For whatever reason, Bitcoin was mentioned in a series of events recently that forced me to take a hard look at it (before the price explosion).
Now that I understand it a lot more than in 2013, I find it fascinating... like who really created it (Satoshi Nakamoto, the CIA, an alien species?), to the blockchain (when trying to explain this, people look at me like I'm a 3-headed monster), to the projected future value of it ($0 or $1,000,000), just to name a few examples.
Although some still say it's the Mark of the Beast, I would like to take a stronger, less fear-based approach and say that it could very well save our a##es when the SHTF.
Governments don't like Bitcoin. It's as simple as that. Here is a 1:36 video of former President Barrack Obama basically referring to Bitcoin, and says unbreakable encryption is "bad for the children" and promotes terrorism. A Swiss bank account in our pockets he says? Yes, please!
I think the real reason why governments don't like it is that it competes with the central banks fiat currency, and also they can't control it. When governments lose control, they lose power. Bitcoin just may be the silver bullet that we all desperately need in these challenging times.
If you look at what the Indian government did to its people, you will understand how vile this act was where they devalued/demonetized the currency almost overnight. This left millions destitute. For the most part, the only people who retained their savings were the ones who had gold.
This is likely a test case, and that other governments will follow, including the U.S. government.
What would save "first world" countries if/when this occurs? Gold, silver, and Bitcoin, in my view.
I have urged friends and family to get some gold and silver, to protect their purchasing power when the 'powers that be' decide to make our paper notes and numbers on the screen worthless. Or if and when hyperinflation takes hold, hard assets like gold and silver will preserve purchasing power just like it has for thousands of years.
Now, I'm suggesting they buy Bitcoin.
This is new technology and it only has a eight year history. It is kind of mysterious; it exist everywhere but nowhere at the same time. But something tells me that everyone should be owning some. Yes, it could very well go to zero. But the upside potential for it (to me), far outweighs the downside risk.
Bitcoin at the time of this writing is $1800. It has made monstrous gains in the past few months and (although a pullback could happen) it could be $3000+ by the end of the year. The fact that you can transfer wealth around the world in a matter of minutes with no central bank getting in the way, and with little cost, certainly makes this the gold of the 21st century.
Original article written by me for the Steemit community - Image credit: http://blog.postofficeshop.co.uk/bitcoin/