Outmatched

In reality, nothing is ever equal. We often assume equality for progress’ sake, but the real world never backs it up mathematically. Still, balanced opponents make for exciting matches so we seek equality again and again with sports seasons and on the cooperative side, with partnerships.

Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is a market leader. An all-star team. The most exciting technology to appear since the printing press. Like the internet itself, a man-made force of nature.

Bitcoin cares not who you are or where you live. It is identity-agnostic, dimensionally-blind and censorship-resistant. If there is an address (or hash), value can be sent to it. That value can be verified by anyone with a computer and internet connection and… as long as the math checks out, the value is there.

Contrast this freedom with Bitcoin’s primary counterpart by trade volume: US dollars. In paper form, dollars are a pain. Economically significant amounts require large vehicles or convoys to transport. Though more convenient, electronic payments are centrally controlled and economic censorship is common.

Is there perhaps a more equal form of value with which the proverbial Bitcoin enterprise can partner? One that can be transferred in an email or via web? One with similarly irreversible characteristics? One that can, like Bitcoin, be produced in the privacy of one’s home or business and sent to complete a trade?

Its result is the web link, the zipped file, the pull request, the tweet, the logo. Time spent cannot be reclaimed. It’s product can be transferred over any information channel or not at all. And yes, you can try it at home.

Do you see? The focus for so much around Bitcoin has been with an inferior partner. This currency’s most natural match in value transfer is labor.