LAUNCH OF BITCOIN NETWORK IRELAND: AN OPEN LETTER ABOUT MONEY

A Chairde,

We are Bitcoin Network Ireland, a group of people from different backgrounds with a deeply held conviction that Bitcoin is an essential part of building a better future for Ireland and the wider world. We don’t represent any specific political ideology; however, we believe that decentralised money is a positive thing that everyone should support.

We hold the view that the money and financial systems we use today can be greatly improved. These matters are complex, and we hope you’ll take the time to read our detailed research and writing to understand some of the ways in which this can be done.

Fundamentally, we believe that the money we use has some important flaws. For many decades, the supply of this money has been rapidly increasing. More units of money in the economy leads to the value of each unit being diminished, which results generally in rising prices for essential goods and services such as food and energy. This makes it difficult for many people to make progress in their lives.

It is our view that recent trends, such as mounting national debts and widening wealth inequality, deserve far greater attention and scrutiny. It’s important for people to realise that the devaluation of money not only affects the purchasing power of their savings, but practically every aspect of their lives.

Price inflation for goods and services is just one obvious consequence of this debasement of the money, but there are others. As an example, we contend that it has also contributed to the current housing affordability crisis. Houses are for living in, but in recent years people have increasingly chosen to buy them as investments in order to protect the purchasing power of their savings. This has created price distortions in the market for housing and benefits some people at the expense of many others.

Bitcoin, with its fixed supply of units, offers a promising solution to the problem of excessive and inequitable money issuance, and we believe that it has the potential to become the universal currency of the future. We understand that many will dismiss these claims, but we make them with conviction and only after careful study.

Governments, central banks, and economists don’t appear to have convincing answers to address the growing debt problems we face. If left untackled, future generations will undoubtedly inherit the problem and suffer its consequences. It is clear that we need a fairer and more sustainable system to make provision for the longer term.

We know that there are misconceptions about Bitcoin, including concerns about its volatility and energy usage. Some may accuse us of acting out of self-interest; however, we will address these criticisms and engage in constructive debates based on logical arguments.

Despite the challenges faced, we are hopeful for the future and firmly believe that Bitcoin can help us address many problems in the financial system and society generally. It can align incentives for the benefit of everyone. Bitcoin offers a predictable supply of monetary units, is independent from politics, and cannot be censored. These characteristics have profound implications for human freedom and prosperity. We invite you to join us on this journey to educate and inform, which we seek to approach with humility, curiosity, and honesty.

Yours,
Bitcoin Network Ireland