08/31/2020
Advantages of Using Bitcoin
1. Greater Liquidity Relative to Other Cryptocurrencies
As the most popular cryptocurrency by a significant margin, Bitcoin has far greater liquidity than its peers. This allows users to retain most of its inherent value when converting to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar and euro. By contrast, most other cryptocurrencies either can’t be exchanged directly for fiat currencies or lose substantial value during such exchanges.
In this regard, Bitcoin is more like fiat currencies than most other cryptocurrencies – though it’s not yet possible to buy and sell Bitcoin in virtually any quantity at any time, as is the case with the U.S. dollar and other major world currencies.
2. Increasingly Wide Acceptance as a Payment Method
Hundreds of merchants accept Bitcoin payments. Thanks to heavyweights like Overstock.com jumping on board, it’s possible to buy virtually any physical item using Bitcoin units. If you’re serious about reducing your exposure to fiat currencies, Bitcoin’s growing mainstream acceptance is likely to be a big help.
3. International Transactions Easier Than Regular Currencies
Bitcoin transactions that cross international borders are no different from Bitcoin transactions that stay in-country. There aren’t any international transaction fees or red tape to navigate, as is often the case with credit card payments, ATM cash withdrawals, and international money transfers. International credit card and ATM fees can range up to 3% of transaction value, and sometimes higher, while money transfer fees can be as high as 15%.
While most other cryptocurrencies lack international red tape, cross-border Bitcoin transactions are easier simply because Bitcoin is more popular around the world.
4. Generally Lower Transaction Fees
Compared to other digital payment methods, such as credit cards and PayPal, Bitcoin comes with lower transaction fees. Though such fees are variable, it’s rare for a Bitcoin transaction to cost more than 1% of its value. Compare that to 2% to 3% for most other digital payments.
5. Anonymity and Privacy Relative to Traditional Currencies
Holding U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies in an online bank account, or executing online credit card and PayPal transactions, doesn’t protect your privacy any more than physically handing cash or a credit card across the shop counter. Though your online accounts are hopefully protected from all but the most sophisticated hack attacks, they’re clearly associated with you – meaning private merchants and public authorities can track how you spend and receive your electronic funds.
By contrast, Bitcoin’s built-in privacy protections allow users to completely separate their Bitcoin accounts from their public personas, if they so choose. While it’s possible to track Bitcoin flows between users, it’s very difficult to figure out who those users really are.
6. Independence From Political Agents and Creators
Since Bitcoin isn’t created or controlled by any state entity, such as a central bank, it’s not beholden to political influence. Since it exists outside any political system, it’s also much harder for governments to freeze or seize Bitcoin units, whether in the course of legitimate criminal investigations or as retribution for political acts, as is often the case in repressive states like Russia and China.
Due to its completely decentralized nature, popularity, and liquidity, Bitcoin is also unbeholden to its creators. Many less popular cryptocurrencies are characterized by concentrated holdings – the majority of existing units are held in a handful of accounts. This allows the currencies’ creators to manipulate supply and, to an extent, value relative to other cryptocurrencies, negatively impacting other holders.
7. Built-In Scarcity
Bitcoin’s built-in scarcity feature – only 21 million will ever exist – is likely to support its long-term value against traditional currencies, as well as non-scarce cryptocurrencies (such as Dogecoin, a popular Bitcoin alternative). In a way, Bitcoin’s scarcity imbues the currency with intrinsic value – similar to gold and other precious metals.
Most traditional (fiat) currencies controlled by national governments are non-scarce. Central banks can create new units of currency at will, and often do – for example, the U.S. Federal Reserve began a program of quantitative easing that created trillions of dollars in the aftermath of the late-2000s global financial crisis. Though the long-term effects of such policies are unclear, they make many economists uneasy.
