Written by: Billy Bambrough, Forbes
Compiled by: AididiaoJP, Foresight News
For most of this year, Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market have been moving sideways. Traders have been on edge, wary of a potential sharp shock that could hit at any moment.
In February, the price of Bitcoin briefly fell below $65,000 per coin and subsequently entered a downward trend, struggling to break out of the slump. Even a recent sudden statement from the CEO of Goldman Sachs, expressing support for Bitcoin's "ultimate catalyst," failed to quickly revive market sentiment.
Right now, Bitcoin is accelerating towards a major turning point potentially worth $2.79 trillion. At this critical juncture, SpaceX and Tesla CEO, billionaire Elon Musk, made a game-changing prediction: within just ten years, money will "cease to matter." This statement could have a profound impact on the price of Bitcoin.
"By 2036, money will cease to matter," Musk said in an interview with Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of *The Economist*. During the wide-ranging discussion, he explicitly predicted that the world will transition to a state of "incredible abundance" in the coming decade.
"What do you need money for?" Musk countered. The tech mogul, who became the world's first trillionaire on June 12th after SpaceX's public listing and is now worth around $700 billion, noted that robots will be ubiquitous, human needs will be easily met, and at that point, all money would essentially become worthless.
"You want money to buy goods and services, right? Food, housing, transportation, entertainment—these all require money," Musk explained. "But if robots and artificial intelligence provide goods and services far beyond what any human could possibly consume, then what is money for?"
This prophecy is not baseless. Musk has repeatedly emphasized that "energy is the true currency," sparking intense speculation among Bitcoin supporters that he may be quietly endorsing the cryptocurrency. In fact, his two core companies already hold substantial Bitcoin reserves: SpaceX holds 18,712 BTC, and Tesla holds 11,509 BTC.
"Energy is the true currency," Musk once responded on platform X to an account named beffjezos, whose post stated: "If you think of money as a proxy for expected free energy, then A.I. is basically an infinite money printer."
At the current Bitcoin price of around $65,000, the combined holdings of SpaceX and Tesla are worth nearly $2 billion.
In October last year, Musk further clarified his position in an X post: "Bitcoin is based on energy. You can issue fake fiat currency—every government in history has done that—but energy cannot be counterfeited." He also agreed that the "global arms race" towards artificial intelligence is a key reason behind the simultaneous price increases of gold, silver, and Bitcoin in recent years.
However, since then, Bitcoin's price has seen a noticeable decline. Despite this, some still believe the bottom has been confirmed, and a rebound could start at any time.
Bitcoin's security mechanism relies on a network of miners—these miners use powerful computing power to verify transactions in exchange for newly issued Bitcoin. The entire network's annual electricity consumption is equivalent to that of some small countries, and as the price rises and more miners join, the energy demand continues to climb. This point precisely resonates with Musk's "energy as currency" logic.
Musk's enthusiasm for supporting cryptocurrencies has cooled compared to the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he has not completely withdrawn. He continues to express support for Bitcoin and has repeatedly mentioned his "favorite" cryptocurrency—Dogecoin.
After stepping away from White House-related affairs, Musk went further, stating that his "American Party" would favor Bitcoin over the U.S. dollar. In his view, the dollar and other government-issued, debt-based fiat currencies are "hopeless."
At a time when Bitcoin's price is still hovering at low levels and market sentiment remains cautious, Musk's prophecy about money becoming obsolete by 2036 is like a stone thrown into calm water, creating ripples. Whether this vision ultimately materializes or not, it once again puts Bitcoin in the spotlight—in a future era of abundance potentially dominated by robots and AI, the true anchor of value may no longer be traditional fiat currency, but digital assets deeply intertwined with energy.
