1. Start of the Debate: The Essence of Currency Wars
2. Ways to Protect Against Inflation
3. Bitcoin: Dubious Future or New Gold?

At the Surfin’ Bitcoin conference, economist Jean-Marc Daniel and Tobam founder Yves Choueifaty discussed whether Bitcoin can replace traditional currencies.

Start of the Debate: The Essence of Currency Wars

The debate began with a discussion on competitive monetary devaluations. Yves Choueifaty noted that devaluing a national currency can encourage exports but leads to currency wars, which reduce overall value. He emphasized that Bitcoin has become a participant in this 'war'.

Ways to Protect Against Inflation

Jean-Marc Daniel suggested that globalization could help contain inflation, despite current geopolitical and energy crises. However, he acknowledged that such crises might result in deglobalization. He noted that Bitcoin cannot substantially impact inflation because it cannot replace fiat currencies or increase oil production, which is critical for the global economy.

Bitcoin: Dubious Future or New Gold?

Daniel argued that Bitcoin will not impose monetary discipline on states. He stressed that savings should be invested in stocks rather than Bitcoin or gold, which lack social utility. Choueifaty agreed that Bitcoin is unlikely to fully replace fiat currencies but acknowledged its significance as an asset in the U.S. Both speakers concurred that Bitcoin could be viewed as digital gold due to its unique features, such as the ability to instantly transfer funds globally and its limited supply.

The discussion at the conference revealed that despite its advantages, Bitcoin is unlikely to replace fiat currencies anytime soon. Nonetheless, it has the potential to become an international reserve currency and a reliable store of wealth.