According to Blockstream founder and cypherpunk, Adam Back, Hal Finneys $10 million price point for bitcoin isnt so far fetched, though, the reasons behind these levels may not be as apparent as you may think.
When it comes to price predictions, crypto analysts often tout the most hyperbolic and over-inflated projections imaginable. From the more modest end of the spectrum at around $10,000, toward the virtually inconceivable heights of $10 million, valuations within this space can vary wildly.
Regardless, some augers of these seemingly aggrandized price points do sometimes offer a reasonable explanation to support them.
Currently circulating its way around the ecosystem are some of the earliest price predictions ever made, and per Back, they may well come to fruition.
Hal Finney is frequently praised as one of the most respected cypherpunks of all time. The late programmer is also among the list of presumed identities for Satoshi Nakamoto. Finney was involved in BTC from the get-go. He was the first known recipient of bitcoinand a fervent contributor to its algorithmic foundations.
Moreover, Finney was also responsible for the first-ever price predictions.
Merely a week after the mining of bitcoins genesis block, Finney opined that BTC could grasp a value of $10 million per coin. This hypothesis was basedas many BTC predictions are these dayson bitcoin becoming a de facto global payments system.
Finney wrote:
As an amusing thought experiment, imagine that Bitcoin is successful and becomes the dominant payment system in use throughout the world. Then the total value of all the currency should be equal to the total value of all the wealth in the world.
Finney went on to suggest that throwing a few cents of compute time was actually quite a good bet. As we all know, he wasnt wrong. In 2010, mining one BTC block would have netted a cool 50 BTC for virtual pennies. Today, 50 BTC fetches a princely sum of around $400,000.
But as for bitcoin becoming a quasi global standard of exchange, the jury is still very much out.
In defense of his fellow cypherpunk, Adam Beck vindicated Finneys prediction. Rather than place too much emphasis on a monetary revolution, the Blockstream CEO instead focused on inflation of the dollar. According to Back, as the greenback steadily depreciates due to inflation, bitcoin willby contrastcontinue to grow, thus increasing its price point against USD.
Back continued to rationalize the prediction by remarking how a few years ago $10k looked insurmountable:
$100k Bitcoin doesnt seem so far given we already crossed $10k threshold a few times when few expected even $1k some years back and $10k seemed crazy.
So, while bitcoins climb atop the financial system may take a few years to materialize, in the meantime, we can look forward to steady fiat devaluation providing a better ROI.
This article was edited by Sam Bourgi.
Last modified: January 13, 2020 2:09 PM UTC
Read more:
Adam Back: $10 Million Bitcoin Prediction Is Closer Than It Sounds - CCN.com
- Bitcoin r/Bitcoin - reddit [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2017]
- Bitcoin Exchange Rate Bitcoin Live Converter Preev [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2017]
- The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin | WIRED [Last Updated On: November 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: November 17th, 2017]
- Bitcoin Crashes and Then Surges in Wild Weekend Action ... [Last Updated On: November 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: November 17th, 2017]
- WeUseCoins - Official Site [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2017]
- Bitcoin Price Index - Real-time Bitcoin Price Charts [Last Updated On: November 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: November 21st, 2017]
- Warning Signs About Another Giant Bitcoin Exchange [Last Updated On: November 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: November 23rd, 2017]
- Everything you need to know about Bitcoin mining [Last Updated On: November 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: November 23rd, 2017]
- Bitcoin hits $13,000: The rally is back, big time - Dec. 6 ... [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2017]
- SEC suspends trading of red-hot bitcoin stock - Dec. 19, 2017 [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2017]
- The Bitcoin Boom: In Code We Trust - The New York Times [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2017]
- Bitcoin Opacity Medium [Last Updated On: January 24th, 2018] [Originally Added On: January 24th, 2018]
- Bitcoin Forum - Index [Last Updated On: February 1st, 2018] [Originally Added On: February 1st, 2018]
- Mining - Bitcoin Wiki [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2018] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2018]
- Bitcoin Cash - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: February 17th, 2018] [Originally Added On: February 17th, 2018]
- Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index - Digiconomist [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2018] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2018]
- Paypal Files Patent for Expedited ... - news.bitcoin.com [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2018] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2018]
- Bitcoin - MarketWatch.com Topics [Last Updated On: March 12th, 2018] [Originally Added On: March 12th, 2018]
- What is Bitcoin? - Definition from WhatIs.com [Last Updated On: March 13th, 2018] [Originally Added On: March 13th, 2018]
- Bitcoin and Blockchain - Bloomberg [Last Updated On: March 13th, 2018] [Originally Added On: March 13th, 2018]
- Bitcoin (BTC) price: News & Live Chart - Trading Analysis ... [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2018] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2018]
- Will a 1099-B form work best for reporting bitcoin ... [Last Updated On: April 4th, 2018] [Originally Added On: April 4th, 2018]
- Must I pay tax this year if I transfer bitcoin from ... [Last Updated On: April 4th, 2018] [Originally Added On: April 4th, 2018]
- Standard Exchanges Bitcoin.com [Last Updated On: April 9th, 2018] [Originally Added On: April 9th, 2018]
- Bitcoin - Bitcoin Price Live, BTC Value, Mining, BTC to USD ... [Last Updated On: July 11th, 2018] [Originally Added On: July 11th, 2018]
- Things you need to know Bitcoin.com [Last Updated On: July 27th, 2018] [Originally Added On: July 27th, 2018]
- Bitcoin Dips Below $7,000, Hitting Lowest In 2 Weeks [Last Updated On: August 7th, 2018] [Originally Added On: August 7th, 2018]
- One Chart Explains Why You Should Own Bitcoin And Other ... [Last Updated On: August 12th, 2018] [Originally Added On: August 12th, 2018]
- XBT-Cboe Bitcoin Futures [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2018] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2018]
- CoinDesk - Leader in blockchain news. [Last Updated On: October 25th, 2018] [Originally Added On: October 25th, 2018]
- Bitcoincharts | Charts [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2018] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2018]
- Bitcoin (BTC) Price, Chart, Info | CoinGecko [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2018] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2018]
- Bitcoin Technical Analysis - FXStreet [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2018] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2018]
- Bitcoin Crypto-Economics Index Real-time Price Charts ... [Last Updated On: November 29th, 2018] [Originally Added On: November 29th, 2018]
- The Beginner's Guide To Bitcoin - Everything You Need To Know [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- Bitcoin | Definition, Mining, & Facts | Britannica.com [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- What Is Bitcoin? The Ultimate Beginners Guide To Bitcoin [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- XBT - Bitcoin rates, news, and tools - xe.com [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- Pay with Bitcoin Online | Use Bitcoin to Pay for Gold and ... [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- Bitcoin (BTC) for beginners - Coin Rivet guide to BTC [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- Bitcoin extends falls as selloff in crypto currencies ... [Last Updated On: December 2nd, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 2nd, 2018]
- Bitcoin - Investopedia - Sharper Insight. Smarter Investing. [Last Updated On: December 9th, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 9th, 2018]
- Bitcoin | Bitcoin Price | Bitcoin News | BTC | Info ... [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2018] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2018]
- Bitcoin Price Today - Live Bitcoin Value - Charts & Market ... [Last Updated On: January 6th, 2019] [Originally Added On: January 6th, 2019]
- News - Bitcoin News - Page 952 [Last Updated On: January 7th, 2019] [Originally Added On: January 7th, 2019]
- Bitcoin price | index, chart and news | WorldCoinIndex [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2019] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2019]
- Something Very Strange Is Going On With Bitcoin And BTC ... [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2019] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2019]
- Will Bitcoin hit $12000 by the end of the year? - Khaleej Times [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Bitcoins $1000 Breakaway CME Gap Demands Attention From Analysts - BeInCrypto [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Bitcoin Trending On Google Next To Call of Duty, Kanye West, and Rudy Giuliani - newsBTC [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- A Bitcoin Price In The Millions? But We Have To Wait A Decade - Bitcoinist [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- No Bitcoin Price Breakout for Another Year; Heres Why - newsBTC [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Bitcoin Price Back Over $10K Following 36% Gains on the Day - Cointelegraph [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- When Will Bitcoin Sidechains Send Ethereum, Ripple, And Other Crypto Prices To Zero? - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Why the Price of Bitcoin Has Jumped 25% in Four Days - Barron's [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Bitcoin Price Surges as Bitfinex Gets Chance to Recover $850M from Crypto Capital, VanEck Expert Believes - U.Today [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Bitcoin (BTC) Price Steadies Uptrend But Another Correction Likely - newsBTC [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Bitcoin and child pornography a connection we cannot tolerate - The Dallas Morning News [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Congressman Warns Bitcoin Is A Threat To The U.S. Dollar - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- The Bitcoin Halvening Is Coming - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- China Roundup: Xis power on bitcoin, the rise of Alibabas new rival - TechCrunch [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- This U.S. Congressman Thinks Bitcoin Will Have Enormous Value And Utility Over The Long Term - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Game Is On Again For Bitcoin, ETH, XRP, And XLM - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- These Are The Only 2 Major Crypto Assets Outperforming The Bitcoin Price This Year - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Stablecoins Are The New Bitcoin In Congress - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Bitcoin Has Crashed AgainWhat Now? - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Forget ChinaIs This The Real Reason Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, And Ripples XRP Bounced? - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- After Recovery To $10,000, Bitcoin Should Hit $100,000 In 2021 - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- A Former Bank Of England Governor Warned The 2008 Crash That Inspired Bitcoin Could Happen Again - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2019]
- Bitcoin Bears Are Still There When You Zoom Out, Warns Analyst - BeInCrypto [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- P2P Bitcoin Trading Volume in India Explodes Past All-Time High - BeInCrypto [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Exchange Tokens Have Outperformed BTC This Year - Bitcoin News [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Coffee for Crypto? ICE to Launch Bitcoin Consumer App with Starbucks - newsBTC [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Is Edward Snowden the Anonymous Bitcoin Time Traveler? - BeInCrypto [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Latest Bitcoin Cash price and analysis (BCH to USD) - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies had a very bad day - TechCrunch [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Bitcoin price prediction: China-induced surge will continue if cryptocurrency defies dreaded 'Death Cross' - The Independent [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Russia: Government Official Expects To Mine 20% Of The Worlds Bitcoin - Cointelegraph [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Bitcoin Exploded: What Now? - Forbes [Last Updated On: October 29th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 29th, 2019]
- Bitcoin Time-Traveller: Not Really From The Future, Shock! - Bitcoinist [Last Updated On: October 31st, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 31st, 2019]