here:
Learn more about The Good Life Collective →

Freedom, Family, and the Long Game

A recurring theme in our conversations inside the GLC is the tension between work, family, and the long game.

Many members are in the thick of it: young kids, demanding businesses, geographical moves, ageing parents, changing tax regimes. It’s very easy to slip into a quiet story that says, “I’ll sacrifice now, and later I’ll be free.”

On a spreadsheet, that story is neat. In real life, it’s messy. Time with kids doesn’t come back. Health doesn’t magically restore itself on command. Relationships don’t pause gracefully while you chase a number.

When you sit with people at different stages of the journey, the trade-offs become more real. You hear from those who over-invested in work and now live with a sense of having missed something important. You hear from those who protected family time and see what that bought them. You hear from people who tried to do everything at once and hit a wall.

Again, there’s no single right answer. But your decisions stop being theoretical. You’re not optimising your life in isolation. You’re learning directly from the consequences other people have already lived through.

That’s what I mean by freedom to keep playing. You’re designing your life so that 10, 20, 30 years from now, you’re still in the game with your health, relationships, and sense of self intact—not just with a nice financial statement.

Beware the “I’m Above All Games” Trap

There is another pattern worth mentioning.

Once you see that any particular game can trap you, it’s tempting to swing to the other extreme and never fully commit to anything. You become a permanent observer:
always exploring, always keeping options open, never going all in.

That, too, is a game.

Refusing to choose is still a choice. Floating above the concrete realities of work, family, money, and place might feel clever, but it usually leads to drift and a low-grade dissatisfaction that never resolves into anything solid.

The goal is not to avoid all finite games. The goal is to play them deeply, but stay awake to the fact that they are games—and to maintain enough inner and outer freedom to change course without blowing up your life.

In my experience, you don’t develop that kind of awareness in isolation. You develop it in conversation with people whose games and freedoms don’t match your own.

The Upgrade: From “Smarter” to “Differently Free”

So let’s come back to that original line:

“Surround yourself with smarter people.”

It’s not wrong. But on its own, it’s shallow.

If you only follow that advice, you’ll end up extremely good at one thing and oddly fragile everywhere else. You’ll be free to win inside a narrow game and unfree everywhere outside it.

The upgrade looks like this:

Surround yourself with people who are free in ways you’re not.

People whose lives don’t fit your template. People whose choices confuse you at first, then quietly expand your idea of what’s possible.

By all means, learn from people who are “smarter” in your field. But don’t stop there. Find the ones who are calm where you’re restless, brave where you’re cautious, rooted where you’re scattered. Let their freedoms challenge your defaults.

Over time, that mix is what protects you from winning the wrong game.

If this resonates, the GLC might be a good home for you.

It’s a space for high-agency people who care about money, yes, but also about family, health, meaning, and geography—and who want to make better decisions across the whole arc of life, not just in one narrow domain.

If you’d like to explore joining, you can find the details and application process here:

Discover The Good Life Collective →

The Best European Bitcoin ETFs

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bitcoin etfAs someone who’s been actively involved in the crypto space for over a decade, I’ve seen countless trends come and go. But one thing that’s become increasingly clear is that Bitcoin is here to stay. For those of us in Europe looking for a more traditional, regulated, and perhaps less nerve-wracking way to gain exposure to Bitcoin, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer a compelling option. In this article, I’ll walk you through why ETFs might make sense, how Bitcoin ETFs specifically work, and which ones I believe are the best choices for European investors right now.

Why Consider Bitcoin ETFs?

Let’s face it—owning Bitcoin directly isn’t for everyone. Wallets, private keys, hardware devices, exchange hacks… it can get overwhelming quickly. That’s where ETFs come in. They allow investors to gain exposure to the price movements of Bitcoin without the need to manage the asset directly.

ETFs are traded on traditional stock exchanges, meaning you can buy and sell them just like any other stock or index fund through your brokerage account. They’re also regulated financial products, offering a level of oversight and investor protection that many crypto exchanges simply don’t provide.

For long-term investors, ETFs simplify things. There’s no need to worry about losing your seed phrase or getting hacked. You can hold the ETF in a tax-advantaged account, and your exposure is neatly wrapped in a financial product that fits into your existing portfolio.

How Do Bitcoin ETFs Work?

Bitcoin ETFs track the price of Bitcoin, but the way they do so can vary. Some ETFs are physically backed, meaning the fund actually holds Bitcoin in cold storage. Others are synthetic, using financial derivatives to mirror the price movements of Bitcoin. We also have futures-based Bitcoin ETFs.

Physically backed ETFs tend to be more appealing to purists, as they are directly tied to the underlying asset. Synthetic ETFs, on the other hand, may introduce counterparty risk but can be more flexible and easier to structure from a regulatory standpoint.

From a European perspective, we have to be mindful of the regulatory landscape. Unlike the U.S., where the SEC recently approved several spot Bitcoin ETFs, the European market already has a range of ETPs (exchange-traded products) and ETFs that provide similar exposure. The terminology sometimes overlaps, but the essence is the same: these are vehicles that track Bitcoin’s price and are traded on stock exchanges.

To summarise, there are two main types of Bitcoin ETFs you might consider:

  1. Physically-backed Bitcoin ETFs: These funds hold actual Bitcoin in cold storage and reflect the price movements of the underlying asset.
  2. Futures-based Bitcoin ETFs: These track the price of Bitcoin futures contracts rather than Bitcoin itself. This can sometimes lead to a divergence from the spot price due to the mechanics of futures markets.

Most European offerings currently focus on physically-backed products, which is what I prefer. I want my Bitcoin ETF to be as close to holding the real thing as possible, minus the hassle.

Limitations of Bitcoin ETFs

While ETFs offer many conveniences, it’s also important to recognize their limitations. ETFs are bound by traditional market hours, which means you can’t buy or sell your position around the clock the way you can with Bitcoin on an exchange. You’re also paying a management fee—sometimes over 1% annually—which eats into your returns over time. And ultimately, you’re relying on a third party to hold and manage the underlying Bitcoin.

Holding Bitcoin on Exchanges

For those who want 24/7 access to the crypto markets, holding Bitcoin on an exchange may seem like a convenient middle ground. You get real-time trading, instant access to price movements, and sometimes even integrated tools like staking or lending.

However, it’s important to remember that “not your keys, not your coins” still applies. When your Bitcoin is on an exchange, you don’t truly own it—you’re trusting a centralized platform to secure it. There’s also the risk of withdrawal limits or sudden platform failures. While exchanges can be useful for short-term trading or tactical allocation, I don’t consider them a safe long-term custody solution.

The Case for Self-Custody

If you want to truly embrace what Bitcoin stands for—sovereignty, decentralization, and borderless finance—then self-custody is the gold standard. By using a hardware wallet or other secure storage method, you’re taking full control of your assets. No intermediary, no counterparty risk. You can travel across borders with your wealth secured by a 12-word seed phrase, completely outside the reach of traditional financial infrastructure.

Self-custody isn’t for everyone. It requires a certain level of technical competence and responsibility. But if you’re serious about Bitcoin as more than just an investment—if you see it as a tool for financial freedom—then learning how to self-custody is worth the effort.

The Best Bitcoin ETFs for European Investors

After evaluating a number of products based on liquidity, reputation, and cost, here are my top picks:

1. 21Shares Bitcoin ETP (ABTC)

  • Exchange: SIX Swiss Exchange
  • Type: Physically backed
  • Expense Ratio: 1.49%
  • Why I like it: 21Shares is a pioneer in the European crypto ETP space. ABTC is backed by actual Bitcoin held in cold storage, and the company is transparent about its holdings.

2. ETC Group Physical Bitcoin (BTCE)

  • Exchange: Deutsche Börse Xetra
  • Type: Physically backed
  • Expense Ratio: 2.00%
  • Why I like it: BTCE is one of the most liquid Bitcoin ETPs in Europe. It’s fully backed by Bitcoin, with on-chain verification of holdings. It also benefits from solid custodial partnerships.

3. WisdomTree Physical Bitcoin (BTCW)

  • Exchange: SIX Swiss Exchange, Deutsche Börse Xetra
  • Type: Physically backed
  • Expense Ratio: 0.95%
  • Why I like it: With one of the lowest fees in the market, BTCW is great for cost-conscious investors. WisdomTree has a strong reputation in the ETF world and applies the same rigor to its crypto offerings.

4. VanEck Bitcoin ETN (VBTC)

  • Exchange: Deutsche Börse Xetra
  • Type: Physically backed
  • Expense Ratio: 1.00%
  • Why I like it: VanEck is a well-established name in asset management. Their Bitcoin ETN is fully collateralized and offers strong liquidity on Xetra.

Final Thoughts

Bitcoin ETFs offer European investors a practical and regulated way to gain exposure to this revolutionary asset class. While they may not appeal to hardcore crypto maximalists, they’re perfect for those who want to include Bitcoin in their portfolio without the technical headaches.

As always, do your own research and consult a financial advisor if you’re unsure. But for many, Bitcoin ETFs could be the ideal gateway into the world of digital assets—blending the old and the new in a way that just makes sense.

I’ll continue monitoring this space closely and updating my recommendations as the landscape evolves. Stay tuned!

The Best Coffee Roasters in Barcelona

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coffee roasters barcelonaIf you’ve spent any time exploring Barcelona’s coffee scene, you’ve probably noticed that the city has quietly become one of Europe’s most exciting destinations for specialty coffee. Gone are the days when a café con leche from a corner bar was your only option. Today, Barcelona is home to a thriving community of coffee roasters who are sourcing exceptional beans from around the world and roasting them right here in the city.

I’ve spent years hunting down the best coffee in Barcelona, and along the way, I’ve discovered that the roasters themselves are often the best places to experience truly exceptional coffee. These are the people who obsess over every detail—from the farms where the beans are grown to the exact roast profile that brings out each coffee’s unique character.

Whether you’re looking to buy beans for your home setup, want to visit a roastery café for a perfect flat white, or you’re curious about the people behind Barcelona’s coffee revolution, this guide covers the roasters you need to know.

Nomad Coffee

Nomad is often credited with kickstarting Barcelona’s specialty coffee scene. Founded by Jordi Mestre in 2014, the story began even earlier—as a humble coffee cart at London markets in 2011. Jordi brought what he learned in London’s thriving coffee culture back to Barcelona, opening the city’s first true specialty coffee shop.

What sets Nomad apart is their global reach. They roast in Poblenou and ship to customers in over 45 countries. Jordi himself is a former Spanish Barista Champion who placed 15th at the World Barista Championship, so the quality standards are sky-high.

They have several locations around the city, including their flagship at Passatge Sert in El Born and their Poblenou café. The Coffee Academy at Nomad is also worth checking out if you want to level up your home brewing game.

Best for: Experiencing the roots of Barcelona’s specialty coffee movement and consistently excellent espresso-based drinks.

Right Side Coffee

If there’s one roaster in Barcelona that’s earned a reputation for precision and quality, it’s Right Side Coffee. Founded in 2012 by Joaquin Parra—a three-time Spanish Roasting Champion who placed 4th at the World Roasting Championships—this is a roaster that takes the craft seriously.

What I love about Right Side is their focus. They don’t own a chain of cafés or try to do everything. Instead, they concentrate on doing one thing exceptionally well: roasting outstanding single-origin coffees. They work from a beautiful 1993 Probat roaster in Castelldefels, just south of Barcelona, and maintain direct relationships with coffee producers around the world.

They recently opened a coffee bar in the Gothic Quarter on Carrer Arc de Sant Ramon del Call, which is a fantastic spot to try their coffees. Their online shop is also excellent if you want beans delivered—I’ve found their shipping to be fast and the packaging keeps everything fresh.

Best for: Coffee geeks who appreciate competition-level quality and single-origin excellence.

Coffee Hackers

Coffee Hackers is a hidden gem that’s become a favorite among Barcelona’s remote workers and serious coffee enthusiasts. With locations in Sant Gervasi (C/ Saragossa 60) and Poblenou (C/ Sancho de Ávila 8), they’ve built a reputation for meticulous small-batch roasting.

What sets Coffee Hackers apart is their commitment to quality control. Despite growing demand, they continue to roast in small batches to ensure consistency. They source directly from producers, ensuring fair compensation while delivering exceptional single-origin coffees from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Colombia, and Brazil.

The café spaces are spacious and laptop-friendly, with excellent Wi-Fi and natural light. The baristas are true coffee nerds working with top equipment—La Marzocco espresso machines and Victoria Arduino grinders. Their espresso is particularly outstanding.

Best for: Remote workers who want excellent coffee in a comfortable workspace, and anyone who appreciates small-batch precision.

Tomorrow’s Harvest

Tucked away in the charming streets of Gràcia at Carrer de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats 13, Tomorrow’s Harvest is a roaster that’s been quietly building a devoted following. They roast their own beans on-site, giving them complete control over the final product.

Gràcia has become something of a hub for Barcelona’s specialty coffee scene, and Tomorrow’s Harvest fits right into the neighborhood’s artisan spirit. It’s the kind of place where you can chat with the people actually roasting your coffee.

Best for: Discovering a neighborhood gem and supporting a local roaster in one of Barcelona’s most charming barrios.

SlowMov

SlowMov is more than just a roastery—it’s a philosophy. Founded in 2015 by Carmen and François in the charming Gràcia neighborhood, SlowMov embraces the slow living movement. Quality over quantity, craft over speed.

They’re one of the few places in Barcelona where you can actually see the roasting happen on-site. Their Giesen roaster sits in the café, and there’s something special about watching the process while you sip your coffee. Carmen and François source their beans directly from producers in Brazil, Ethiopia, Mexico, and other origins, and they visit the farms themselves to ensure quality and fair practices.

The café itself is a lovely spot in Gràcia—warm, unpretentious, and filled with regulars who appreciate good coffee. They also supply beans to restaurants and businesses around Barcelona and offer training for those who want to learn more about specialty coffee.

Best for: A relaxed atmosphere, watching the roasting process, and supporting direct-trade coffee.

Onna Coffee

Onna means “woman” in Japanese, and this roastery was founded by Anahí Paez, originally from Costa Rica. What makes Onna unique is their exclusive focus on Costa Rican coffees—every single bean they roast comes from Anahí’s home country.

Established in 2014 (the same year as Nomad), Onna was one of Barcelona’s specialty coffee pioneers. The café in Gràcia at Carrer Santa Teresa has become a beloved neighborhood fixture, and their roastery in Poblenou produces beans that showcase the incredible diversity of Costa Rican coffee regions.

Anahí’s close relationships with Costa Rican coffee producers mean exceptional quality and transparency. If you love cortados and flat whites, Onna does them particularly well—there’s a richness and depth to their coffee that’s hard to find elsewhere.

Best for: Costa Rican coffee lovers and those who appreciate a founder with deep connections to origin.

Cafés El Magnífico

For a taste of Barcelona’s coffee heritage, there’s no better place than Cafés El Magnífico. The Sans family has been roasting coffee in the El Born neighborhood since 1919—that’s over a century of history. The Cafés El Magnífico brand itself was established in 1962, and today it’s run by the second and third generation of the family.

Salvador Sans transformed the business when he took over, pivoting toward specialty coffee before most people in Spain even knew what that meant. He’s been a Cup of Excellence judge since 2002 and is something of a legend in the Barcelona coffee world. His daughter Claudia now handles sourcing and quality, continuing the family tradition.

Their shop in El Born is a must-visit. You can browse bags from origins around the world, and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable. In 2018, they also acquired La Portorriqueña, a historic Barcelona roaster founded in 1906, adding another piece of the city’s coffee history to their portfolio.

Best for: History buffs, a curated selection of global origins, and experiencing a true Barcelona institution.

Three Marks Coffee

Three Marks has quietly become one of Barcelona’s most respected local roasters. They’ve opened their own roastery and now supply beans to cafés all over the city. With three café locations, they’ve grown steadily while maintaining their commitment to quality.

What I appreciate about Three Marks is their accessibility. They make specialty coffee feel approachable rather than intimidating. You can buy their beans to brew at home, and the staff at their cafés are always happy to chat about what they’re roasting.

Best for: Approachable specialty coffee and beans you can find at cafés throughout the city.

Morrow Coffee

Based in the Sants neighborhood, Morrow Coffee has built a strong following for their carefully roasted beans. They’re a bit off the typical tourist trail, which gives them a more local, neighborhood feel.

Morrow focuses on quality sourcing and precise roasting, and their café has become a go-to spot for residents of Sants looking for specialty coffee without trekking to the city center.

Best for: Exploring beyond the tourist areas and finding quality coffee in a residential neighborhood.

Hidden Coffee Roasters

True to their name, Hidden Coffee Roasters feels like a discovery when you find them. Located in El Born, they roast their own beans on-site, which means everything is as fresh as it gets.

They source interesting varieties with unique characteristics from around the world, and there’s always something new to try. If you enjoy exploring unusual origins or experimental processing methods, Hidden is the place to go.

Best for: Adventurous coffee drinkers looking for unique, freshly roasted beans.

More Roasters Worth Knowing

Barcelona’s coffee roasting scene is growing fast, and there are several other roasters worth mentioning:

Cafes Ros is another solid local option for freshly roasted beans. Syra Coffee has small take-away spots scattered across the city, making their beans accessible in nearly every neighborhood. And Sensorial Coffee Roasters in Poblenou supplies many Barcelona cafés with their roasts.

Beyond Barcelona: Other Roasters I Love

While Barcelona has become my home base for coffee, I’ve discovered some excellent roasters outside the city that are worth knowing about—especially if you’re happy to order online.

Terres de Café (France)

Founded in 2009, Terres de Café has become one of France’s leading specialty coffee roasters. They offer over 30 specialty coffees sourced primarily from Latin America and Africa, with a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability and fair treatment of farming communities.

Their online shop ships throughout Europe, and I’ve found their coffees to be consistently excellent. If you’re looking to explore French specialty coffee or want beans delivered while traveling, Terres de Café is a reliable choice.

Best for: European delivery, ethically sourced beans, and exploring French specialty coffee culture.

D·Origen Coffee Roasters (Costa Blanca)

Based on Spain’s Costa Blanca, D·Origen Coffee Roasters focuses on selecting and roasting high-quality specialty coffees. They’re particularly known for their work with Finca Barú Black Mountain, producing some exceptional single-origin beans.

If you’re visiting the Valencia or Alicante region, or simply want to try some quality Spanish roasters beyond Barcelona, D·Origen is worth exploring.

Best for: Exploring Spanish specialty coffee outside Barcelona, quality single-origins from their partner farms.

Tips for Visiting Barcelona’s Roasters

Timing matters. Most specialty coffee spots in Barcelona open around 8:30 or 9 AM and close by mid-afternoon—often around 3 or 4 PM. Weekend hours can vary, and many are closed on Sundays. Check before you go.

Ask questions. The baristas at these roasters are passionate about coffee and usually happy to share what they know. Don’t be shy about asking for recommendations based on your preferences.

Try filter coffee. While espresso is the default in Spain, many of these roasters offer filter options (V60, batch brew, etc.) that showcase their beans in a different way. It’s worth trying if you want to taste the full character of a single-origin coffee.

Buy beans to take home. Most roasters sell their coffee by the bag, and many offer subscriptions. Right Side, Nomad, and El Magnífico all have excellent online shops if you fall in love with a particular coffee.

Explore the neighborhoods. Barcelona’s roasters are spread across the city—from El Born to Gràcia to Poblenou. Visiting them is a great excuse to explore different neighborhoods, each with its own character.

Final Thoughts

Barcelona’s coffee roasting scene has matured beautifully over the past decade. What started with a few pioneers like Nomad and Onna has blossomed into a diverse ecosystem of roasters, each with their own approach and personality. Whether you’re after competition-level precision, a century of heritage, or a relaxed slow-living vibe, there’s a roaster in Barcelona for you.

The best part? This scene is still growing. New roasters are emerging, established ones are expanding, and the overall quality just keeps getting better. If you’re a coffee lover, Barcelona deserves a spot on your list.

If you’re looking for great places to enjoy specialty coffee while out and about, check out my guide to the best coffee shops in Barcelona. And if you want to learn more about how I brew coffee at home, I’ve written about my coffee habits and methods.

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Jean Galea

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