When it comes to Bitcoin, there are a lot of misconceptions. One of the most common is that Bitcoin is deflationary.
But is that really true? Let’s take a closer look.
What is Deflation?
In order to understand if Bitcoin is deflationary, we need to first understand what deflation is. Deflation is when the prices of goods and services decrease.
This happens when there is more money chasing fewer goods.
So, if we have more dollars chasing the same number of goods, then each good becomes cheaper in dollar terms. That’s deflation.
Is Bitcoin Deflationary?
Now that we know what deflation is, let’s look at whether or not Bitcoin is deflationary. The short answer is yes, but it’s not as simple as that.
The reason why Bitcoin is deflationary is because there will only ever be 21 million bitcoins in existence. That’s it.
Once all 21 million are mined, that’s it, no more will be created.
This finite supply combined with increasing demand (as more and more people use and adopt Bitcoin) means that the price of Bitcoin will continue to go up over time. So, in that sense, yes, Bitcoin is deflationary.
However, it’s important to remember that the price of goods and services denominated in Bitcoin will also likely go up over time. That’s because as the price of Bitcoin goes up, so does the purchasing power of each individual bitcoin.
So, while the price of goods and services denominated in dollars may go down due to inflation (more dollars chasing the same number of goods), the price of goods and services denominated in bitcoin may actually go up due to both inflation AND deflation (fewer bitcoins chasing the same number of goods).
This means that, while deflation may play a role in increasing the price of bitcoin, it’s not the only factor at play. Inflation will also likely have an impact on the price of bitcoin over time.
Conclusion
So, is Bitcoin really deflationary? Yes, but it’s not as simple as that. The finite supply combined with increasing demand means that the price of Bitcoin will continue to go up over time.
However, inflation will also likely have an impact on the price of bitcoin over time.