“The worst offers are those that portray themselves as the best.”
— An old truth worth applying to new technologies.
For years, Bitcoin has been portrayed as a liberating force—decentralised, incorruptible, and designed to wrest control from the banking elite. And yet, more than a decade in, we must ask: has it really decentralised wealth and power, or simply reshaped the elite with a shinier, tech-driven veneer?
The Founders Won—So What About the Rest?
Let’s begin with the facts:
- The top 2% of Bitcoin wallets control over 95% of all Bitcoin.
- Bitcoin’s anonymous creator(s)—Satoshi Nakamoto—hold over 1 million BTC, now worth tens of billions.
- Early adopters, miners, and insiders amassed vast wealth before mass adoption began.
While ordinary investors entered the market hoping for freedom and profit, they walked into a system already front-loaded with inequality—a familiar tale in the world of finance. Is this decentralisation? Or is it Ponzi-like in structure, where value accrues to those who arrived first?
Bitcoin vs. Banking Elites: A False Binary?
Bitcoin’s narrative positions it as the antidote to central banking tyranny—outside the reach of inflation, government control, or manipulation. But here’s the inversion worth exploring:
- Bitcoin has no intrinsic value, only speculative demand.
- It’s inherently deflationary, rewarding hoarding over spending.
- It incentivises volatility, with whales manipulating markets.
- Energy consumption is massive, undermining ESG commitments.
And most critically: does it really serve the people, or merely replace one set of extractive gatekeepers with another—tech libertarians and crypto whales in place of bankers?
Is It Technology or Ideology?
The technology behind Bitcoin—blockchain—is ingenious. Transparent, tamper-resistant, and programmable. But Bitcoin itself isn’t just technology—it’s ideology. One built on scarcity, self-custody, and mistrust of central governance. It champions financial sovereignty, yes, but in a way that too often dismisses the vulnerable, the unbanked, or the digitally excluded.
In practice, Bitcoin functions less like a “people’s currency” and more like digital gold for the privileged few, propped up by relentless marketing, memes, and fear of missing out.
The Munger Game: Invert, But Don’t Ignore Ethics
The Munger quote—“Invert, always invert”—asks us to challenge assumptions. But we must invert fully.
Ask not just “what if I’m wrong about Bitcoin’s value,” but also:
- What if the decentralisation claim is a myth?
- What if Bitcoin is another clever means of early wealth extraction?
- What if trustless systems don’t remove power, but conceal it?
Inverting our assumptions should lead to truth—not just opportunism.
Conclusion: Hard Questions, Not Hard Wallets
Bitcoin may still play a role in a multi-asset future. It may remain a speculative store of value. But let’s not allow slogans to obscure facts:
- Decentralisation without accountability isn’t progress.
- Speculation without substance isn’t empowerment.
- New systems built on old inequities aren’t revolutions—they’re repackaged regressions.
Bitcoin might have made some people rich. But did it make the world fairer?
That’s the inversion worth sticking with.
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About Get SAFE
Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation) was born from a simple truth: too many victims of financial abuse are left to suffer in silence.
We exist for people like Ian—for the ones who did everything right, only to be failed by the systems they trusted. We know that behind every vanished pension, every ignored complaint, and every stonewalled letter is a person—frightened, exhausted, and too often alone.
Get SAFE offers more than sympathy. We offer structure, support, and solidarity.
We provide a voice where there’s been silence, and clarity where there’s been confusion.
We stand beside those who have been exploited, not just to help them recover—but to help them reclaim their story and rebuild their future.
Because financial justice is not a luxury.
It’s a human right.
If you or someone you know has been affected by financial exploitation, we are here.
You are not alone.
Learn more at: Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation).
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