Recently social media postsElon Musk opines that energy is the true currency.
Bitcoiners have treated this view as an endorsement of the leading cryptocurrency, as it justifies the core philosophy of proof-of-work money.
They see Musk's post as an indirect acknowledgment that Bitcoin is a better form of currency than fiat currency, as it is literally tied to energy consumption.
Musk clearly supports Bitcoin
As reported by U.Today, the centibillionaire explained this philosophy in more detail during a podcast appearance about three weeks ago.
Musk explicitly linked his “energy is currency” concept to Bitcoin. He praised Bitcoin's ties to energy, noting that unlike Bitcoin, it cannot simply be “legislated” or printed more energy.
He argued that civilizational progress should be measured by energy proficiency (Kardashev scale).
At the same time, Musk predicted that money itself would eventually become obsolete. He believes that AI and robotics will create a post-scarcity world.
complicated view
In 2021, Tesla purchased $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and accepted it as payment.
However, the company had to change its policy to select BTC as a payment method a few weeks later.
Musk was unable to reconcile Tesla's focus on sustainable energy with Bitcoin's heavy reliance on coal-fired mining at the time.
Most of the Bitcoin mining was concentrated in China's Xinjiang province, which was heavily dependent on coal.
Between 2021 and 2025, the “facts on the ground” have changed, allowing Musk to adjust his views without looking like a hypocrite.
China banned crypto mining in mid-2021, forcing miners to move to places like Texas (wind and solar) and Iceland (geothermal).
A report from the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance confirms that Bitcoin mining will exceed the 50% sustainable energy standard by 2025.
