Every Reason Bitcoin Could Fail — My answers based upon 14 years in Bitcoin

May 12, 2025
 

🎙️ Watch the full conversation between Simon Dixon and Bram Kanstein on Bitcoin Bram. If you’ve ever wondered what could break Bitcoin — and why it hasn’t — this is your essential breakdown.

 

Hey hey Bitcoin Wealth Builders,

If you’ve spent any time in Bitcoin, you’ve heard the same fears come up over and over. What if Satoshi dumps his coins? What about 51% attacks? Doesn’t price volatility make Bitcoin unusable? Isn’t it just another speculative gamble? And what about privacy? Regulation? Mining? Wealth concentration?

The truth is — these questions are valid. And I’ve been answering them for 14 years now.

That’s why I joined Bram Kanstein on his podcast, Bitcoin Bram, to go deep on all the reasons people think Bitcoin might fail — and explain why I still believe in it more than ever.

Let’s get into it.

 

Bitcoin Isn’t Crypto — And That’s the Point

One of the first distinctions we draw in the conversation is between Bitcoin and everything else. That’s not tribalism — it’s technical and monetary reality.

Bitcoin wasn’t built to be “Web3” or “DeFi” or “fast and cheap.” It was designed to solve one thing: monetary sovereignty. A decentralized, finite, censorship-resistant money that doesn’t rely on trust. That distinction matters when people compare it to other Blockchains. Most crypto assets chase features. Bitcoin defends principles.

 

Speculation Isn’t a Flaw — It’s the On-Ramp

Yes, people speculate on Bitcoin. Some treat it like a meme stock. But speculation isn’t the root of the system — it’s just the noisy surface. Underneath is a base layer of sound money, issued on a transparent, public, decentralised network. No boardroom. No backdoor. No bailouts.

We talk about the difference between price discovery and protocol security. Volatility isn’t pleasant, but it’s the growing pains of a scarce asset finding global value in real time.

 

What Gives Bitcoin Value?

It’s not a company. It has no cash flows. No CEO. So what gives Bitcoin value?

Credible monetary policy. Decentralised security. Global liquidity. And most importantly: immutability.

These aren’t speculative attributes — they’re the foundation of a trustless money system. In the interview, I explain why Bitcoin’s “value” is intrinsic to its structure, not dependent on external promises or institutional validation.

 

Can the Network Survive a Price Crash?

This comes up a lot. If the price crashes, won’t the miners turn off and the network collapse?

Short answer: No.

Bitcoin adjusts. That’s the brilliance of its difficulty algorithm. When hash rate drops, mining difficulty recalibrates. The incentives realign. And the network keeps ticking. Bitcoin isn’t held together by faith — it’s held together by game theory, math, and economic incentives.

Wealth Concentration & Mining Centralisation

Critics point to whales and mining pools as existential threats. But here’s what we unpack in the podcast: the difference between concentration of coins and concentration of control.

Owning Bitcoin doesn’t give you special permissions. You can’t print more. You can’t rewrite the chain. That’s what makes it different from fiat or equities. Mining centralisation is a valid concern — but it’s also a dynamic one. Energy markets, political jurisdictions, and technological shifts constantly reshape who mines and where.

 

What If Satoshi Moves His Coins?

One of the most common FUD points — and one of the most overblown.

Would it spook markets? Sure, in the short term. But fundamentally, it changes nothing. Bitcoin’s protocol doesn’t care who Satoshi is. And if anything, a move from those coins would finally close that chapter and force people to deal with the network as it stands: decentralised, leaderless, unkillable.

 

What About a 51% Attack?

A 51% attack sounds scary — but most people misunderstand it. It’s not a death sentence for Bitcoin. It’s a potential for short-term disruption, not permanent damage.

In the episode, I break down how a 51% attacker could reorder transactions, but not steal coins, not print Bitcoin, not change the rules. And the cost of sustaining such an attack becomes economically suicidal the longer it goes on. The more valuable Bitcoin becomes, the harder it is to attack.

 

Privacy, Regulation & Real-World Friction

Is Bitcoin private enough? Can governments shut it down? These are real concerns. But as we explore in the conversation, Bitcoin isn’t a magic bullet — it’s a base layer.

Privacy tools are growing. Layer 2 solutions are evolving. And while regulatory pressure is real for companies, Bitcoin's decentralised design makes it adaptable and resistant in ways legacy systems are not.

Bitcoin doesn’t guarantee freedom. It gives you the tools to build it.

 

Final Thoughts: Resilient by Design

This podcast wasn’t about dunking on critics or pretending Bitcoin is flawless. It was about addressing every real concern — from the technical to the philosophical — and explaining why resilience is built into the system.

Bitcoin is not fragile. It’s not dependent on hype. It’s not vulnerable to the same structural failures we’ve seen in traditional finance or even in crypto more broadly.

It’s survived exchange hacks, hard forks, media hit pieces, coordinated bans, mining migrations, and more.

And it’s still here. Stronger. Clearer. Harder to ignore.

If you’ve ever doubted Bitcoin — or you just want to understand it more deeply — this is the episode that covers everything.

Watch it. Share it. Challenge it. Then look again at what we’re building.

 

Peace. Love. Unity. Bitcoin.

Simon Dixon



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⚠️ Disclaimer

This blog and the embedded podcast interview are for informational and educational purposes only. They reflect personal opinions expressed by Simon Dixon during a recorded conversation with Bram Kanstein on the Bitcoin Bram podcast, originally aired on May 12, 2025.

Nothing shared in this content constitutes or should be interpreted as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Bitcoin and other digital assets involve significant risk and may not be suitable for all individuals. Readers are strongly encouraged to perform their own research and consult with licensed professionals before making any financial decisions.

The discussion includes speculative topics, including the risks of 51% attacks, network vulnerabilities, market volatility, and privacy limitations. These scenarios are presented for analysis, not as predictions or guarantees.

Any references to individuals, institutions, or third-party platforms are for context only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. The views expressed are those of the participants and do not represent the official positions of any company or financial entity.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI tools for structure, clarity, and editorial support. All final viewpoints and responsibility remain with Simon Dixon.