Bitcoin, the digital currency invented by the mysterious figure Satoshi Nakamoto, has now become one of the largest assets in the world. Its value has skyrocketed from just a few cents to today’s $116,000, even reaching $123,000 at one point. However, behind this astonishing growth, a forgotten prophecy is quietly becoming a reality. Fifteen years ago, when the price of Bitcoin was only $0.07, Satoshi predicted, “The utility of Bitcoin will exceed its electricity consumption.” Today, this prophecy not only proves Bitcoin's resilience but also overturns long-standing doubts about its energy consumption, revealing the deeper reasons for Bitcoin's continued success.
- Satoshi's "Divine Prediction": Utility Exceeds Electricity Costs
On August 7, 2010, Satoshi left a message on the BitcoinTalk forum: “The transaction utility brought by Bitcoin will far exceed the electricity costs. Therefore, not having Bitcoin would be a net waste.”
Prediction Comes True: Today, 15 years later, the price of Bitcoin has soared from $0.07 to $116,000, an increase of a million times. Its functions in global transactions, investments, hedging, and value storage have long surpassed the electricity costs required for its operation.
Overturning Energy Consumption Debate: For a long time, the issue of Bitcoin's energy consumption has been controversial. However, Satoshi's prediction points out that the key lies in the “utility” it brings. As Bitcoin is increasingly used for cross-border payments, value transfers, combating inflation, and is viewed by institutions and governments as a strategic reserve asset, the economic and social value it generates increasingly proves the rationality of its energy consumption.
- Bitcoin Continues to Lead: Ignoring Global Uncertainty, Hedging Traditional Financial Risks
Despite recent fluctuations in the global market due to Trump's tariff frenzy and the U.S. delaying interest rate cuts, Bitcoin has shown remarkable resilience.
Positive Response to ECB Rate Cuts: Following the Bank of England's announcement of a 25 basis point rate cut to 4.00%, Bitcoin's price reacted positively, rising to a weekly high, surpassing $116,000, while Ethereum's price also climbed to $3,800. This indicates Bitcoin's sensitivity to loose monetary policies and its role as a tool for hedging traditional financial risks.
Outperforming All Major Assets: Despite recent market declines, Bitcoin remains the best-performing major asset over the past two years, surpassing gold, stocks, Ethereum, and crude oil. From July 2023 to July 2025, Bitcoin's price increased by an astonishing 301.7%, more than quadrupling, solidifying its position as the best-performing major asset class.
Adoption by Institutions and Governments: Demand for Bitcoin has shifted from individual investors to institutions and then to governments, with many countries, including the U.S., working to establish strategic Bitcoin reserves. This further solidifies Bitcoin's value foundation.
- XRP and the "Hypocrisy" of Banks: Satoshi Once Called RipplePay "Interesting"
While Bitcoin continues to lead, the XRP community has seized the opportunity to refute criticisms of it being a "banker's coin" and cited Satoshi's views on RipplePay.
Satoshi and RipplePay: In 2009, in response to a question from software developer Mike Hearn, Satoshi mentioned that "Ripple" was an interesting idea, praising the project's focus on decentralization. However, at that time, neither XRP nor Ripple existed; Satoshi was referring to the early peer-to-peer credit system RipplePay developed by Ryan Fugger in 2004.
The Irony of "Banker's Coin": Mickle criticized the label many use to attack XRP, calling it "the currency of bankers" to criticize its association with banks. Mickle believes that if you look at how Bitcoin supporters actively promote bank adoption, you will find this criticism to be hypocritical.
Traditional Finance Embraces Bitcoin: Banks such as BNY Mellon, State Street, JPMorgan, and Citibank have all entered the Bitcoin market, offering custody, blockchain-based settlement, and crypto payment services. This proves that traditional finance is more welcoming to Bitcoin than ever, yet for some reason, Bitcoin is still associated with XRP and the banking industry.
- The Game of Corporate Control vs. Self-Custody
Mickle also discussed the claim that XRP is overly controlled by corporations and pointed out that some Bitcoin supporters encourage users to rely on banks to hold Bitcoin instead of self-custodying their keys.
Saylor's Shift: Bitcoin advocate and strategic chairman Michael Saylor once opposed self-custody, stating that users should trust large banks. After facing strong opposition, Saylor ultimately changed his stance.
Corporate Entities Entering the Scene: Currently, about 218 private and public companies hold over 1.25 million BTC, valued at nearly $143 billion. This indicates that corporate entities are continuously entering the Bitcoin market and exerting control over it.
Conclusion:
Satoshi's prophecy from 15 years ago is becoming a reality in astonishing ways, proving that Bitcoin's utility far exceeds its electricity consumption and continues to outperform traditional financial assets. Against the backdrop of ignoring global uncertainty and actively responding to traditional financial rate cuts, Bitcoin is increasingly solidifying its status as "digital gold." Meanwhile, the controversies surrounding XRP and banks, as well as the game between corporate control and self-custody, reveal the complex challenges and deep contradictions faced by the cryptocurrency market as it moves toward the mainstream.
Related Reading: Satoshi's Statue Sinks to the Bottom of the Lake, Revealing the Anxiety of "Europe's Crypto Capital"
Original Article: “Satoshi's 15-Year-Old Prediction Comes True! Bitcoin's Value Soars a Millionfold, Energy Consumption Debate Shattered”
免责声明：本文章仅代表作者个人观点，不代表本平台的立场和观点。本文章仅供信息分享，不构成对任何人的任何投资建议。用户与作者之间的任何争议，与本平台无关。如网页中刊载的文章或图片涉及侵权，请提供相关的权利证明和身份证明发送邮件到support@aicoin.com，本平台相关工作人员将会进行核查。
