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120 sats \ 1 reply \ @expatriotic OP 11 Mar \ parent \ on: Are bitcoins meant for spending or savings? bitcoin_beginners
The capital definition you cited from KU's MBA program perfectly captures what Bitcoin actually does - it functions as financial capital that can fund operations, purchase assets, and enable investments. This is distinct from government-issued currency, which primarily serves as a medium of exchange with decreasing purchasing power over time.
Your point about the self-reinforcing cycle is spot on. If people want Bitcoin's value to increase, encouraging merchant adoption creates the network effects that drive both utility and value. The irony is that many holders won't spend because they expect appreciation, yet that very appreciation depends on expanding the network of users and use cases.
The distinction between "selling" to an exchange versus spending directly with merchants is crucial. When you sell to an exchange, you're converting to fiat and reinforcing the legacy system. When you spend directly with a merchant who holds Bitcoin, you're strengthening the Bitcoin economy.
Regarding education, the signal-to-noise ratio on most Bitcoin forums is abysmal. Places like r/Bitcoin have become echo chambers focused on price action rather than fundamental education about Bitcoin's mechanics and value proposition. Stacker News uses bitcoin as an incentive to help distill signal from noise.
I was really into r/Bitcoin back in... early 2023. And the signal to noise was way, way higher than it is today. Today it's like a really shallow wallstreetbets except it's an asset or tradable good with no 'cash flow'... so much of the commentary on r/bitcoin is currently really low-level almost worthless.
Many of the commenters of old have left or gone elsewhere that's how I found Stacker News.
And I've stuck around at Stacker News because the incentives are so good and it's real-world use of Bitcoin. It's not speculation, it's not 'trading' it's actually spending Bitcoin on a better forum experience, a better "customer experience" where we all can learn and are incentivized to 'post well'. Pay to post and all that.
One day, maybe in many years I think the whole internet with have the 'stacker news' model and Lightning-esque micropayments will make the whole internet better... but if that ever happens it will take a while.
I don't know why people haven't figured out the 'merchant' trick yet... like you said the more people spend it, rather than 'selling it' the stronger the network effects and better the education and better the "long-term" price if that's what they are so interested in.
The only other person I've heard call it "digital capital" is, well Mike Saylor. I think the name 'crypto-currency' is a little misleading if for no other reason than currencies are so bad...
It's a global neutral internet-native capital not a "currency" like the Peso or many others. That's a compliment
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