Bitcoin just got better

Bitcoin. You either love it or hate it.

I don’t know anybody who sits in between.

But that’s an improvement on a year ago. Back then you’d either heard of it or you hadn’t. The crypto boom of 2017 put an end to that.

Now everyone has an opinion on it.

What I’ve found is that people who love cryptocurrency tend to focus on everything that makes it great. They’re usually optimistic about ideas of the future, and technology in general.

Those who fear cryptocurrencies tend to whine about the potential drawbacks...

Here are a few of the objections you’ve probably heard:

‘Bitcoin’s not secure enough.’

‘It’s too complicated to use.’

‘It’s only used by criminals.’

‘The price is too volatile to be useful.’

And even louder in recent times:

‘Crypto transactions are taking too long!’

But for those who sit on the ‘love’ side of the spectrum (like myself), these objections aren’t necessarily a bad thing.

In fact, they’re vital. Because they create opportunities.

They pave the way for solutions.

We don’t ignore the fear-mongering. In fact, we listen to it. All of the above are valid concerns. Anyone who denies that is just being a purist.

It’s a bit like politics. Extremism on either side is bound to fail.

For blockchain technology to thrive, we need to approach it even-handedly.

We can love it, use it and invest in it, but we also need to develop it with an eye on improving it.

A la Daft Punk, we make it Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.

Which is actually the same for, well, every new technology.

The first design is not supposed to be the final one.

If that were the case, your only source of entertainment from your mobile phone would be Snake. (Although, how addictive was that game?!)

Technology’s supposed to start something special. To inspire. To promise a bright new tomorrow.

Luckily, most in the cryptocurrency community have long since realised this.

A new protocol to make bitcoin even better has just been born into the world…