Will money become obsolete in ten years? Elon Musk's latest prediction: Energy is the real currency.

Written by: Billy Bambrough, Forbes

Translated by: AididiaoJP, Foresight News

Since the beginning of this year, Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market have mostly been stagnant. Traders are on edge, constantly alert to the possibility of sudden severe shocks.

In February, Bitcoin's price briefly fell below $65,000, and then it entered a downward channel, struggling to recover. Even with Goldman Sachs' CEO recently stating that he has started to support Bitcoin's "ultimate catalyst," market sentiment did not quickly improve.

Currently, Bitcoin is accelerating towards a significant turning point that could be worth $27.9 trillion. At this crucial juncture, SpaceX and Tesla leader, billionaire Elon Musk, made a game-changing prediction: within just ten years, money will "no longer matter." This statement could have a profound impact on Bitcoin's price.

"By 2036, money will no longer matter," Musk said during an exclusive interview with Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist. The content of this interview was extensive, and he explicitly predicted that the world will transition to a state of "unbelievable abundance" in the next decade.

"What do you need money for?" Musk countered. This tech giant, who became the world's first trillionaire after SpaceX's listing on June 12 and currently has a net worth of around $700 billion, pointed out that robots will become widely used, and people's needs will be easily met; by then, all money will actually become worthless.

"You need money, don't you, to buy goods and services? Food, housing, transportation, entertainment; all of these require money," Musk explained. "But if the goods and services provided by robots and artificial intelligence exceed any human consumption limits, then what use is money?"

This prediction is not unfounded. Musk has previously emphasized that "energy is the real currency," which has sparked strong speculation among Bitcoin supporters—he may be quietly endorsing this cryptocurrency. In fact, his two core companies hold significant Bitcoin reserves: SpaceX holds 18,712 coins, and Tesla holds 11,509 coins.

"Energy is the real currency," Musk responded on the X platform to an account named beffjezos. The other party stated: "If you understand money as a proxy for expected free energy, then artificial intelligence is simply an infinite money-printing machine."

Based on the current price of Bitcoin at approximately $65,000, the combined Bitcoin holdings of SpaceX and Tesla are close to $2 billion.

Last October, Musk further clarified his stance on X: "Bitcoin is based on energy. You can issue fake fiat currencies; every government in history has done so, but energy cannot be faked." He also acknowledged that the "global arms race" towards artificial intelligence is a significant reason for the concurrent rise in the prices of gold, silver, and Bitcoin in recent years.

However, since then, Bitcoin's price has seen a notable decline. Nevertheless, some believe that the bottom has been confirmed, and a rebound could start at any time.

Bitcoin's security mechanism relies on a network of miners—these miners use powerful computing power to validate transactions in exchange for newly issued Bitcoins. The entire network consumes an amount of electricity comparable to that of some small countries, and as prices rise and more miners join, energy demand continues to climb. This coincides precisely with Musk’s logic of "energy as currency."

Musk's enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies has cooled compared to the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he has not completely withdrawn. He continues to express support for Bitcoin and has frequently mentioned his "favorite" cryptocurrency—Dogecoin.

After leaving White House affairs, Musk candidly stated that his "American Party" would prefer Bitcoin over the dollar. In his view, the dollar and other government-issued debt-based fiat currencies are all "hopeless."

As Bitcoin's price remains low and market sentiment is cautious, Musk's prediction of "money becoming obsolete" in 2036 is like a stone thrown into a calm pond, creating ripples. Regardless of whether this vision ultimately comes to fruition, it once again brings Bitcoin into the spotlight—in a potentially prosperous era dominated by robots and AI, the true anchor of value may no longer be traditional fiat currency but digital assets deeply tied to energy.