Bitcoin will be forgotten. The most advanced and disruptive financial technology we’ve ever seen will ultimately change the world, become boring, and then fade from our thoughts.

What? How dare you say such things. That is heresy. Bitcoin is the future. You must hate bitcoin. I bet you are going to pitch me some new shitcoin? Have fun staying poor, boomer!

Actually, I love bitcoin. There is no bigger proponent than me. But, not only do I believe bitcoin will be relegated to the corner of the basement of human attention, with all the cobwebs, I believe that will also be the best thing to ever happen to bitcoin.

How could something as big as bitcoin be forgotten? 

It seems to be everywhere, and only gaining popularity. Many love it, many hate it, many are attempting to figure it out and define it. Some believe it will become the world’s reserve currency. Quite a few wait for it to collapse in glorious fashion. We all seem to have supercharged opinions about this new thing.

To realize how this incredible new innovation will ultimately become a faint memory, you must first understand what bitcoin is and what it is not. You must understand its strengths and weaknesses. You must first understand how much you don’t understand about this thing you proclaim to know.

We have been witness to bitcoin’s discovery and explosion over the past 13 years. People have studied it, bought it, sold it, hated it, loved it, banned it, and tried to kill it. Yet it remains. Growing ever stronger and more secure with each passing block added to the chain. Bitcoin is the most neutral, yet powerful, presence we have ever seen. It is one of the most influential things to have ever been discovered. Absolutely not boring… yet.

We proclaim bitcoin is the hardest money to ever exist. We say bitcoin is the best currency the world has ever seen. And Bitcoin is the most scarce asset - therefore the best store of value in the known world! It will be a part of the global economy forever! We are confident in these claims.

One of my theories is that we have placed bitcoin in a box, so to speak. We have tried to categorize it. Whether out of fear, lack of understanding, or some other basic instinct, we attempted to make it familiar. We have compared it to what is known, squeezed it into that familiar box, and proudly placed our label on it. "Hello. My name is bitcoin. I am sound money, a stable currency, and an excellent store of value". Know that these labels are based on our limited understanding and based only on comparison to the things of the past.

So how can this amazing innovation, labels or not, ever be forgotten?

What if I had told you, back in 1995, that we would soon have a way of connecting everyone in the world, all at the same time, instantaneously, regardless of distance? What if I told you back then that everyone would soon hold a magic device in their hand, that would have more computing power than an early model NASA supercomputer?

This device would be relatively small, lightweight, inexpensive, sometimes free, and it could do many things to make your life better. It would not be plugged into anything, but it would be plugged into everything. It could make unlimited phone calls for free, take high resolution pictures better than existing cameras, send money over the air, sell your house to someone in a different state that you’ve never met, get a loan from a bank you have never set foot in, store gigabytes of data, check the weather, remind you to call your mom on her birthday, connect with a friend you have not seen in 10 years, make your car payment, provide your exact location anywhere on earth, and even send for a stranger to pick you up at 2am in a foreign city. This device would be considered normal, common, and ordinary, not worthy of much thought.

Would anyone from 1995 believe me? Probably not. 

Most would call me crazy. And the few that might take the time to listen would undoubtedly have strong reservations. Those reservations would be reasonable and justified. Why? Because this thing did not exist yet. At that point in time it was beyond comprehension or imagination. Yet here we are, smartphones are an everyday part of our society. In less than 20 years they went from nonexistent, to incredible, to common. It is important to consider that everything is impossible until someone does it.

Evaluate another world-changing technology - the internet. Back in the early 90’s, you would fail horribly trying to explain the internet of today to someone. It went from nonexistent, to amazing, to a basic utility. It effortlessly handles nearly all of our communication and is used by the vast majority of the population. I can remember when there were heated debates, arguments, and even congressional hearings on what should be done about the internet. Many tried their best to control it or kill it completely. They failed and the internet flourished. In fact, it exploded. Everyone was talking about it and telling their friends about what they had seen online. It gradually became a part of our lives. Today we use it for everything, and we don’t even think it is special. All of its early excitement is now just a faint memory.

This all feels eerily familiar when we are looking at bitcoin. We are incapable of seeing everything that will be built on this network. Like the internet, bitcoin is truly a base layer technology! But boring? No. Easily forgotten? No.

The internet and smartphones are an inseparable part of our lives. We have forgotten just how amazing they are, they are taken for granted. Even small children can utilize them efficiently. Imagine a child, in 1985, having access to a NASA supercomputer. They would have no idea what to do with it. It would be nothing more than something to climb on top of so they could then jump off. A very expensive jungle gym.

I would predict we have not yet seen the peak of the internet or the smartphone. Would you be surprised if a new app was released tomorrow that gave you some new ability you didn’t even know you needed (or was even possible)? If it provided utility, you would probably adopt it and move on.

The applications that will be built on top of the bitcoin network are, as of today, unimaginable. Humans like things that are familiar and comfortable. We try to put new things into a familiar box that we can recognize, and then we like to put a label on that box.

Are you beginning to make the connection on how Bitcoin becomes forgotten? 

Is it possible that every financial transaction will be settled, secured, verified, and stored on the bitcoin network? Is it possible that the bitcoin network, because of its security, also secures other personal information? Medical records, driving records, property records, diplomas, birth certificates… anything that needs to be accessible but secure. Is it possible that the bitcoin network will open new doors we thought impossible? Is it possible bitcoin will show us a newer and improved version of the door itself? 

I would say all of this is not only possible, but probable. Very exciting times ahead! But all of this seems to be the opposite of boring and forgettable…

My theory is that, not only will bitcoin still be around in 20 years, it will be used in conjunction with, and with the same frequency, as the internet and smartphones. Integration with our daily lives will become seamless. It will be like the most common of things because we will use it for everything. Thus bitcoin will slowly begin to fade from our thoughts.

In the near future bitcoin will no longer be this new and amazing thing everyone is talking about. It will become a necessity, a utility. It will be the base layer of our global financial system, but it will be running behind the scenes. It will store, protect, and move our money with such ease and dependability that we will take it for granted. 

Everyone will have it and everyone will use it. Even children will be using the Lightning Network to buy the latest app or game on their smartphone. It will be as common as the paper money you are so accustomed to today — but so much better. No one will be talking about it. No one will be trying to convince their friends and family to buy some. It will simply exist, used by everyone, always in the background, doing what it does best — being sound money. It will secure and protect our most valuable things, block after block, with unwavering dependability. 

Today, Bitcoin is beyond exciting. People feel compelled to talk about it. To debate and argue. To educate others. And to try to kill it. These engagements will only increase our understanding and further cement its durability. Once society finally understands and recognizes bitcoin’s full potential, it will not only be embraced but impressed on every aspect of our lives.

In 20 years we will have access to new and exciting services that don’t exist today. They will be built on the most secure and most decentralized network in history. They will be able to exist in the future because bitcoin exists today. Flash forward a few more years, and those new things will themselves be common and taken for granted.

The better we understand bitcoin the more we will be able to accomplish with it. It is our tool, our key, our foundation for building the next chapters of our future. 

Everything will capitulate to bitcoin because it is better technology. One new app will lead to another. Each new layer creates further distance between bitcoin and our thoughts. It gets buried deeper and deeper below the surface. This is the natural progression of a base layer technology.

Bitcoin is very different from anything we have ever seen. It is not controlled by anyone. It is not a company. It has no president, no board of directors, no employees, and no marketing department. There is no one actively tasked with promoting bitcoin. No ads or commercials to make sure bitcoin stays fresh in your mind.

The lack of advertising will play a role, but the nail in bitcoin’s coffin as something that will fade from our thoughts comes from its greatest strength — that it will not change.

Bitcoin is dependable and consistent. Boringly so. It is the same yesterday as it is today, and as it will be in the future. Forever. Block after block. It cannot be killed. Attacks only make it stronger. It just works. This is its true strength.

It is so dependable we are not required to think or worry about it, which will lead to it becoming boring. The buzz will be lost, which will lead to us forgetting about it. All of the excitement of today, the talks, the debates, the arguments, the videos, the podcasts, the wars … it will all become distant memories.

Bitcoin will be woven into our lives on a base level — like electricity, smartphones, and the internet. It will be integrated into everything. Since bitcoin requires no fancy commercials, recognition, or fanfare, it will slowly fade from the forefront. Bitcoin will gladly step aside and give way to everything else we need to build on its rock solid foundation.

Technology is an interesting thing. Mind-blowing one day and dull the next. It goes from being impossible, to controversial, to life-altering, to the back of our minds. And so will bitcoin.

Bitcoin will become a part of everything. It will be the most vital railway of commerce, the foundation to our daily financial lives, and so boringly dependable that it will ultimately be forgotten.

What a great day that will be for bitcoin.