40 Years of Work for $100,000

Currently, 3.125 Bitcoin are mined and added to the outstanding total circulating supply of Bitcoin every time a block is mined (roughly 10 minutes). As a reminder, this newly mined Bitcoin is a portion of the 21 million Bitcoin that can ever come into existence, not extra Bitcoin being added to that cap. Currently, that means that roughly 450 Bitcoin are being mined every day assuming that each block takes 10 minutes to mine. The miners are key contributors to the Bitcoin Network and are pivotal to ensuring that transactions are processed block after block.

The Bitcoin Network is the largest computer network in the world. It has the largest total computational power of any computer network in the world and its hashrate, the speed at which the mining machines complete cryptographic calculations needed to validate transactions and add new blocks, is continually reaching all-time highs as more and more resources, capital, and focus is being added to the network. This means the Bitcoin Network is magnitudes larger than the combined size of the clouds that companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, have built.

The Bitcoin Network also operates under a system that automatically cuts the mining reward in half after 210,000 blocks are mined. Mining 210,000 blocks takes roughly 4 years and the most recent halving occurred in April of 2024 where we saw the mining reward move from 6.25 Bitcoin to 3.125 Bitcoin. Projecting this forward to multiple halvings down the road, the mining reward will become fractions of what it is now and will exist in that state for years with the expected last issuance of new Bitcoin as a reward to occur sometime around the year 2140. The linked Tweet below shows a visual display of each halving.

This system of dividing the mining reward by half every 4 years means that the time it will take to mine the last Bitcoin is equivalent to 40 years.

Restated in a simpler way: the largest computer network in the world will work 40 years for 1 Bitcoin.

Restated again with perspective from today: Owning 1 Bitcoin, roughly $95,000, is equivalent to possessing 40 years of nonstop work performed by the largest computer network in the world.

With this perspective, the only logical conclusion one can make is they must do anything they can to continue acquiring as much Bitcoin as they can. With this perspective, it is clear to see that every piece of Bitcoin you own has its equivalency in future work that will be done. With this perspective, it’s quite easy to show that owning Bitcoin is a path to preserving your time and freeing you from the demands of toiling through unfulfilling or cumbersome work because the Bitcoin itself is already a proof of the work that was done.

Think of yourself and your life. Think of those around you. Think of the careers you have had and the careers of those around you. Think of all of the time you have spent working. Now reflect on if that time spent working was worth it or if it was a means to an end so that you could ultimately build the life you wanted to live. Think about the norm of a “work” society. This is a society where 40 years of working takes you from a fresh member of the workforce to the doorstep of retirement.

1 Bitcoin lets you possess the outcome of 40 years of nonstop work all while giving you the freedom to live your life.

1 Bitcoin, currently just under $100,000, lets you possess 40 years of work.

Obviously, the market is still in its infancy and is nowhere near reflecting the outcome of 40 years of work performed by the largest computer network in the world from a price perspective, but the analogy and perspective provided are true. In less than a century, less than 3 generations away, humanity will be living in a world where it takes 40 years to mine the last full Bitcoin. By then, and ultimately much sooner, I expect the value of the work being done to be reflected at its market rate.

Bitcoin is not only a savings technology, it is a time machine that lets you escape from a requirement of 40 years of work because it has already done the work for you.

For less than $100,000 you can wield the power to teleport 40 years of work into your possession.

Stack SATs.

The views and opinions expressed here are for entertainment purposes only and should, in no way, be interpreted as financial or investment advice. Always conduct your own research when making an investment or trading decision, as each such move involves risk. I am not a financial advisor and do not claim to be qualified to convey information or advice that a registered financial advisor would convey to clients as guidance. Nothing contained in this e-mail/article constitutes, or shall be construed as, an offering of financial instruments, investment advice, or recommendations of an investment strategy. If you are seeking financial advice, find a professional who is right for you.