Bitcoin is for both optimists and pessimists

Bitcoin appeals to people who believe the world is getting better. It also appeals to people who believe it’s falling apart.

For the optimist, Bitcoin is a symbol of progress. A global, open monetary network not controlled by any single government. A tool for financial inclusion, digital sovereignty, and long-term alignment. It represents the possibility of building something fairer, more transparent, and more resilient than the system it came to replace.

For the pessimist, it’s insurance. A hedge against inflation, capital controls, and institutional decay. Bitcoin doesn’t require trust in politicians, central banks, or corporate custodians. It’s a way to exit, to opt out, to store value in a form that’s hard to seize or debase. When things break, it’s a fallback.

This dual appeal is unusual. Most technologies are built for a narrow worldview. Bitcoin, instead, offers something traits that you can latch on to regardless of your lens: self-custody, scarcity, and permissionless access. What you project onto it depends on how you see the future.

Some hold it because they think the world will change. Others hold it because they think it won’t. Either way, it works the same.