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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Ism's more virtuous tenets.However, my response would be that this is an essential exercise—without separating the aspiration (the ism) from its adherents (the ists), it's impossible to evaluate what Bitcoin Maximalism encourages, either in theory or in practice.Still, should there be a gap between the ism and the ists, this piece will seek to correct it, offering a view on the principles that underlie Bitcoin Maximalism, one shaped by my years of studying crypto-isms (initially from a lens of skepticism).With that vantage, my assertion is most Bitcoin Maximalists are united in the following beliefs, which while challenging to the status quo, are ultimately positive for bitcoin users and humanity at large.1. A Commitment to Safeguarding Bitcoin for Future GenerationsBitcoin Maximalists believe that bitcoin is the lone global, digital alternative to state managed economies that, by virtue of its design, can withstand both government attack and centralization over time, and thus, it alone among monetary systems, has the opportunity to offer a truly neutral money in perpetuity.They therefore, above all, seek to preserve the future use of such a system by humanity.In this view, Bitcoin Maximalism's foremost goal is to help other users secure both the system itself (bitcoin) and the assets in its economy (bitcoins) for future use.Bitcoin Maximalists assume that we may have not yet seen the full scale of attacks that could disrupt or subvert the Bitcoin system, and that these attacks may increase over time. They accept that we do not have all the answers about how bitcoin works or will work, and seek to develop this understanding through research, dialogue, and debate.They believe cryptocurrencies with a lower likelihood of standing this test of time should be criticized and their distinction from bitcoin made clear.2. A Commitment to Running the Bitcoin SoftwareBitcoin Maximalists believe that the defining feature of the bitcoin economy is the ability of all users to audit its money supply and history of transactions by running software.They, therefore, run and encourage others to run the Bitcoin software, believing that it is the operation of the software (not simply the ownership of the asset) that is key to both its decentralization, keeping the network free from fraud.As such, they seek to make it easier for Bitcoin users to run the software, creating tools and programs that ease the barrier to entry.Bitcoin Maximalists also question cryptocurrencies whose networks have a low number of software users, or that impose high barriers to running the software.They assert that cryptocurrencies that do so should be criticized for this issue, and their distinction from bitcoin should be made clear.3. A Commitment to Slow Software Changes and Enfranchising UsersBitcoin Maximalists see Bitcoin as the product of decades of failed attempts to
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