You might often hear people saying that bitcoin has no "intrinsic value" unlike, for example, Gold.
Bitcoin is scarce and useful, giving it inherent value.
Fixed Supply
There will only ever be 21,000,000 bitcoins making it a very scarce asset.
Compare this to the Pound or Dollar or other currencies. These currencies are unlimited and more can be created out of thin air by Governments and Banks, diluting their value, causing Inflation.
A £100 note from 50 years ago would now only be worth approximately £6.06 today, a staggering 93.9% decrease, due solely to inflation from money printing.
Decentralised
Bitcoin is not issued or controlled by a government or centralised authority unlike other currencies.
It operates without trusted third parties through a secure, global, public network based on Open Source software.
The Bitcoin network is spread around the globe and since its launch has had a staggering 99.99% uptime.
Permissionless
There is no single person or group of people that control Bitcoin or sets the monetary policy.
Although we already have many digital money networks like VISA and Mastercard, these are private networks controlled by multi-national companies.
Bitcoin is the first global public financial network that doesn't rely on trusted third parties.
Transactions are routed from sender to recipient directly, across borders and timezones.
Some Additional Key Differences
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But Bitcoin Is So Volatile?
Understanding Bitcoin Price Movements
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Short-Term Volatility
Yes, Bitcoin's price can change a lot in the short term.
The price might go up or down by large amounts within just a few hours!
Even though the value of Bitcoin is becoming more stable as it grows, it's still very unpredictable in the short term.
Long-Term Growth Trend
Over the longer term, Bitcoin's price tends to increase. The average yearly growth rate for Bitcoin over the past 4 years (up to the end of 2024) is about 42.11%.
Despite the ups and downs, Bitcoin has grown significantly when looking at longer periods.
Multi-Year Perspective
To save in Bitcoin, you need to think long-term and not worry about short-term price changes.
Buy Bitcoin and keep it for at least 4 years. Don't try to predict the best time to buy or sell, and don't sell in a panic if the price drops.
The Time-Based Approach to Bitcoin
Taking a time-based approach to Bitcoin investing helps manage volatility concerns. By extending your time horizon, the short-term price fluctuations become less important than the long-term growth trajectory.
The Four-Year Strategy
A minimum four-year holding period aligns with Bitcoin's historical cycles and has historically provided positive returns for savers who maintained this discipline.
But Bitcoin Is So Expensive?
Yes, a single Bitcoin is hugely expensive, and potentially out of reach for most people. At the time of writing a single Bitcoin is around $110,000 or £82,000 (June 2025). When you read this it could be less or it could be more. Such is the volatility of Bitcoin.
However, you don't need to own a full Bitcoin.
Each Bitcoin is made up of 100,000,000 smaller units called Sats (short for Satoshi's). As such, there is technically no minimum limit to the amount of Bitcoin you can acquire - if you want $100 worth of Bitcoin fine. $10? $1 - yes you can have $1 worth of Bitcoin. Because of it's divisibility you can have as little as 1c worth of Bitcoin if you want.
So forget about thinking in terms of whole bitcoins and start thinking in Sats.
$110,000
Bitcoin Price
Current price of a single Bitcoin (June 2025)
100,000,000
Satoshis or Sats
Number of sats in one Bitcoin (BTC)
At the time of writing, you can buy 1,000,000 sats for around $840 or £650. Yes, you can become a satoshi millionaire for just $840!
1,000,000
Satoshi Millionaire Status
One Million Sats
$1100
Cost to become a Satoshi Millionaire!
As of June 2025
Just 10 years ago, it would have cost you $2.56 to become a satoshi millionaire i.e to buy 1,000,000 sats or just 0.01 BTC. To get a deeper dive into the historical value of 1,000,000 sats, and the potential value for the next ten years (it may astound you) click on the button below…
Looking ahead, while Bitcoin's impressive growth rates may stabilize as the market matures, its past performance indicates that satoshis remain a compelling choice for diversified portfolios. Many savers are now asking not just "whether" to own satoshis, but "how many" to accumulate for a successful long-term wealth strategy.
How Bitcoin Divisibility Works
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But Isn't Bitcoin Bad for the Environment?
Energy Efficiency Improvements
Bitcoin's mining network continually optimizes for energy efficiency to maximize profits.
Renewable Energy
Over 50% of Bitcoin mining now uses renewable sources, including stranded and wasted energy.
Value Per Unit
The security Bitcoin provides justifies its energy usage, similar to other essential systems.
Geographic Flexibility
Miners can relocate to areas with abundant clean energy, unlike traditional industries.
Common criticisms often overlook Bitcoin's increasingly green profile. Miners actively seek the cheapest energy sources—which are increasingly renewables—creating demand for new sustainable projects worldwide.
The environmental narrative has shifted as research reveals Bitcoin's role in stabilizing energy grids and monetizing previously wasted energy resources.
You may hear the phrase "Bitcoin Not Crypto" and may be confused as to what this means? Yes, Bitcoin is one of many cryptocurrencies but should be regarded separately and uniquely. Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency and all others are merely copies of Bitcoin, or alternatives (altcoins) with little or no value.
Revolutionary, Not Speculative
Bitcoin introduced a revolutionary monetary system with a fixed supply of 21 million.
Most "crypto" projects are speculative tokens with centralized control and unlimited supply.
Bitcoin: decentralised money network
Crypto: investment schemes promising returns
Fundamentally Different
Bitcoin emerged organically without pre-mines, venture capital, or marketing teams.
Other cryptocurrencies typically have founders who control development and hold large stakes.
No CEO or marketing department
No venture capital funding
No one controls the network
Security Matters
Bitcoin's network has never been hacked in 14+ years of operation.
Its unmatched security comes from massive computing power and true decentralisation.
Strongest computing network in history
No single point of failure
Resistant to censorship and capture
Saving in any cryptcurrency other than Bitcoin is extremely risky and should be avoided at all cost.