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41 sats \ 5 replies \ @kepford OP 30 Aug 2023 \ parent \ on: Does Bitcoin have any negative tradeoffs or is it just all positive? bitcoin
I don't see that as something bitcoin is creating, quite the opposite. Many including me see bitcoin as an opportunity for those in poor nations. A life raft. They are already screwed by fiat and oppression. Bitcoin is a net positive IMO. Also the lack of energy is a key issue in poor nations and it seems to few in the developed world care about this. They are oppressed with reducing energy usage when it is the key to humans thriving.
Apologies - not sure if I was clear in my thoughts. It’s not that Bitcoin is creating the problem it’s just that people need access to cheap electricity, internet and devices to utilise it. Access to those is the trade off.
As an example Kerosene is still a key source of light in sub-Saharan Africa - the benefits of the existing system (cheap, portable, storable) with its significant health risks outweigh the availability of a healthier technology with its initial and ongoing costs.
A life raft is only a life raft if you are able to climb aboard.
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I see. On this note, Gridless is doing interesting things in relation to access to energy.
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Absolutely - supplemental energy to towns etc from their mining I think?
Estimates are that 1 billion people do not have access to electricity.
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Indeed, without electricity and communication access, Bitcoin is useless.
Yes, there are offline solutions, but also those, some time needs access to "unload" online what they charged offline. and is not so handy.
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agreed
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