On Venezuela, Bitcoin and what feeds the economy

I was reading up on Venezuela's move to take away some bills on reddit[*] and found the following comment: "Bitcoin feeds on human misery and failing economies."

It struck a strong chord in me. I don't believe it's true in the most direct sense, but it certainly makes a very valid point.

Whenever we have turmoil somewhere in the world, bitcoin gets stronger.

Saying that bitcoin feeds on misery and, therefore, bitcoiners are happy for other people's suffering, certainly isn't true for most people involved with the currency.

But the phrase certainly encapsulates a lot of what is wrong with the world and how strongly bitcoin is linked to that. Not as a cause, but as a consequence.

Whenever people are left without options in their social and political environment, bitcoin is able to offer a new possibility.

And this is new.

And this is big.