Bitcoin's Price is Important
A few days ago @TNStacker posted a link to an article discussing technical analysis of bitcoin's price. I responded in a typical maxi way that said, in essence, who cares about price?
In retrospect, I was wrong.
Bitcoin's price does matter.
It is a badge of honor in the bitcoin community to say some variation of the following:
- I don't care about the price of bitcoin.
- Price is the least interesting thing about bitcoin.
- 1 bitcoin = 1 bitcoin.
Just about every person I look up to in the bitcoin world believes that the price of bitcoin is not that important, or at least says so publicly. I embraced this notion myself.
I no longer agree.
Price is the measure of value in our society, no matter how inaccurate, misguided or manipulated it might be at any point in time.
The US dollar is the global measure of price. This is a fact, regardless of what we say or want to believe. I have no doubt value will be measured in bitcoin at some point, but that is not the case now.
Bitcoin's price matters for many reasons. Here are a few:
Price appreciation speeds adoption
When bitcoin's price rises, it gets more attention, and becomes more widely known among no-coiners. This is true for individuals, corporations, and nations.
I'm willing to bet that virtually all of today's maxis started as NGU newbies. I know I did.
Price dumps are a mixed bag.
Price decreases spread FUD, slowing adoption and scaring off those who haven't completely digested their orange pill.
Similarly, institutions having to live in a world of quarterly reports and shareholder meetings are often prevented from buying bitcoin because of these price swings.
Price is also critical to nation state adoption. The value of a country's treasury can soar or be decimated overnight, and its citizens will find it difficult to budget for household expenses so long as extreme price volatility is commonplace.
On the other hand, price dumps allow newly converted maxis to play a little catch up to the OG hodlers.
I know that's how I felt about the past year's bear market, for which I will be forever grateful.
Price increases cause things to get cheaper in bitcoin terms
Many bitcoiners are now living on a bitcoin standard. Price appreciation in US dollars makes this much easier. Bitcoiners get more goods and services for their sats, and merchants will be far more amenable to accepting bitcoin after hearing in the news about the latest "mooning."
Bitcoin's price is interesting
I don't believe the canard "price is the least interesting thing about bitcoin." It is certainly not the most interesting thing about bitcoin, but it's still interesting.
Price can reveal importance milestones on the road to hyperbitcoinization.
For example, we lately see a divergence between the price action of equities and bitcoin for the first time in a year or two. This helps gauge whether bitcoin is being perceived as a risk asset or a store of value.
Bitcoin's price can also serve as a more objective, reliable gauge of fiat inflation, rather than trusting ridiculously doctored government indexes.
Studying price action in the derivatives market can reveal market manipulation to artificially suppress the price of bitcoin, thereby repressing adoption. This "paper trading" has manipulated the gold market for half a century. Some prominent bitcoiners such as Willy Woo and Bitcoin TINA publicly changed long held beliefs about bitcoin as a result of price during this last bear market.
Price also determines market cap, which measures bitcoin's relative value compared to other assets, such as gold, US treasuries, oil, etc.
Conclusion
Bitcoin’s price has always mattered, and it will matter once we live in a bitcoin world. The US dollar has served as the world’s reserve currency for at least seventy five years, and its price has always mattered. Gold has served as a form of money for 5000 years, and its price has always mattered.
I think it's time for bitcoiners to stop virtue signalling by saying price isn't important