Using the context of Bitcoin, this article explores how proponents envision a future that breaks from current institutional conventions while remaining grounded in tangible microcosms. Such future orientation is conceptualized as a "near-distant future," which blends properties of both distant and near futures. These futures are represented as abstract expressions of desires, morals and values, yet they are anchored in concrete prototypes available in the present. Thus, they are evaluated on both desirability and plausibility. Discourse analysis, aided by structural topic modelling, highlights strategies employed by proponents as they engage in temporal work to project both desirability and feasibility and to galvanize action for such futures. Unlike the linear continuity between past, present, and future seen in near futures, near-distant futures are framed through a cyclical flow of time, emphasizing recurring patterns of change. This study also underscores the role of ontological questioning—discourse that challenges the perceived objectivity of existing realities—in complementing temporal work. Overall, this research contributes to the literature on future orientation and temporal work by extending the binary categorization of near and distant futures and demonstrating how proponents use temporal work to mobilize action towards expanding radical microcosms into dominant future arrangements.
