Bitcoin, Aliens and God (BAG): What’s common?
Reading the headline, you would have chuckled to yourself, “Another one of those weird Bitcoin articles”. I wouldn’t underestimate your pessimism but will assure you that I have discovered the ugly link between Bitcoin, Aliens and God (BAG). It was right there in front of us and most of us didn’t notice it.
Humans have the tendency to create hope out of air and all these things (Bitcoin, Aliens and God) have a deep connection to air (hot on occasions) and the universe. As the human mind developed, they wondered like Adrien Brody in Predators, where the hell am I, why am I here and who’s sent me. On earth, the initial problem was, there were predators (bigger, fiercer and meaner) but men (and women and those ‘in between’) found ways to defeat them. Alas, the questions remained and we evolved to a point, where to answer the tricky questions, ka-ching…we invented the concept of God. As human history has significant gaps once it gets to BC (Before Christ or By Chance), it’s hard to say where the concept came from. So, we are left wondering whether God is there or not. If so, in what form and can she be proven beyond doubt or is it beyond human senses? Irrespective of what God is, we are still left with the original 3 questions (where the hell am I, why am I here and who’s sent me). So the concept of God hasn’t helped (Sh…Sh, don’t tell this to those who have resolved the problem…I have heard they don’t like the seekers).
Now, since the Universe is so huge (like zero and infinity), as we continue to ponder about God and her shenanigans, we poor Souls (explained another day, another article) can’t contend with the fact that we could be alone on this small speck of dust in the ocean of rocks, dust, energy and gas. So, we are almost convinced that amongst the gazillions of rocks out there, there would be another life form (and almost beyond count) and one day, like Independence Day or MIB, they will come to us (or perhaps they are already among us). Great Concept! Just needs proof. It’s quite possible that they are out there but they will become Aliens, only when they come to earth. Until conclusive proof is there, the concept of Aliens is only great for NASA adventures, Bezos/Branson space trips, Area 51 believers, Ripley, Ridley Scott and Hollywood producers (and they have made a killing with it). It is a bit like saying, “you are not alone” (remember Mikey “Moonwalk” Jackson).
After God and Aliens, Bitcoin is probably the biggest concept created by and for mankind. And, we have to thank Satoshi Nakamoto for it. It’s a different thing that like God and Aliens, it’s hard to know who Nakamoto is. And, perhaps that is the design of it! Like God and Aliens, Nakamoto could be anything and everything. Nakamoto is like Kobayashi in The Usual Suspects. And, what Nakamoto has created is either the biggest hoax or the most intelligent thing in the universe. It is either a digital Ponzi scheme or a genuine alternative for investors. It is a bit strange and suspect that the creation of Bitcoin was just around the GFC and a few months after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers. So, like humans who came up with the concept of God after dealing with the Predators, Nakamoto created Bitcoin post the fall of Lehman and the associated financial pandemic. And the text of the first block, “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks” perhaps, gives it away. The ultra-rich (or at least a section of it) believe that the current economic system is unsustainable, so like God, Gold, Platinum, Rubies and Diamond, a new asset had to be created. An asset which like God has many agents and self-appointed guardians but none who would take responsibility if “the shit hits the fan”. Bitcoin like Aliens is considered to be extremely volatile and like both God and Aliens, its believers want their flock to increase. The idea is to make this chain (block) so strong that even lobotomy would be of no use.
At a high level, trust, faith and belief are the only things which hold a concept together. Bitcoin at USD 46,000 (now) is on the verge of getting that critical mass, where its failure will not be accepted. Once that level is breached, its creators can sit back, relax and watch the game (like Gods and Aliens). As the toiler (or toilet) class of the world will vie for a piece of this cryptic currency, Nakamoto will say:
Bitcoin is risen!
It has risen indeed!
