Athari kwa sekta mbalimbali za viwanda

Kulingana na Kielezo cha Matumizi ya Umeme wa Chuo Kikuu cha Cambridge (CBECI), mahitaji ya umeme ya Bitcoin ni takriban 148 TW kwa mwaka (kama ilivyokuwa Oktoba 3, 2024), sawa na takriban 0.6% ya matumizi yote ya umeme duniani.

4.1.0 Mjadala wa Nishati wa Bitcoin

Uhusiano wa mtandao wa Bitcoin na nishati labda ndiyo sifa yake yenye utata na isiyoeleweka zaidi. Katika dunia ambapo mijadala ya kisiasa inazidi kuwa nyeti kuhusu athari za binadamu kwa mazingira kutokana na kuongezeka kwa viwanda na mabadiliko ya tabia za watumiaji, kuibuka kwa teknolojia inayotumia kiasi kikubwa cha nishati kwa shughuli zake lazima kutavutia uchunguzi mkubwa wa umma. Hata hivyo, uchunguzi mwingi hauleti taarifa za maana, na mara nyingi ni wa kupotosha kabisa, kama vile ujumbe wa Twitter kutoka Jukwaa la Uchumi Duniani hapo juu unavyoonyesha.

Wakosoaji wanasema kwamba uchimbaji wa Bitcoin unaotumia nishati nyingi — unaoendeshwa na utaratibu wa makubaliano wa Proof-of-Work (PoW) — unachangia utoaji wa hewa ukaa, na hivyo kuongeza mzigo kwenye gridi za nishati duniani ambazo, kwa upande mwingine, zinadhoofisha malengo ya hali ya hewa. Ripoti zinazoangazia matumizi ya nishati ya Bitcoin, wakati mwingine yakizidi hata nchi nzima kama Argentina, zimeongeza wasiwasi kwamba mtandao huu unazidisha uharibifu wa mazingira badala ya kusaidia juhudi za uendelevu.

Hata hivyo, kuna simulizi mbadala inayozidi kukua inayopendekeza kwamba uchimbaji wa Bitcoin unaweza kuwa na mchango chanya katika kuboresha gridi za nishati na kuwezesha mabadiliko kuelekea vyanzo vya nishati vinavyoweza kurejeshwa.

Basi, je, Bitcoin inaweza kuwa na manufaa kwa mazingira? Je, inaweza kuchangia ufanisi na uthabiti wa gridi, na hivyo kusaidia kuharakisha mabadiliko kuelekea uzalishaji wa nishati mbadala?

4.1.1 Kutumia Nishati kama Usalama

Kazi kuu ya mtandao wa Bitcoin ni kudumisha daftari la miamala lililosambazwa. Kwa kukosekana kwa mamlaka kuu ya kuthibitisha, mtandao unahitaji njia ya kuhakikisha uadilifu wa daftari na kuzuia 'matumizi maradufu' kutokea. Washiriki wote wa mtandao lazima wakubaliane kuhusu hali ya daftari (nani anamiliki nini) katika wakati fulani. Hapa ndipo uchimbaji unapoingia.

Wachimbaji hutumia vifaa maalum vya kompyuta au ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) vilivyowekwa kwenye mtandao mkubwa duniani. ASICs zimeundwa kurudia-rudia kubashiri suluhisho la fumbo la kriptografia linalohusisha kufanya mabilioni ya mahesabu kwa sekunde. Bashiri iliyofanikiwa humzawadia mchimbaji kwa bitcoin mpya na mtandao unathibitisha kwa njia ya kriptografia papo hapo kwamba mchimbaji amefanikiwa. Hivyo mchakato huu huitwa 'proof-of-work'.

Kwa pamoja, mtandao wa wachimbaji duniani huchangia nguvu kubwa ya kompyuta. Hii ni kwa makusudi ili kulinda mtandao - mtu mbaya akijaribu kushambulia au kubadilisha mtandao kwa faida yake atalazimika kutumia nguvu nyingi za kompyuta ili kudhibiti sehemu kubwa ya mtandao. Ikiwa hili lingewezekana, lingehitaji rasilimali kubwa za kifedha na bado isingekuwa rahisi kudhibiti kwa muda mrefu wa kutosha kuathiri mtandao wa Bitcoin kwa kiasi kikubwa. Kwa hiyo, uwezekano wa shambulio la aina hii kufanikiwa umepungua hadi karibu sifuri, kutokana na kizuizi cha nishati.

Bitcoin haitumii umeme bure, hutumika kwa usalama.
Kyle Torpey

4.1.2 Kusaka Nishati Iliyokwama

Wachimbaji wa Bitcoin hufanya kazi katika mazingira yenye ushindani mkubwa dhidi ya wachezaji wengine katika mbio za kimataifa za saa 24 kila siku kuongeza block inayofuata ya miamala kwenye daftari na kupata 'zawadi ya block'. Ni muhimu kibiashara kwa wachimbaji kutafuta nishati ya bei nafuu ambayo ni nyingi na haina ushindani mkubwa wa mahitaji. Hii huwafanya wachimbaji kuelekea kwenye vyanzo vya nishati vilivyokwama au vinavyopotea.

Sababu kuu ya hili ni ufanisi wa gharama. Umeme ndiyo gharama kuu ya uendeshaji kwa mchimbaji kwani shughuli hii inahitaji nishati nyingi. Kwa kutumia nishati iliyokwama – yaani, nishati ambayo isingetumika vinginevyo, kama vile nishati ya ziada kutoka vyanzo vinavyoweza kurejeshwa au gesi asilia inayochomwa bure – wachimbaji wanaweza kupunguza sana gharama za nishati. Nishati iliyokwama mara nyingi ni ya bei nafuu kwa sababu haipatikani kwa urahisi au haina mahitaji makubwa. Kwa mfano, katika maeneo yenye umeme mwingi wa maji au upepo, bei zinaweza kushuka kutokana na ukosefu wa miundombinu ya kusambaza nishati hiyo. Hii inawapa wachimbaji fursa ya kupata mikataba ya umeme wa bei nafuu, na hivyo kuboresha faida zao.

Mikataba ya umeme inaweza kuhakikisha upatikanaji wa vyanzo vya nishati vilivyokwama au vinavyopotea, hivyo kuwasaidia wachimbaji kujikinga dhidi ya mabadiliko ya bei katika masoko ya nishati ya kawaida. Bei za umeme hubadilika kutokana na mahitaji ya msimu, bei za mafuta ya kisukuku na matukio ya kisiasa. Nishati iliyokwama huwapa wachimbaji usambazaji wa nishati thabiti na unaotabirika, hivyo kufanya mipango ya muda mrefu na faida iwezekane zaidi. Pia kuna faida ya sifa kwa kutumia nishati iliyokwama, kwani inapunguza lawama za kimazingira kwa kupunguza kiwango cha hewa ukaa kinachotolewa na mchimbaji.

Mbali na kumfaidi mchimbaji, mtayarishaji wa nishati pia hunufaika kwa kuwa na mteja wa uhakika wa nishati ya ziada. Watayarishaji wa nishati, hasa wale walioko maeneo ya mbali au yenye rasilimali nyingi, wanaweza kuwa na chaguzi chache za kuuza nishati ya ziada. Wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wanakuwa 'mnunuzi wa mwisho' wa nishati hii ambayo ingepotea. Hivyo, ushirikiano kati ya watayarishaji wa nishati na kampuni za uchimbaji unaweza kuwa na manufaa kwa pande zote, na hivyo kuruhusu watayarishaji kupata mapato kutokana na nishati iliyokwama na wachimbaji kupata umeme wa bei nafuu.

Zaidi ya kumfaidi mchimbaji, vyanzo vya nishati vinavyoweza kurejeshwa, kama vile jua na upepo, mara nyingi huzalisha nishati ya ziada wakati wa nyakati za mahitaji madogo au katika maeneo yaliyo mbali na watumiaji wakubwa wa nishati. Wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wanaweza kuanzisha shughuli karibu na vyanzo hivi, na hivyo kutoa matumizi ya kibiashara kwa nishati ambayo vinginevyo ingepotea. Hili ni muhimu hasa kwa mashamba ya upepo au mashamba ya jua yenye uzalishaji wa vipindi. Hii ni tofauti na mitandao ya umeme inayotumia mafuta ya kisukuku ambapo mafuta yasiyotumika yanaweza kusafirishwa kwa urahisi hadi maeneo yenye mahitaji ya kibiashara. Hii inafanya umeme unaotokana na mafuta ya kisukuku usiwe wa kuvutia sana kwani mara chache huwa wa bei nafuu vya kutosha kuunga mkono uchimbaji wenye faida.

4.1.3 Changamoto ya Kustawisha Gridi

Kutoka kwa mtazamo wa mtayarishaji wa umeme, kustawisha gridi ni changamoto kubwa kwa gridi za nishati mbadala kutokana na tabia ya vipindi ya vyanzo vingi vya nishati mbadala, kama vile jua na upepo. Tofauti na vyanzo vya nishati vya kawaida (mfano, makaa ya mawe, gesi, au nyuklia), ambavyo vinaweza kuzalisha umeme bila kukoma, nishati mbadala hutegemea hali ya mazingira. Hii husababisha mabadiliko ya uzalishaji wa nishati ambayo hufanya iwe vigumu kusawazisha usambazaji na mahitaji kwa wakati halisi.

Kwa mfano, uzalishaji wa nishati ya jua na upepo hutegemea hali ya hewa na wakati wa siku. Nishati ya jua hufanya kazi tu jua linapong'aa, na mitambo ya upepo huzalisha umeme tu upepo unapovuma. Hii husababisha mabadiliko ya uzalishaji wa umeme, na kufanya iwe vigumu kulinganisha usambazaji wa umeme na mahitaji wakati wote. Kushuka ghafla kwa uzalishaji wa nishati mbadala (mfano, upepo ukikoma au wakati wa mawingu) kunaweza kusababisha upungufu mkubwa wa umeme, na hivyo kusababisha kukatika kwa umeme au kuhitaji umeme wa ziada kutoka kwa mitambo ya mafuta ya kisukuku.

Aidha, wakati wa uzalishaji mkubwa wa nishati mbadala (mfano, siku zenye jua au upepo mwingi) na mahitaji madogo (kama vile kati ya saa 7-10 alfajiri), baadhi ya nishati mbadala lazima ikatwe ili kuepuka kuzidisha gridi. Hii inapunguza ufanisi wa kiuchumi wa miradi ya nishati mbadala na kuleta kutokuwepo kwa ufanisi.

Mara nyingi huulizwa kama betri au teknolojia nyingine za kuhifadhi nishati zinaweza kusaidia kupunguza mabadiliko ya uzalishaji wa umeme. Ingawa teknolojia hizi zinaweza kusaidia kuhifadhi nishati ya ziada inayozalishwa na vyanzo mbadala, mara nyingi ni ghali na zina uwezo mdogo. Hii inapunguza uwezo wa kusawazisha mabadiliko ya uzalishaji na matumizi ya nishati kwa muda mrefu.

4.1.4 Bitcoin kama Mstawi wa Gridi

Uchimbaji wa Bitcoin, kutokana na mahitaji yake yanayoweza kubadilika ya nishati, unaweza kuwa chombo bora cha kusimamia mahitaji kwa ajili ya kustawisha gridi za nishati mbadala. Wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wanaweza kubadilisha haraka matumizi yao ya nishati kulingana na mahitaji ya gridi. Wakati wa uzalishaji mkubwa wa nishati mbadala, wachimbaji wanaweza kuongeza shughuli zao na kutumia nishati ya ziada. Kinyume chake, wakati wa mahitaji makubwa au uzalishaji mdogo wa nishati mbadala, wachimbaji wanaweza kuzima au kupunguza shughuli zao haraka, na hivyo kuachia nishati kwa huduma muhimu. Uwezo huu wa kubadilika husaidia kusawazisha gridi, na kufanya iwe rahisi kuunganisha vyanzo vya nishati mbadala visivyo na uthabiti bila kuhitaji suluhisho ghali za kuhifadhi nishati au kutumia mizigo ya bandia inayobadilisha nishati ya ziada kuwa joto.

Zaidi ya hayo, wachimbaji wengi wa Bitcoin hushiriki katika mipango ya majibu ya mahitaji, ambapo hupunguza kwa hiari matumizi yao ya umeme wakati wa msongo wa gridi (mfano, wakati wa mawimbi ya joto au baridi kali). Kwa kuwa mzigo unaoweza kudhibitiwa, wachimbaji wanaweza kusaidia kuzuia kukatika kwa umeme na kuhakikisha gridi inabaki thabiti, hasa wakati wa mahitaji makubwa.

Badala ya kukata nishati mbadala ya ziada, uchimbaji wa Bitcoin unaweza kutumia nishati hii na kuifanya kuwa na thamani ya kiuchumi. Hii inaunda matumizi ya kiuchumi kwa nishati ambayo vinginevyo ingepotea, na hivyo kuboresha ufanisi wa jumla wa miradi ya nishati mbadala. Katika maeneo yenye matumizi makubwa ya nishati mbadala, kama vile Texas au Iceland, wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wameanzisha shughuli karibu na mitambo ya nishati mbadala, na hivyo kusaidia kutumia nishati ya ziada huku wakistawisha gridi.

Nchini Texas, wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wameungana na Baraza la Uaminifu wa Umeme la Texas (ERCOT) 2 kushiriki katika juhudi za kustawisha gridi. Kwa kubadilisha shughuli zao kulingana na hali halisi ya gridi, wachimbaji hawa husaidia kusawazisha usambazaji na mahitaji ya umeme, na kuhakikisha kwamba nishati mbadala inaweza kuunganishwa kwa ufanisi bila kuhatarisha uthabiti wa gridi. Kwa mfano, wakati wa dhoruba ya baridi ya Texas mwaka 2021 wachimbaji wa Bitcoin waliweza kupunguza matumizi ya umeme, na hivyo kuachia nishati kwa miundombinu muhimu na matumizi ya nyumbani.

4.1.5 Kutoa Motisha kwa Nishati Safi

Mbali na kufanya nishati mbadala ya ziada kuwa na thamani na kuwa mnunuzi wa mwisho, wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wanasaidia kuhamasisha uwekezaji katika miundombinu mipya ya nishati mbadala kupitia ushirikiano wa muda mrefu na watoa huduma za nishati. Hii inampa mtoa nishati mapato ya uhakika na thabiti, na hivyo kuhamasisha ujenzi wa mashamba zaidi ya upepo, mitambo ya jua, na miradi ya umeme wa maji. Uwepo wa wachimbaji wa Bitcoin unaweza kufanya miradi kama hiyo iwe na faida zaidi kifedha kwa kutoa msingi wa wateja wa kudumu. Zaidi ya hayo, wachimbaji wanaweza kulipia nishati papo hapo, yaani, kabla chanzo cha umeme kuunganishwa kwenye gridi. Hii inapunguza sana muda wa kurejesha mtaji na kupunguza gharama za mtaji kwa mradi mpya wa nishati mbadala. Kwa mchimbaji wa Bitcoin kuwa mteja wa uhakika, mtoa nishati anaweza kuchagua kujenga mradi mkubwa zaidi kuliko ingekuwa inawezekana bila mchimbaji kuwepo.

Hitaji la kuwa na mnunuzi wa kudumu wa nishati mbadala limeonekana wazi hivi karibuni Uingereza - imeripotiwa sana kwamba mashamba ya upepo yanalipwa kuzima na mitambo ya gesi inatumika kuchukua nafasi yake.Upepo Uliopotea, tovuti inayofuatilia kiasi cha nishati ya upepo isiyotumika nchini Uingereza, imekadiria kwamba kwa miezi miwili ya kwanza ya 2025, gharama kwa watumiaji kutokana na kuzuiwa huku ilikuwa £253m, ongezeko la £158m ikilinganishwa na kipindi kama hicho mwaka uliopita.

Business Matters inadai kwamba sababu ya tatizo hili ni “ukuaji wa haraka wa mashamba ya upepo baharini, yanayojengwa kwa kasi kuliko miundombinu ya usafirishaji wa umeme nchini Uingereza inavyoweza kuboreshwa.” Katika siku zenye upepo mwingi ambapo mahitaji ni madogo, mtandao wa umeme hauwezi kusafirisha umeme wa ziada na msimamizi wa mtandao hulipa fidia kwa mashamba ya upepo kwa kuzima mitambo yao. Zaidi ya hayo, hulipa vituo vya umeme vinavyotumia gesi asilia ambavyo viko karibu na maeneo yenye mahitaji, ili kufidia tofauti hiyo.

Kwa upande mwingine, nchini Iceland, ambako nishati ya jotoardhi na umeme wa maji inatawala, wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wamekuwa kichocheo cha upanuzi wa miundombinu ya nishati mbadala. Nishati ya bei nafuu inayopatikana katika eneo hilo imevutia shughuli nyingi za uchimbaji, na kuunda uhusiano wa kunufaishana kati ya sekta hizi mbili.

Serikali ya Iceland imetambua uwezo wa uchimbaji wa Bitcoin kuchochea uchumi, kuunda ajira, na kuvutia uwekezaji wa kigeni. Kwa sababu hiyo, imekuwa ikiunga mkono sekta hii na imekuwa ikihamasisha ukuaji wake kikamilifu.
Industry Leaders Magazine

Uwezo wa wachimbaji wa Bitcoin kufanya kazi mahali popote duniani ni muhimu pia. Shughuli za uchimbaji wa Bitcoin hazizuiliwi na jiografia kama ilivyo kwa viwanda vya jadi. Zinaweza kuanzishwa maeneo ya mbali yenye vyanzo vingi vya nishati mbadala, lakini bila upatikanaji mkubwa wa watu au miundombinu ya usafirishaji wa umeme. Hii inawafanya kuwa wateja bora wa kutumia nishati katika maeneo ambayo viwanda vya kawaida visingewezekana, na hivyo kuchochea maendeleo ya nishati safi katika maeneo yasiyotumika ipasavyo. Kwa njia hii, wachimbaji wa Bitcoin ni soko linalofika kwenye chanzo cha nishati, badala ya kuhitaji nishati kupelekwa kwao, na hivyo kupunguza gharama za miundombinu.

Uchimbaji wa Bitcoin unatoa motisha kubwa ya kiuchumi kwa maendeleo ya nishati mbadala kwa kuunda mahitaji endelevu ya nishati safi, kusaidia kuimarisha mitandao ya umeme, na kusaidia maendeleo ya miundombinu katika maeneo yenye rasilimali nyingi za nishati mbadala. Kadri shughuli za uchimbaji zinavyozidi kuelekea kwenye nishati mbadala, zinakuwa wachezaji muhimu katika mabadiliko ya kimataifa kuelekea mustakabali wa nishati endelevu zaidi.

4.1.6 Hadithi chanya inayoendelea kubadilika

Uhusiano wa Bitcoin na nishati una sura nyingi na unaendelea kubadilika. Uchimbaji wa Bitcoin umekosolewa kwa matumizi yake makubwa ya nishati, huku baadhi ya wachambuzi na wanamazingira wakinukuu tafiti zinazoonyesha matumizi ya nishati ya mtandao huu ni sawa na nchi nzima, na wengine wakieleza wasiwasi kwamba mahitaji ya nishati ya sekta hii yanaweza kuongeza mabadiliko ya tabianchi. Hata hivyo, simulizi hili linasahau kabisa uwezo wa uchimbaji wa Bitcoin kuchangia katika mabadiliko ya nishati mbadala na ufanisi wa mitandao ya umeme.

Uchimbaji wa Bitcoin, kutokana na hitaji lake la kipekee la umeme wa bei nafuu na mwingi, umezidi kuendana na vyanzo vya nishati mbadala. Katika maeneo yenye upepo mwingi, jua, au umeme wa maji, wachimbaji wanaweza kutumia nishati ya ziada au iliyokwama ambayo vinginevyo ingepotea. Hali hii husaidia kuboresha ufanisi wa kiuchumi wa miradi ya nishati mbadala kwa kutoa mahitaji endelevu ya umeme wa ziada, hasa wakati wa mahitaji madogo.

Kutafuta nishati iliyokwama ni muhimu kwa wachimbaji wa Bitcoin kibiashara kwa sababu inapunguza gharama, inaboresha uendelevu wa mazingira, na inahakikisha utulivu wa shughuli katika soko la nishati lenye mabadiliko. Mkakati huu hauleti tu faida zaidi kwenye uchimbaji, bali pia unaifanya sekta hii kuwa mchezaji muhimu katika usimamizi wa mitandao ya umeme na maendeleo ya nishati mbadala.

Uchimbaji wa Bitcoin unatoa suluhisho kwa baadhi ya changamoto kuu zinazokabili mitandao ya nishati mbadala. Asili ya nishati ya jua na upepo kuwa na mabadiliko huletea mtandao wa umeme kutokuwa na utulivu, kwani uzalishaji wa nishati hutegemea hali ya hewa. Wachimbaji wa Bitcoin, kwa shughuli zao zinazoweza kubadilika na kupanuka, wanaweza kusaidia kuimarisha mtandao wa umeme kwa kutumia nishati ya ziada wakati wa uzalishaji mwingi na kupunguza matumizi wakati wa mahitaji makubwa. Uwezo huu wa kujibu mahitaji tayari umetumika katika masoko kama Texas, ambako wachimbaji hushirikiana na wasimamizi wa mtandao kuhakikisha utulivu wa umeme.

Uwezo wa Bitcoin kuondoa kuchoma methane ovyo kwenye visima vya mafuta ni faida nyingine isiyoangaliwa sana. Kwa kukusanya na kutumia gesi asilia iliyokwama ambayo vinginevyo ingechomwa, wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wanaweza kusaidia kupunguza utoaji wa methane hatari, na kubadilisha bidhaa taka inayodhuru mazingira kuwa rasilimali yenye thamani.

Uchunguzi wa kimazingira kuhusu uchimbaji wa Bitcoin unatarajiwa na unakaribishwa. Hata hivyo, teknolojia hii inaonyesha fursa za kipekee za kuendeleza matumizi ya nishati mbadala na kuboresha ufanisi wa mitandao ya umeme.

Kadri sekta inavyokua, ushirikiano mkubwa na watoa huduma za nishati mbadala na wasimamizi wa mitandao ya umeme husaidia uchimbaji wa Bitcoin kuwa mchezaji muhimu katika mabadiliko ya kimataifa kuelekea mustakabali wa nishati endelevu zaidi.

Tanbihi

1. Bitcoin Haitumii Umeme Bure, Unatumika kwa Usalama, makala inayoelezea jinsi umeme ulivyo msingi wa mfano wa usalama wa Bitcoin, Bitcoin Magazine, Novemba 2015 https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/bitcoin-doesn-t-waste-electricity-it-s-used-for-security-1446482572
2. Wachimbaji wa Bitcoin wanachangia 95% ya Mizigo Mikubwa Inayobadilika Texas, The Miner Mag, Februari 2024.https://theminermag.com/news/2024-02-29/bitcoin-mining-map-north-america-texas/
3. Ukosefu wa uwezo wa mtandao wa umeme unasababisha gharama za ‘upepo uliopotea’ kufikia £250m, Business Matters, Machi 2025 https://bmmagazine.co.uk/news/lack-of-grid-capacity-pushes-wasted-wind-costs-to-250m/
4. Iceland: Kitovu Kisichotarajiwa cha Uchimbaji wa Bitcoin, Industry Leader Magazine, Septemba 2023 https://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/iceland-the-unlikely-bitcoin-mining-hub/
5. Ni nini kinachofanya methane kuwa gesi chafu yenye nguvu zaidi kuliko dioksidi ya kaboni? Climate Portal, Desemba 2023.https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/what-makes-methane-more-potent-greenhouse-gas-carbon-dioxide
6. Kampuni ya Bitcoin inayotumia gesi Crusoe inunua mpinzani Great American Mining, Data Center Dynamics, Oktoba 2022 https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/bitcoin-flare-firm-crusoe-buys-rival-great-american-mining/

4.2.0 The Challenge for Investment Managers

Bitcoin is not only a new entrant to the institutional investment sector, it has unique characteristics that pose challenges for traditional finance around how to classify and evaluate it. Bitcoin is only 15 years old and, for most of that time, it was a small and relatively illiquid asset dominated by individual investors. Participation in the bitcoin market by institutional investors has, so far, been limited. For many years, the absence of clear legal and regulatory guidance was an obvious hurdle and perhaps a convenient excuse for staying away.

The launch of futures markets in bitcoin around the end of 2017 was the first step in legitimising the asset for regulated investors. However, it was the regulatory approval of Bitcoin ETFs, in January 2024, that finally demonstrated to the professional investment management sector that bitcoin is now an established asset class that demands attention.

Now bitcoin is becoming a more widely-appreciated asset class, the key challenge for institutional investors is how to evaluate and develop an investment strategy around it. Wealth managers are under increasing pressure from clients to offer, not only an opinion, but a credible framework with products that allow clients to participate in this new asset class. Otherwise, they risk losing significant business to rivals with a broader-minded approach to building wealth.

Until recently, it was challenging for investment managers to justify spending any time to study bitcoin, let alone allocating capital to it. However, with client interest ramping up, we may have reached a point where managers without a bitcoin investment strategy must provide a valid justification.

This module considers some of the ways traditional investment managers might consider bitcoin the asset, its prospects, valuation metrics and impact on portfolios. It is not intended to be prescriptive - the investment management community is very broad in scope and style and each manager will have its own investment framework and process.

4.2.1 Coming around to bitcoin

Institutional investors can be considered in two groups. The first group consists of wealthy investors that may be participating via an investment vehicle or a family office. The group also contains specialist investors or hedge funds that are, by their nature, able to deploy capital relatively quickly. They may have few stakeholders, making them less constrained and more nimble with regard to investment decisions and strategy. They may be less constrained by regulation and have a higher risk tolerance. This group is already more likely to have some exposure to bitcoin.

The second group can be thought of as the more traditional investment sector. It consists of regulated investment advisors, larger asset managers, banks, mutual fund operators, pensions, endowments and sovereign wealth funds. It tends to move much more cautiously and has a lower risk tolerance.

This group is also much more conservative. Its members will have long-established and detailed investment frameworks and processes. Managers may be constrained by detailed mandates that restrict the assets or markets available. Allocation decisions are often made by committees made up of portfolio managers, analysts and compliance staff where ideas are deeply-researched and documented according to strict criteria, all under the watchful eye of a financial regulator. 

It is easy to have sympathy for this group and the challenges it faces with bitcoin. By nature this group is conservative, resistant to change and, generally, this approach has served it well. In that environment, when a highly-innovative or disruptive technology comes along, the natural reaction is to be cautious, skeptical or to completely dismiss it, especially if much of the wider industry is doing the same. Therefore, in this highly-disciplined environment, it should be no surprise that this second group has moved much slower when allocating to a new asset like bitcoin. 

Readers of much of the traditional financial media’s coverage of the Bitcoin network and protocol have noted that many commentators struggle to see where it fits within the legacy financial system. This is understandable. Bitcoin emerged from outside the existing financial system. And, as a technology that reimagines the concept of money itself, its adoption has the potential to render much of traditional finance obsolete. Of course, this resembles the disruptive technology playbook within other industries.

Nevertheless, increased demand for exposure from clients is forcing managers to consider bitcoin exposure in portfolios or risk losing clients. This demand was a key driver in the launch of Bitcoin ETFs by large asset managers BlackRock, Fidelity and others. This gave investment managers a regulator-approved vehicle, allowing them to satisfy investor demand for bitcoin exposure in a way that is compatible with existing investment mandates.

After 15 years of negative coverage from mainstream and business media, Bitcoin is still defying many naysayer predictions. The network continues to grow and metrics such as the number of public addresses, the network hash rate and the dollar value transacted, all point to technology that continues to grow exponentially.

Therefore, it is becoming harder for investment managers to justify not having an allocation to bitcoin.

4.2.2 Bitcoin: An Acceptable Alternative Asset?

Depending on their mandate (e.g. single asset, single strategy or risk-weighted multi-asset funds etc), large traditional investment managers will have their own well-established criteria and framework for evaluating potential investments. These processes are disciplined and rigorous, as they should be. Therefore, it may be challenging for an investment manager to see whether holding bitcoin in a portfolio can fit an existing investment process because it cannot be valued using traditional metrics used for other asset classes. Therefore, part of the evaluation of bitcoin as an investment should run alongside a review of existing investment processes. 

From an academic perspective, the goal of effective investment management is to develop optimal portfolios at the ‘efficient frontier’. That is, the portfolios that offer the highest expected return for a defined level of risk, or the lowest measure of risk for a defined expected return. The key question for investment managers is whether an allocation to bitcoin can help achieve this goal.

Studies show that successful evaluation of risk versus return should place a portfolio at or near the efficient frontier. A common metric used to measure this is the Sharpe Ratio. It divides a portfolio’s excess return by a measure of a portfolio’s volatility, such as the standard deviation of excess return. A higher Sharpe is better when comparing portfolios.

It’s worth noting that portfolios at the efficient frontier usually exhibit a higher degree of diversification. That is, they contain a broad range of assets whose returns are not closely correlated in terms of price performance. Alternative assets tend not to be closely correlated with the major asset classes (stocks and bonds) and therefore can be an attractive prospect for investment managers seeking additional diversification in a portfolio. ‘Alternatives’, such as private equity, real estate, farmland, or even art and collectibles are increasingly on the watch-list of institutional portfolio managers as a diversification tool, especially given the significant underperformance of the bond market in recent years. Managers of the typical ‘60/40’ portfolio (60% stocks, 40% bonds) are under pressure to improve overall investment performance.

However, alternatives often come with a significant impediment. They may reside in markets that lack the depth of liquidity seen in larger stock or bond markets. It is challenging to find buyers or sellers in sufficient size. Even pricing an asset for portfolio purposes can be challenging as simply ‘marking to market’ can be unreliable in an illiquid market.

Bitcoin is an alternative asset that doesn’t have this drawback. It is a market valued in excess of $1 trillion and trades 24x7 globally. Volume traded is counted in tens of billions of dollars daily. Also, unlike other alternative investments, bitcoin is homogeneous, independently verifiable, easily divisible and has no counterparty risk, if held directly. 

4.2.3 Analysing and Valuing Bitcoin

Professional Investment managers will already have an established rigorous process for evaluating potential investments. In 2017, business systems analyst Brian Leemoon developed a framework for appraising Bitcoin technology using three well-established business analysis methods: SWOT, PESTLE and Porter's Five Forces. From an investment manager’s perspective, a summary example SWOT analysis for Bitcoin might look something like this:

Strengths

• Most recognised digital asset, open payment network/protocol with longest history
• Highly stable protocol with no major changes to monetary policy
• Highly stable network with 99.99% uptime since inception
• Most secure and decentralized digital asset network
• Most valuable and liquid digital asset market with the largest user base
• Fastest growing digital asset network - no. of addresses, hash rate, value transacted
• Enabling economic participation in developing world
• Positive symbiotic relationship with renewable energy and other ESG benefits
• Establishing as a treasury asset for corporations, strengthening balance sheets
• Regulatory landscape is improving. i.e. approval of ETFs in the US

Weaknesses

• Highly-volatile asset price with significant price drawdowns
• On-chain transaction costs are highly variable
• Lack of market education around functionality and properties
• Challenging to value by investors
• Lack of clear regulatory guidelines in major markets 
• Negative market perceptions and sensitivity to illicit or criminal use
• Career/reputation risk associated with supporting Bitcoin within traditional finance sector
• Could become illiquid if investor sentiments turns against the asset
• 3rd-party custodians are vulnerable to cyberattack or theft

Opportunities

• Becomes established as a store of value and global treasury reserve asset
• Becomes more accepted as a medium of exchange for goods and services
• Success of application layer protocols will drive significant user adoption 
• User growth at a similar rate to the internet in the mid-1990s
• Opportunity for improved investment returns through diversification (non-correlation)
• Market dynamics ripe for demand - fiat monetary debasement likely to continue
• Early-mover advantage potential for investment managers over competitors

Threats

• Significant price rally leading to risks of a large price drawdown
• Regulatory landscape in major markets turns against the technology
• The network experiences a technical outage, impacting valuation perceptions
• An ‘upgrade’ to the network results in unexpected technical problems
• It is surpassed by another digital asset that has more user or regulatory support

This is not an exhaustive list and we should expect investors to hold varying views on the strengths and weaknesses etc. However, the exercise encourages analysts to gain a deeper understanding of the Bitcoin network, protocol and asset and consider what makes it investible. It is also important to revisit the analysis regularly since key elements of the ecosystem continue to develop.

The SWOT analysis also encourages analysts to make a comparison with the fiat monetary system. A general lack of acceptance of the problems associated with fiat money can be a roadblock to understanding Bitcoin. For decades, there has been very little discussion of fiat money’s drawbacks within investment or academic communities, largely because it is generally accepted that there is no credible alternative since the gold standard ended, giving way to a system of free-floating fiat currencies. That is, until Bitcoin came along.

Bitcoin has new and unique properties. Because of this there has been much debate around how to value it as an investment. A common critique is that it has no cash flows like stocks, bonds or real estate and it is, therefore, ‘uninvestable’. However, this may speak to the inflexibility of an investment process that requires rework to adapt to new ideas. It helps some investors to think of bitcoin (the asset) as a ‘digital gold’ with superior properties to physical gold. Gold also has no cash flows and has a long history of being used as money. Drawing a comparison of the monetary properties of gold, fiat and bitcoin can be instructive, similar to that contained in the 2018 article ‘The Bullish Case for Bitcoin’ by Vijay Boyapati.

In the absence of traditional measures of valuation, how should we consider the potential future value of bitcoin? 

Analyst Jesse Myers4 at OnRamp suggests that because bitcoin can be thought of as new base money that can reprice all other asset classes, then the Total Addressable Market (TAM) for bitcoin is the entire world’s wealth (around $900T), that is, all value held in equities, bonds, real estate, money markets etc.

 Of course, the capture of a majority or even a large portion of the world’s wealth is not expected to happen anytime soon. This is a multi-decade story. So, in the meantime, how can we track that the Bitcoin network is trending in the right direction, so that this investment thesis for bitcoin (lower case b for the asset) remains intact?

For the Bitcoin network there are many metrics5 we can track to monitor activity on the network. Below are some examples. This is not an exhaustive list and a full description of each is beyond the scope of this module.

• Hashrate of the network (the total combined computational power being used to mine and process transactions on the Proof-of-Work Bitcoin ledger)
• Dollar value transacted on the network
• Number of bitcoin on exchanges (a measure of scarcity of the available bitcoin for trading)
• Number of users, active wallets on the network (base layer & layer 2 such as Lightning). It is worth noting that estimates of these can vary significantly, so it is important to choose a consistent methodology in order to monitor trends reliably. 
• Number of active nodes on the network
• HODL waves (the distribution of bitcoin holders based on how long they have held coins)
• The trend of Bitcoin-related media publications, such as films, books or mainstream media articles.
• The trend in the number of merchants accepting bitcoin payments in major economies. This can be tracked on btcmap.org 

Tracking a basket of metrics for the network helps a manager monitor if the investment thesis remains intact. In addition, tracking the progress of publicly traded related stocks (such as miners or companies offering bitcoin exposure) can provide additional supporting data. These stocks can also be valued using traditional metrics that professional managers will already be comfortable with, such as discounted cash flow models or ratios such as price/earnings, price/sales, price/earnings growth, price/free cash flow, or price/book value. 

4.2.4 Bitcoin’s impact on Portfolios

Despite being only 15 years old, by August 2025 bitcoin had established itself as the world’s 7th most valuable asset. While it’s important for investment managers to understand the nature of Bitcoin and its potential impact on the economy and society, the key question from a professional perspective is the potential impact on portfolios.

If we believe that Bitcoin can capture a significant portion of global wealth over the long-term, then it seems reasonable to have an allocation to it as a high-powered return enhancer. However, it is important to consider whether the return is worth the risk. This is captured by the Sharpe Ratio mentioned earlier. A manager should also consider diversification. That is, how correlated an asset’s investment returns are when compared with other assets in the portfolio, while also considering the risks around price volatility and drawdowns.

There is publicly available information on the impact of bitcoin on portfolios at Fidelity Investments or the Nakamoto Portfolio from Swan Research. In a study updated in June 20248, Fidelity conducted returns, volatility and correlation analysis of bitcoin relative to stocks, bonds and gold within a 60/40 stocks/bonds portfolio. It found that bitcoin did offer some diversification benefit, although correlations vary.

The chart below shows rolling 3-year correlations of bitcoin relative to stocks and bonds, from July 2013 to March 2024. It shows that, while correlations between stocks and bonds are increasing. A rolling 3-year correlation to stocks of 0.53 and to bonds of 0.26 through to March 2024 shows significant potential for diversification in a multi-asset portfolio.

The total market capitalization of bitcoin didn’t exceed $100B until mid-2016. Therefore measuring early correlations may be less meaningful since the bitcoin market lacked depth, liquidity and pricing efficiency in early years, especially prior to January 2018 when the first bitcoin futures contracts began trading.

From a returns perspective, Fidelity observed that since August 1, 2010 to March 31, 2024, bitcoin achieved annual returns of 178%, while noting that since the establishment of futures trading, annualized returns are around 29.6%. Of course, the past is no guarantee of the future. However, it is clear that bitcoin has potential to significantly enhance portfolio returns.

Bitcoin’s price volatility is often cited as a reason that investment managers steer clear of bitcoin as a portfolio constituent. It is a slightly odd criticism, since managing price volatility of individual assets within a portfolio is a well-understood attribute of a competent portfolio manager. Furthermore, Fidelity found that bitcoin’s annual price volatility is not dramatically different to the ‘magnificent seven’ group of high-performing technology stocks.10 At the end of 2023, there were 92 S&P stocks more volatile than bitcoin.

Fidelity also observed that bitcoin’s volatility is declining over time. This is to be expected as the market matures. A deeper and more liquid market allows for greater capital inflows with less impact on the market price.

High price volatility, measured by the standard deviation of returns, is also well-understood by investors as a by-product of high performing assets. As shown in the table below, for the period from 2020 to early 2024, bitcoin investors have been well-compensated for its volatility, showing a Sharpe ratio of 0.96 versus 0.65 for the S&P 500. The Sortino ratio is perhaps more instructive, since it only considers downside standard deviation of returns or “bad” volatility. Its value of 1.86 shows that the majority of volatility over the four years was to the upside. This is despite some significant price drawdowns over the period.

The bottom line is that bitcoin is a volatile asset. This is to be expected because it is new and on a long voyage of price discovery and user adoption. Professional investors are well-equipped to embrace this volatility and, given the potential for supernormal returns, manage it accordingly. They can determine the appropriate allocation, in line with their own investment framework and appetite for risk. And, to smooth out short-term volatility, holding bitcoin for at least one, 4-year, halving cycle could be an appropriate minimum holding period.

4.2.5 The Shifting Narrative 

Since the start of 2024, there has been a significant shift in the narrative around bitcoin within traditional finance. The market entered 2023 with the overhang of the FTX collapse still present. As a result, large swathes of the industry were not considering bitcoin as a seriously investable asset.

Moving forward one year the narrative has shifted considerably. The US SEC approval of Bitcoin ETF products represents a transformative shift in the regulatory landscape. This development effectively opens the door to professional investors, allowing them to enter this asset class via a regulated product, issued by highly-regarded and long-established asset managers.

After just nine months of trading, Bitcoin ETFs were ranked the most successful ETFs ever launched. After just two full quarters of trading, they had already broken records for the most money attracted in the first year and the highest number of institutional holders.12 In the wake of the ETF approvals and their trading success, leading investment firms (such as Blackrock, Fidelity and Cantor Fitzgerald) are making considerably more positive market comments on the prospects for bitcoin. This piles on the pressure for investment managers that have yet to develop a coherent bitcoin strategy.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for professional investors to justify not having some exposure to bitcoin, if only in an intellectual sense. Moveover, the shifting narrative has helped to pull back the curtain on the fiat monetary system, further exposing its inherent flaw - it declines in purchasing power over time.

Ultimately, the role of Investment professionals is to manage risk. With that in mind, it is worth considering what ‘zero exposure’ to bitcoin is suggesting from a risk management perspective. 

Is it akin to a bet, with 100% certainty, that the Bitcoin network and protocol will fail? If so, is that sound risk management?

In the world of traditional finance, bitcoin sceptics remain in the majority. This should be no surprise. The sector is by nature conservative, operating as it does in a highly-regulated environment. Within this setting and moving in circles of where conformity is encouraged, there is little advantage to be gained in being an early-adopter of new and disruptive technology. Indeed, there may only be increased career-risk for trying to get ahead of the herd.

However, like other disciplines such as insurance or engineering where sound risk management is essential, the need to be effective should supersede the desire to be correct. Therefore, bitcoin-skeptical investment managers should seriously consider some exposure, due to the risk of significant overall underperformance if bitcoin continues to perform well over the long-term. The performance risk associated with zero exposure should not be ignored.

4.2.6 Bitcoin’s Future Impact on Investment Management

It is also worth considering what long-term impact the rise of bitcoin in portfolios may have on the investment management industry. 

Fiat money’s ‘store of value’ problem has been a key driver behind the growth of the professional investment management sector since the 1970s. The inability of fiat money to store purchasing power while residing in a simple savings account, has led to an explosion in investment products, directed at consumers seeking to grow or to simply maintain their purchasing power.

A side effect of this phenomenon is that the major asset classes - stocks, bonds and real estate, have all attracted significant valuation premiums thanks to their superior ability to store value over the long-term. Furthermore, as fiat money’s debasement has accelerated, capital flows toward these assets has ramped up further, leading to malinvestment and distorted valuations, which potentially lead to asset bubbles and poorer outcomes for investors. It is argued that this effect can also be observed in the valuations of alternative assets such as art, vintage cars and other collectibles.

In a future world where bitcoin is more recognised as a superior store of value versus other asset classes and establishes itself as a treasury reserve asset, what impact would this have on valuations in other asset classes?

The long-term impact could be dramatic: bitcoin could draw the ‘monetary premium’ from other asset classes, slowly at first, and then more quickly as its properties become more widely understood. In this scenario, a large swath of investment products become obsolete, with the result that the investment management sector declines in size. In time, the sector’s slice of the wider economy may shrink to resemble the proportion it held 50+ years ago.

Of course, not many commentators expect this scenario to play out soon - bitcoin’s global adoption is a multi-decade story. However, those investment management firms that are prepared already have a huge advantage over those that are not. Therefore, it is essential for all investment management firms to have ‘The Rise of Bitcoin’ on their Risk Registers. And, even the most skeptical managers should ask:

What if, like the rise of the internet, we can’t simply choose to opt-out?

Notes

1. Boom or Bust, Bitcoin a valuation framework, Brian Leemoon, Wilkes University, December 2017.
2. The Bullish Case for Bitcoin, March 2, 2018 by Vijay Boyapati contains a comparison of the monetary properties of Bitcoin, Gold and Fiat.
3. Bitcoin’s potential full valuation, Jesse Myers, February 2003.
4. There are many resources providing data and charts on the Bitcoin network. Bitbo is one example: https://charts.bitbo.io/index/
5. The world’s top assets by market capitalisation are tracked here: https://companiesmarketcap.com/assets-by-market-cap/
6. The Nakamoto Portfolio is a list of tools, research and open-source code that can help analysts assess the impact of bitcoin on portfolios.
7. Considerations for including bitcoin in investment portfolios, Fidelity Institutional
8. Correlation reveals the strength of return relationships between investments. A perfect linear relationship is represented by a correlation of 1, while a perfect negative relationship has a correlation of -1. A correlation of 0 indicates no relationship between the investments. Correlation is a critical component to asset allocation and can be a useful way to measure the diversity of a portfolio. 
9. A Closer Look at Bitcoin’s Volatility, Fidelity Digital Assets
10. United States Inflation Rate from TradingEconomics.com; source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi
11. Bitcoin ETFs Are Making History: Wall Street Rushes In, But Opportunities Remain for Smart Investors, Yahoo Finance, Aug 28, 2024.

Broad money represents the big set of money that people and businesses directly use to transact with each other, store our savings in, and define as our ‘money’
Lyn Alden

4.3.0 Introduction

Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road.
Stewart Brand

Banking and payments have been strongly related ever since banks emerged. Many institutions are engaged to some degree in both activities. In the 2020s the largest banks rank alongside the largest payments services companies and often have significant cross-shareholdings. For example as at December 2023, Bank of America, which founded Visa in 1958 as BankAmericard, owned 1.53% of Visa Inc. Morgan Stanley owned 3.26% (source: Wikipedia).

Until the 19th century the involvement of banks in payments, other than as issuers of paper money backed by gold, was much lower as most transactions were made in cash. By the middle of the century paper cheques, supported by banks, had emerged and become the primary means of exchange in the United States for larger transactions as a replacement for cash. The advent of the telegraph created the opportunity for Western Union to pioneer the first money transfer service in 1871. Historically, the main roles of banks were as custodians of money through the provision of bank accounts, and as providers of credit to individuals and businesses.

The rise of digital communications and the internet have generated huge innovation in payments both inside the banking system and outside, PayPal is an example of these new payment providers. However, until the advent of stable coins on blockchain ledgers, the banking system still lay underneath all payments solutions. USDt, also known as Tether, now allows the banking system to be disintermediated from payments denominated in and valued by the market as US Dollars. Payment disintermediation is one element of technology that may change banking and payments. Another more consequential change for the role of banks could be driven by the emergence and growth of value transfer denominated in an entirely different unit of money - bitcoin.

The purpose of this chapter is to consider what the rise of Bitcoin may mean for the banking and payments industries. It also aims to provide a basis for banks and payments services companies to identify threats and opportunities that this neutral, permissionless and global value transfer technology may present. 

4.3.1 Risk

The most important causes of change are not to be found in political manifestos or in the pronouncements of dead economists, but in the hidden factors that alter the boundaries where power is exercised. Often, subtle changes in climate, topography, microbes, and technology alter the logic of violence.
James Dale Davidson

We are not concerned here with the usual financial or operational business risks that banking, payment services and other companies may need to monitor and manage. In this section we consider strategic business risks that could emerge and how the rise of Bitcoin may drive a once in a century transformation of the industry. If we were to rank industries by likelihood and impact with respect to being affected by the rise of this technology, then banking and payments would sit right at the top of the list.

History is replete with examples of technology innovation changing how human societies evolved and were governed. The Sovereign Individual, a 1997 book by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg, explores how technology changes drove the change in the West from a world governed by the Church to one of the nation states we inhabit today. They identify the key technology innovations as the emergence of the printing press and the use of gunpowder as a fuel for violence which changed the returns to violence at scale.

An important observation is that there is no evidence that either the Church or the people at large wanted or instigated the change that occurred. In retrospect it appears inevitable that the power that emerged from the Church’s control of information would ebb as the new economics removed its monopoly on producing written materials.

The printing press lowered the cost of reproducing information, and thus increased the decentralisation of the production of written material. 

History suggests that technology that drove large change was not instigated by the governmental framework, the institutions, the leadership or by the people via democratic processes. More often we saw that people and institutions tended to vainly resist, obstruct and delay the adoption. In the 20th century we can observe this in the early responses to the use of automobiles, electricity, cryptography, email and the internet.

The embracing of new technologies by markets drove the reshaping of where people lived, how they worked and sometimes the very structure of what they regarded as their culture, country or leadership entity. In many cases it changed the scale and construction of that very entity itself. Other examples of technology driving wide scale societal change include the rise of farming, electricity, automobiles and the internet.

This evidence is cited to support the conclusion that technology must therefore be superordinate to law. Law can catch up afterwards, but the flow of causation shows legal means can’t reasonably or durably stop change, and nor can legal means cause it. Laws changing are an effect of technology change, not the cause, and new technology innovation can’t be voted in, decreed by a ruler or indeed prevented without self-harm.

Law has been unable to prevent the advance of many technologies which at the time of their inception the society seemed to wish to prevent. Where this has been achieved it has usually reduced the wealth of that nation in the medium to long term.

4.3.2 Credit and Money Creation

It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.
Henry Ford

Most banks are involved in credit creation and this along with related consumer and global banking activities underpin a large source of earnings.

Friedrich Hayek, Nobel prize-winning economist, argued that the centralisation of money that occurred during the 20th century was an underlying driver of the centralisation of nation states. The rise of Bitcoin may push this into reverse, something which many people support and indeed to which politicians pay lip service, but have been seemingly unable to deliver.

Prior to the 20th century emperors, kings, queens and governments were always constrained by access to money. They often resorted to tactics such as debasement or coin clipping to fight these constraints. However, because these workarounds required effort and took time the constraint still worked to some extent. The wealth that money measures does not emerge centrally from above but from a decentralised economy. Until the 20th century the nature of money reflected this flow upwards from the market and thus was itself ‘real’. The form of this money, its specific technology, varied in time and place as part of the evolution of human societies.

Since the early part of the 20th century experiments were undertaken to remove the ‘realness’ of money, culminating in its full dissociation from reality in 1971 when the dollar’s convertibility to gold was “temporarily” suspended.

I have directed Secretary Connally to suspend temporarily the convertibility of the American dollar except in amounts and conditions determined to be in the interest of monetary stability and in the best interests of the United States.
Richard Nixon

Money is a technology and Bitcoin, as a digital money, may be one of the biggest technology innovations in human history.

...money is, at root, technology as much as any other basic machine like the wedge, lever or wheel.
Business Insider

Comparable in scale to the invention of farming, the printing press or gunpowder. Excluding altruism, money motivates all voluntary human action and therefore it is possible that a new solution in this technology for 8 billion people may turn out to be the most impactful technology innovation in human history.

Money is power, it is a technology, and as such it is superordinate to law, and therefore by deduction it is also superordinate to lawmaking institutions. The decentralisation of money will drive the decentralisation of power.

One of the penalties paid for the blessings of stability of the currency is that the law finds itself unprepared for unexpected and revolutionary changes in the monetary system.
Phanor J. Eder

Today nations specify one or more moneys as legal tender. If the market were to determine something else as a preferred money either locally or internationally then governments may face a situation where the demand for the local tender currency is outpaced by the demand for the global, neutral ‘real’ money. We will again observe that real money is a market determined good which may cause legislative change, and is not itself created by law. Nations could always choose to keep tender laws that specify the less demanded money, but would be well-advised to consider the self-harming consequences of making such choices :

History shows it is not​ possible to insulate yourself from the consequences of others holding money that is harder than yours.
Saifedean Ammous

The argument presented above shows how a decentralised, global and neutral money can drive decentralisation of power. Now we turn to how Bitcoin, a decentralised monetary communications technology, may also be a precursor of the decentralisation of non monetary communications and media. 

4.3.3 Disintermediation of Payments

If you try to unwind the credit bubble but [the banks] are completely essential for payments and hence for commerce... there's no a priori... reason why that should [be]
Allen Farrington

Bitcoin’s design both on its base layer blockchain, some open second layers, and apps on higher layers enables individuals to transact digital value with one another without relying on third parties. It has not previously been possible to have disintermediated digital payments. However, designing the capability for peer to peer payments does not imply that all or even most payments will end up as such. The extent to which payments become peer to peer as Bitcoin’s footprint grows will emerge from the market. The market is, in part, shaped by those that offer services, which could include existing banking and payments institutions. If these institutions do not participate then the market will simply emerge with new players growing to supply the services demanded.

The ability to transact a decentralised currency digitally in a peer to peer fashion will act as a control against the future use of monopoly or oligopoly power to centralise money and payments. This means the engagement of existing banks and payment institutions to provide services does not threaten Bitcoin’s overall thesis. 

From the time that the first Bitcoin exchanges came online they have acted as custodians for many holders of bitcoin. Hence any payments of bitcoin made from these exchanges either to an individual’s self custody wallet or directly to a merchant have been intermediated by the exchanges. However, once in self custody payments can be made peer to peer and many bitcoiners also transact this way.

The evolution of the Lightning Network as a low cost, instant and final settlement layer 2 payments solution has led to a new and diverse group of payments intermediaries. They offer the convenience of custodied funds on lightning that can be accessed via phone apps for quick and easy face to face or online payments in bitcoin. It is possible for individuals to run their own self custodial lightning node, but it is a more demanding technical implementation than just holding bitcoin in self custody on chain. Lightning wallets are more suitable than on chain funds for day to day spending, and they rather resemble a current/checking account with a bank than a savings or investment account. As with current accounts, and for the same reasons, these wallets tend to hold only smaller amounts needed for short term spending. Many bitcoiners have shown themselves to be comfortable to trade off self custody for convenience when using Lightning on the grounds that they are only taking on counterparty risk with small funds.

Reduction of systemic risk

The settlement of most digital payments today, however the payment appears on the surface, requires banks to transact either internally or with other banks. This is due to the way that the financial system needs to be structured as a pyramid with the central bank at the top below which the banks manage digital payments in the currency for which the central bank is responsible. This means that when a bank crisis occurs, the consequences of allowing a bank to fail presents systemic risk to the payments network.

Credit card processing, at time of sale:

1. Customer presents card for payments
2. Payment request sent to payment processor
3. Payment processor sends on request to card association (Visa, Mastercard)
4. Card association send on request to customer's card issuing bank
5. Issuing bank approves or declines the payment
6. Card association passes on response to payment processor
7. Payment processor sends on response to merchant terminal which approves or declines the payment

Payment finalisation, at some later time:

1. Payment processor instruct their bank to make (net) payment to merchant’s bank
2. Customer instructs their bank to make (net) payment to card issuing bank

The conflation of the banking system with payments creates an unnecessary risk which manifests itself in a political requirement to rescue banks when there is a credit crisis or else the entire economy would collapse as payment processes fail. This creates a moral hazard in the credit creation process itself.

Lightning Network processing

1. Merchant terminal presents Lightning invoice QR code
2. Customer scans invoice QR code from their Lightning wallet on their smartphone and send funds
3. The transaction is finalised in real time by nodes in the Lightning Network passing bitcoin through a chain of liquidity

Note: this process only transmits information and money

Payment finalisation happens at time of sale

• Merchant receives funds immediately as compared with days or weeks using existing rails
• Banks not required
• No credit risk
• No systemic risk

By enabling a real separation between responsibility for the currency and the digital payments process, Bitcoin offers the opportunity to significantly reduce, if not remove, the dependency between digital payments and banking, making the overall financial system more resilient. This may mean that societies no longer have to face the conundrum of needing to socialise losses made in the banking sector or face the breakdown of the economy’s payments systems. No one party is responsible for Bitcoin, although many individuals, companies and non-profits contribute to its growth and development. Bitcoin’s value emerges not from institutional structures, but from the market.

4.3.4 Threats

Payments

There is a clear societal and economic stability benefit from being able to disentangle payments systems from the wider banking system. If banks were no longer central to the global payments system then the requirement to bail out those that become insolvent due to poor debt creation would be significantly reduced. For their own success, banks are likely to become more responsible for their lending practices as the backstop that currently exists may be significantly reduced or even removed.

Not only is this a threat to some earnings banks make from payments, but it has a wider knock on implications for their business in savings and loans.

There is likely to be a more diverse set of payments providers, including some consumers becoming their own providers by running personal or community bitcoin lightning services. With many new entrants banks and existing payment service providers will need to develop attractive services to maintain their earnings. 

International remittances and foreign exchange

Bitcoin and stable coin solutions offer a significant reduction in the frictions and costs linked with foreign payments and international remittances. This may represent a significant threat to earnings for banks and payment service providers.

The size of foreign exchange markets has risen from essentially zero since the outbreak of World War II to $7.5trn per day at the end of 2022, with almost all that growth occurring since the end of the Bretton Woods exchange system in 1971. Banks and payment service providers derive significant earnings from providing services in these markets.

https://www.cls-group.com/media/psfny5au/cls_fx_policy_02_fall_of_bretton_woods_fx_50years_afloat_shapingfx_series_oct2023.pdf

Savings and Loans

Consumers are no longer compelled to store value in banks in order for it to be usable in payments. This is not just a threat to the ‘too big to fail’ position that banks inhabit today as mentioned above in 3.4.1, but also may impact their ability to create debt in the form of loans.

A reduction in the quantity of credit that banks could create may significantly reduce earnings in both consumer and global banking.

4.3.5 Opportunities

Whilst BItcoin makes disintermediated savings and payments possible, some people are likely to see value in trading some counterparty risk for convenience either in part or in whole. There is a huge opportunity for banks and payment services providers to leverage their existing market presence to produce successful products that attract such customers. 

Payments

The Bitcoin payment space is developing rapidly both from a merchant and customer perspective. There are large opportunities for banks and payment services providers to innovate on their existing platforms to seamlessly introduce native bitcoin payment solutions. It is inevitable that this will happen eventually, however, the threat of being late to this opens opportunities for future market share to accrue to new players who are already providing and developing such solutions. Some of the solutions are open source, others are proprietary, and some are in between where the code is open sourced, but operators can choose to implement the open source code as a backbone for their proprietary solution. 

Such solutions may be geographically limited or available globally. They also typically come with reduced payment fees and faster time to final settlement - often under a second. They cut out middlemen and sidestep correspondence and central banks to offer better and more efficient payment services to customers and merchants.

Micropayments and streaming micropayments are not economically deliverable using today’s systems and money technology. Layers on top of Bitcoin such as the Lightning Network can deliver these functionalities with economically sensible cost. There are a number of areas where the development of such payment solutions could have a dramatic positive impact on growth. One such area is in micropayments for reading individual news articles or streaming payments for watching video media. This may improve the customer experience by reducing advertising intrusion as well as drive growth in direct revenue to media organisations. There will likely be many more areas where the evolution of micropayments will be able to add value to existing products and markets for consumers and profits for the underlying providers. They may also enable the development of entirely new products and markets.

Artificial Intelligence agents cannot make or receive payments in the existing system as they have no human or legal identity. There is an opportunity to lead and shape products that help AI agents to send and receive payments. Existing banks and payment service providers could develop technology that helps to advance this. Since this market does not exist, it’s not a threat, but it could be a missed opportunity. Bitcoin does not require human identity to function and therefore it is likely that AI agents will use technology built on Bitcoin to acquire send and receive payments functionality at some point.

International remittances and foreign exchange

There is an opportunity for banks and payment service providers to leverage Bitcoin and stable coin solutions to streamline their services for consumers and businesses, lowering costs, improving reliability and reducing payment delays. The sooner that they engage the better able they may be to reduce the ‘democratisation’ offered by these new technologies and preserve a good share of their existing markets. Failure to do so in a timely manner is likely to increase the erosion of their earnings in these markets.

Savings

Banks have an opportunity to develop and provide new accounts that could range from simple to sophisticated with varying custody benefits to customers. There will be trade-offs that customers face between self-custody and convenience and banks could develop a matrix of products to satisfy different customers. Many customers may be happy both to self-custody some bitcoin whilst also having accounts with banks for some of their money.

Different accounts may carry varying benefits to provider and customer, here are some possible examples:

• Shared custody for a fee, but provider has no rights to use customer assets for lending
• Free custody accounts where the provider has the right to use for full reserve lending
• Custody accounts with interest in bitcoin if the provider is authorised to lend against fractional reserves and/or provide liquidity into trading markets or payments channels.

Credit

There may be opportunities to extend new forms of credit based on bitcoin collateral. Some examples are suggested below:

• Fiat (eg US$) credit based on bitcoin collateral in shared custody or proof of control
• Bitcoin credit similar to above
• Unsecured bitcoin credit.

4.3.6 Activity

Critically analyse the threats and opportunities identified.

Bitcoin ni tiba bora dhidi ya kushuka kwa thamani ya sarafu ya fiat. Ugavi wa Bitcoin usiobadilika, programu huria, na mtandao uliosambazwa vinapinga mfumuko wa bei. Zaidi ya hayo, kama sarafu ya nishati, inahitaji matumizi ya nishati ili kuipata, jambo linaloonyesha upekee wake katika kuhifadhi thamani.
Jack Mallers

4.4.0 Utangulizi

Sekta ya teknolojia iko mstari wa mbele katika kupokea Bitcoin. Kama inavyosemwa mara nyingi, na ilivyoelezwa kwenye nukuu hapo juu – inachanganya kila kitu ambacho watu hawaelewi kuhusu kompyuta na kila kitu ambacho hawaelewi kuhusu pesa. Nukuu hiyo pia inaelezea baadhi ya vipengele muhimu vya Bitcoin vinavyopaswa kueleweka ili kutambua thamani yake halisi. Hii inaifanya sekta ya teknolojia kuwa katika nafasi nzuri kunufaika na matumizi yake, lakini pia kuwa mstari wa mbele katika mabadiliko yatakayojitokeza katika mzunguko wa biashara.

Ikiwa tutaangalia biashara yoyote ya kawaida, hii inaweza kuchukua sura ya:

• Mkakati wa Biashara – biashara yoyote inahitaji kujiandaa vipi 
• Mpango wa Biashara – Hii itafanikishwaje
• Nini cha kuuza – Bidhaa au huduma gani na uwezo gani vinahitajika ili kufanikisha hili
• Jinsi ya kushinda – Mkakati wa kwenda sokoni na mauzo 
• Usalama – Athari zozote kwa Utawala, kanuni na Uzingatiaji
• Usimamizi wa vipaji – ujuzi gani utahitajika
• Mafanikio ya Wateja – Kushirikisha, kuanzisha, kusimamia na kuhifadhi wateja
• Ubunifu endelevu – jinsi ya kuendana na mazingira yanayobadilika haraka

4.4.1 Mkakati wa Biashara – biashara inahitaji kujiandaa vipi?

Bitcoin inawakilisha teknolojia mpya inayopokelewa duniani kote. Ingawa kwa mtazamo wa haraka huenda isiwe wazi, inaweza kuathiri nyanja zote za biashara yoyote ikiwemo zile zinazolenga teknolojia. 

Ni mali ya kwanza ya kidijitali yenye uhaba wa kweli na imeunda soko jipya la ‘crypto-coins’ au ‘alt-coins’ ambazo zote zinajaribu kuiga au kujenga kitu kipya kwa kutumia teknolojia msingi. Moja ya dhahiri zaidi ni blockchain, ambayo inatoa uwezo muhimu wa kusimamia pesa za kidijitali, lakini vinginevyo mara nyingi ni suluhisho linalotafuta tatizo la kutatua.

Mfumo mzima umeundwa kuzunguka Bitcoin kuwezesha sio tu pesa imara kwa zama za kidijitali, bali pia mikataba mahiri, mifumo ya malipo na suluhisho nyingine zinazotegemea itifaki hiyo.

Ili kuelewa jinsi Bitcoin inaweza kuathiri biashara zao, watoa huduma za teknolojia wanahitaji kuelewa mambo yafuatayo:

• Usimbaji fiche
• Bitcoin kama mwanzilishi na kiongozi katika sekta hii
• Tatizo la tatu la Blockchain na maamuzi yanayohitajika
• Masuala ya usalama 
• Usimamizi wa programu huria
• Mambo ya mtandao 
• Kriptografia
• Matumizi na athari kwa wateja – malipo n.k.

Chanzo: https://www.solulab.com/cryptocurrency-tech-industry-impact/

Usalama na faragha - Usimbaji fiche na kriptografia

Usalama wa mtandao wa bitcoin una ngazi nyingi. Unapotuma bitcoin, muamala unasimbwa kwa kutumia SHA-256 hashing. Kazi ya uchimbaji pia hutumia hashing kuunda block halali takriban kila dakika kumi. 

Miamala ya Bitcoin inaweza kubaki ya faragha, lakini hili linahitaji uelewa na matumizi ya uwezo kama vile:

• Kutotumia anwani zilezile mara kwa mara
• Kuepuka kutumia KYC na kutotumia barua pepe binafsi
• Kutumia pochi iliyounganishwa na node yako mwenyewe
• Kutangaza miamala kwenye mtandao kupitia Tor
• Matumizi ya Lightning
• Kutumia vipengele vya Coinjoin
• Matumizi ya programu salama kama vile pochi

Kampuni za teknolojia zinazolenga usalama ziko katika nafasi nzuri kuelewa na kutumia uwezo huu kulinda bitcoin za wateja na zao wenyewe. 

Bitcoin kama mwanzilishi na kiongozi

Bitcoin ni teknolojia ya kwanza na ilikuwepo peke yake katika miaka ya mwanzo ya uwepo wake. Sekta ya crypto ilikua kuizunguka huku washindani wakijaribu kuichukua nafasi au kutumia teknolojia msingi kuunda suluhisho mpya. Hii imetokea katika mawimbi ya upokeaji na imetokea mara mbili katika historia ya Bitcoin kama inavyoonyeshwa kwenye chati hapo juu. Mara zote mbili, ubabe wa Bitcoin umerejea baada ya ‘alt-coins’ hizi kushindwa kutimiza ahadi zao. Kuelewa kwa nini hili hutokea mara kwa mara kutasaidia kuongoza uwekezaji wa ndani na pia kutoa fursa za ushauri kwa wateja.

Tatizo la tatu la blockchain na maamuzi ya kuchagua kati ya mambo muhimu

Tatizo la tatu la blockchain linahusu changamoto ya kufikia mambo matatu muhimu ya teknolojia ya blockchain: usalama, uwezo wa kupanuka, na ugatuaji.

Tatizo hili linaonyesha kwamba kuboresha upande mmoja mara nyingi kunapunguza ubora wa pande zingine, hivyo kufanya iwe vigumu kufikia vyote vitatu kwa wakati mmoja. Bitcoin inaboresha usalama, ambapo kiwango cha hash kinacholinda mtandao kinaendelea kukua, na ugatuaji, unaoruhusu mtandao wa kimataifa usio na mamlaka kuu inayousimamia. Hii ni kwa gharama ya uwezo wa kupanuka, kwani idadi ya miamala inayoweza kushughulikiwa kwa sekunde ni ndogo. Tatizo hili limeachwa ili litatuliwe kwenye tabaka za juu kama vile Lightning, kwa njia inayofanana na mbinu ya tabaka nyingi ya TCP/IP.

Usimamizi wa programu huria

Bitcoin ni mradi wa programu huria na msimbo wake unapatikana chini ya leseni huria (MIT), bure kupakua na kutumia kwa madhumuni yoyote. Programu huria inamaanisha zaidi ya kuwa bure kutumia. Pia inamaanisha kwamba bitcoin inatengenezwa na jumuiya huria ya wajitolea.
Andreas Antonopulos

Hiyo "jumuiya huria ya wajitolea" inashirikiana kupitia majukwaa ya watengenezaji kama GitHub. Kupitia hazina za umma, wanaandaa maendeleo ya programu kwa uwazi. Msimbo na historia yake hupatikana wakati wote. Mpangilio mzima una sifa zinazofanana na blockchain, daftari huria lililo katikati ya mtandao wa Bitcoin.

Mtazamo wa programu huria upo kote kwenye mfumo wa Bitcoin; kuanzia kwa wateja kama Bitcoin Core na Bitcoin Knots, hadi wachimbaji wa DIY kama BitAxe, hadi pochi kama Wasabi, Green Wallet, au Blink.

Kampuni au mtu yeyote mwenye ujuzi wa kiufundi anaweza kushiriki kwenye miradi hii, kuongeza thamani na kujenga suluhisho juu yake.

Chanzo kizuri cha marejeleo kwa maendeleo yanayohusiana na Bitcoin ni Jameson Lopp, ambaye amekuwa akijihusisha na Bitcoin tangu siku za mwanzo.

Vipengele vya mtandao

Mtandao wa Bitcoin unajumuisha nodi zinazounganishwa kwenye mtandao wa mesh wenye mpangilio "flati". Hakuna seva, hakuna huduma ya kati, na hakuna uongozi ndani ya mtandao. Nodi ni kompyuta iliyounganishwa na kompyuta nyingine ambayo inafuata sheria na kushiriki taarifa. 'Nodi kamili' ni kompyuta kwenye mtandao wa rika kwa rika wa Bitcoin, inayohifadhi na kusawazisha nakala ya blockchain yote ya Bitcoin. Nodi ni muhimu kwa kuendesha mtandao wa sarafu-fiche, na msimbo wake upo kwenye programu ya Bitcoin Core. Wachimbaji ni kundi maalum la nodi zinazofanya kazi ya hashing na kuunda vitalu. Kama mchoro wa Lightning hapo juu unavyoonyesha, kuna mfumo wa kampuni zinazotoa vifaa na/au programu ili kutoa huduma hizi, ambapo kampuni yoyote ya teknolojia inaweza kuchagua kushiriki.

Matumizi na athari kwa wateja

Kama mchoro unavyoonyesha pia, sehemu ya mfumo huu inajumuisha kampuni zinazotoa miundombinu ya malipo, pochi, mabwawa ya uchimbaji na programu zinazotoa thamani kwa mtumiaji kama vile Podcast na Maduka ya Kubadilishana. Eneo lolote kati ya haya linaweza kuwa njia ya kuchunguza kwa kampuni ya teknolojia, iwe ni kuelewa fursa zinazoweza kujitokeza au vitisho kwa biashara iliyopo.

Je, biashara inahitaji kubadilika vipi?

Kwa kuelewa vipengele hivi muhimu, biashara itakuwa katika nafasi ya kuzingatia jinsi mkakati uliopo unaweza kuhitaji kubadilika, kwa mfano kujibu maswali muhimu yaliyoainishwa kwenye ‘Playing to Win’:

• Dhamira ya kushinda – lengo la biashara yetu ni nini na matarajio yanayoongoza na Bitcoin inaingiaje hapa?
• Tutacheza wapi? – ni maeneo gani ya kijiografia, aina za bidhaa, na sehemu tunaweza kufanikiwa kulingana na uelewa wa mfumo wa Bitcoin.
• Tutashinda vipi? – pendekezo la thamani na faida ya ushindani kulingana na uwezo wa sasa.
• Ni uwezo gani lazima uwepo? – ni uwekezaji gani maalum wa mtaji na rasilimali unahitajika.
• Ni mifumo gani ya usimamizi inahitajika? - je, kubadilisha aina ya pesa/rasilimali ya hazina kutaathiri vipi biashara na mifumo ya ndani.

Mfano wa mbinu unaweza kuwa kufanya uchambuzi wa SWOT, ambao unaweza kujumuisha:

Nguvu

• Ni ujuzi na teknolojia gani zinapatikana ndani ya kampuni kutumika kwenye sekta ya Bitcoin?

Udhaifu

• Ni ujuzi gani au uwekezaji wa ziada unaweza kuhitajika ili kukabiliana na mabadiliko haya?

Fursa

• Ni biashara gani mpya zinaundwa kuzunguka Bitcoin?
• Je, AI na Bitcoin/Lightning vinafanyaje kazi pamoja?

Vitisho

• Washindani wetu wanafanya nini kukabiliana na eneo hili?
• Ni ushindani gani mpya unaweza kujitokeza kadri Bitcoin inavyokomaa?
• Ni hatari gani zinazoletwa na hili kwa biashara ya sasa?

Kukamilisha uchambuzi kama huu kwa kutumia mfumo huu au mingine kutasaidia kuelewa jinsi Bitcoin inaweza kuathiri biashara, na ni mabadiliko gani yanahitaji kufanywa.

4.4.2 Mpango wa Biashara – hii itafikiwa vipi?

Kama inavyoonyeshwa kwenye mfano wa mfumo wa Lightning, sekta ya IT ni muhimu kwa uchumi wa Bitcoin, na kuna fursa nyingi tofauti za kuongeza thamani kulingana na majibu ya maswali ya wapi utacheza na utashinda vipi, kama vile:

• Maendeleo ya miundombinu ya mtandao wa Tabaka la 2/3
• Kushiriki katika maendeleo ya programu huria
• Maendeleo ya suluhisho mpya za vifaa
• Maendeleo ya programu na programu tumizi
• Utekelezaji wa suluhisho za AI na Bitcoin
• Kuboresha usalama wa IT na faragha kwa mtandao wa Bitcoin
• Uchimbaji wa Bitcoin na uchambuzi wa nishati

4.4.3 Nini cha kuuza - Ni bidhaa au huduma gani zinaweza kuundwa au kubadilishwa ili kufaa mfano huu mpya wa biashara?

Baadhi ya mifano ya kampuni zinazovumbua katika eneo hili ni:

Fountain ni App ya Podcast inayotoa ubunifu kadhaa kwenye Podcasting.

App hii imeunganishwa na pochi ya Lightning inayotumia CashApp au Strike, ambayo inaruhusu watumiaji wa app kutuma na kupokea 'sats' - kiasi kidogo cha bitcoin.

Wasikilizaji wanaweza kuchagua kutuma sats kwa mtayarishaji kwa dakika wanaposikiliza. Pia wanaweza 'kuongeza nguvu' podcast wanazozipenda kwa kutuma sats kwa mpodcaster pamoja na ujumbe. 'Boosts' zinaonekana kama maoni ili wasikilizaji wengine waweze kusoma na kujibu. Unapotuma Boost itaonekana kwenye ukurasa wa kipindi na sehemu ya kipindi chini ya shughuli. Unavyozidi kutoa Boost, ndivyo inavyoonekana juu zaidi kwenye ukurasa wa kipindi. Pia itaonekana na watumiaji wengine wanaokufuata kwenye Fountain kwenye sehemu yao ya Discover.

Wapodcaster hivyo wanaweza kupata sats kupitia lightning kutokana na ushiriki wa wasikilizaji, na wanaweza kuchagua kugawana hii moja kwa moja na wachangiaji wowote wa kipindi.

Kwa mtumiaji, kila dakika inayotumika kutumia maudhui, kuunda maudhui, au kutazama matangazo, inaongeza thamani ya jukwaa linalotumika. Fikiria yale yanayotumika kila siku. Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok - majukwaa haya yote yangepoteza thamani bila muda na umakini unaotolewa, lakini hakuna hata moja linalomlipa mtumiaji kwa kubaki. Kwenye app ya Fountain, watumiaji wanaweza kulipwa kwa kupenda, kusikiliza maudhui yaliyopandishwa au hata kusikiliza podcast tu.

Kampuni zinaweza kufikiria kuelekeza fedha za masoko – ambazo kwa jadi asilimia 50% hupotea lakini ni vigumu kujua ni ipi – ili kutumia mfano kama huu.

MicroStrategy Incorporated ni kampuni ya Marekani inayotoa huduma za biashara za akili, programu za simu na huduma za wingu. Kampuni hii hutengeneza programu za kuchambua data za ndani na nje ili kufanya maamuzi ya kibiashara na kutengeneza programu za simu.

Mwezi Agosti 2020, MicroStrategy iliwekeza $250 milioni kwenye bitcoin kama akiba ya hazina, ikitaja kupungua kwa mapato kutoka kwa fedha taslimu, na sasa inatumia bitcoin kutoa motisha kwa wafanyakazi. MicroStrategy ni moja ya mashirika makubwa yanayoendeleza na kutekeleza suluhisho katika mwelekeo huu, na mwaka 2023, MicroStrategy ilitangaza mipango kadhaa katika eneo hili:

• Kuwalipa wafanyakazi kwa kuhudhuria mikutano ya mtandaoni. Kwa kuunganisha lightning na Zoom, mikutano na makongamano yanapopangwa, kama vile siku ya kampuni, wafanyakazi wanaohudhuria na kubaki hadi mwisho wa webinar hupata SATs.
• Motisha ya kushiriki maarifa kwa kuunganisha na Salesforce. Wafanyakazi pia hulipwa kwa kutoa maarifa muhimu kwa njia ya makala ambazo wateja wanaweza kusoma kujibu maswali yao kuhusu bidhaa za MicroStrategy. Wafanyakazi pia hulipwa kwa kujibu maswali papo hapo kwa kutumia sats.
• Motisha ya kutumia maudhui kwa kuunganisha na Wistia. Maudhui ya video yaliyotengenezwa na timu ya masoko, yanayoelezea maono na dhamira ya MicroStrategy, pamoja na mrejesho wa wateja kuhusu jinsi bidhaa za kampuni zinavyofaa, yanahifadhiwa kwenye Wistia huku wafanyakazi wakilipwa kutazama maudhui haya. Lengo ni kuwasaidia wafanyakazi "kuelewa maono yake, kuelewa uwezo mpya wa bidhaa, na kuelewa matumizi ya wateja wetu" huku wakilipwa Sats.
• Motisha ya kujifunza kwa kuunganisha na Adobe LMS. Wafanyakazi wa MicroStrategy walisema kuwa kutokana na umuhimu wa maendeleo binafsi ya wafanyakazi kwa kampuni, mfumo wa kujifunza uliundwa na kuunganishwa na Adobe Learning Management System, ambao pia unafanya kazi na motisha ya Lightning.

MicroStrategy ilibainisha kuwa uwezo huu utapatikana kwa wateja wa jukwaa la MicroStrategy.

Tangu uwekezaji wa awali kwenye bitcoin, MicroStrategy imewekeza sana na kuwa mmoja wa wamiliki wakubwa wa bitcoin, na imeona hisa zake zikifanya vizuri zaidi kuliko washindani wa sekta. Thamani iliyoongezeka ya chaguzi za hisa zinazomilikiwa na wafanyakazi ilielezwa kwenye mahojiano kuwa imekuwa na athari chanya kwenye kubaki kwa wafanyakazi.

Chanzo: https://cryptotvplus.com/2023/05/how-microstrategys-sats-rewards-spark-employee-motivation/

Kama mifano hii miwili inavyoonyesha, kutumia Bitcoin na Lightning kunatoa fursa sio tu kwa kutoa motisha za ndani kwa wafanyakazi bali pia kwa huduma za nje. Kampuni za teknolojia ziko kwenye nafasi nzuri kuweza kutumia haya kwao wenyewe, na pia kuwasaidia wateja kutekeleza suluhisho hizi.

Bidhaa au huduma zinazoweza kutolewa zitategemea sana sehemu ya teknolojia ambayo kampuni inahusika nayo, lakini baadhi ya mifano ni:

• Kampuni za programu - malipo ya usajili wa SaaS kwa kutumia SATS streaming
• Wauzaji wa usalama – huduma maalum za kugundua cryptojacking
• MSPs – Programu za elimu ya Blockchain/Bitcoin kwa wateja
• Majukwaa ya mitandao ya kijamii - kutoza ada ya matumizi badala ya kutegemea mapato ya matangazo
• Kutuma sats kwa watumiaji (mfano kwa kujaza tafiti au kutumia muda kwenye jukwaa au tovuti) badala ya kutumia fedha kwenye masoko na matangazo
• Kampuni za FinOps zinazoanza kutumia Bitcoin kwa malipo
• Watoa huduma za Data Center wakitoa suluhisho za joto/uchimbaji kwa AI/BTC
• Kampuni za joto zikijumuisha uchimbaji
• Kampuni za nishati mbadala zikijumuisha uchimbaji

Ni muhimu pia kutambua kuwa uwekezaji mkubwa umefanywa kwenye 'alt-coins' ambazo zimejitangaza kuwa zimeundwa kutoa suluhisho mpya na za ubunifu, lakini zimekosa kupata mafanikio ya kweli hadi sasa. Mawazo bora kati ya haya huenda yakajikuta kwenye mtandao wa Bitcoin.

4.4.4 Jinsi ya kushinda – mkakati wa kwenda sokoni na mauzo

Mkakati wa masoko ya kidijitali unapaswa kujumuisha mpango wa kutumia njia za mtandaoni kuanzisha uwepo wa intaneti na kufikia malengo maalum ya masoko. Mwisho wa siku, lengo ni kuongeza mwonekano wa biashara yoyote na kuvutia wateja wapya kwa kutumia njia mbalimbali. Kama inavyoonekana kwenye mifano hapo juu, malipo madogo madogo yanaweza pia kufanya mifano mipya ya masoko iwezekane.

Mkakati na mpango wa masoko unapaswa kubadilishwa kujumuisha mipango inayohusiana na Bitcoin iliyoafikiwa, na malengo na madhumuni wazi yameainishwa.

Malengo yanaweza kuwa:

• Kujenga uongozi wa mawazo kuhusu Bitcoin katika eneo la teknolojia linalohusiana na biashara
• Kuvutia wateja wapya kwa bidhaa na huduma zinazolenga Bitcoin
• Kuongeza utambuzi wa chapa katika eneo la Bitcoin

Mpango wa masoko unaweza kujumuisha mipango kama:

• Kujenga ukurasa mpya wa kutua wa tovuti unaolenga Bitcoin na/au Lightning
• Kujumuisha ujumbe wa Bitcoin kwenye kampeni zilizopo za masoko
• Uzinduzi wa bidhaa au huduma zinazohusiana na Bitcoin
• Kuongeza wafuasi wa mitandao ya kijamii kwenye majukwaa yanayolenga maudhui ya Bitcoin
• Kuchangia kwenye programu huria
• Kutumia fursa ya sats streaming kuhamasisha matumizi ya maudhui ya masoko au elimu

4.4.5 Usalama – athari yoyote kwenye Utawala, kanuni na mahitaji ya utii

Je, matumizi ya Bitcoin na itifaki huria zinazohusiana nayo yanaathiri jinsi tunavyofikiria kuhusu hatari za IT na utii wa kanuni?

Usalama na ufuataji wa sheria ni muhimu kwa mafanikio ya Bitcoin, ambayo inategemea hashing, kriptografia na usimbaji fiche. Kama itifaki ya chanzo huria, msimbo wake unapatikana kwa yeyote kuuchunguza na kutoa michango. Kampuni za teknolojia zinaweza kuwa katika nafasi nzuri kuchangia kwenye mfumo huu wa ikolojia.

Kulingana na suluhisho zilizochaguliwa ambazo kampuni inazilenga, kunaweza kuwa na mambo mengine ya usalama na ufuataji wa sheria ya kuzingatia, kama vile kanuni za miamala ya kifedha au faragha ya wateja.

4.4.6 Usimamizi wa vipaji – ni ujuzi gani mpya utahitajika

Watumiaji wa awali wa Bitcoin wengi walitoka kwenye sekta ya IT, labda kwa sababu watumiaji wa mwanzo walihitaji kuwa na uelewa wa juu wa kiufundi ili kuthamini jinsi Bitcoin inavyotoa usalama na uhaba.

Kama ilivyoelezwa katika utangulizi, msemo wa kawaida ni kwamba Bitcoin inaunganisha kila kitu usichokielewa kuhusu kompyuta na kila kitu usichokielewa kuhusu pesa. La pili linaweza kuwa jambo linalohitaji elimu zaidi ya ndani, lakini sekta ya teknolojia iko katika nafasi nzuri ikilinganishwa na sekta nyingine kutambua na kutoa ujuzi unaofaa unaohitajika. Kulingana na eneo maalum la mkazo, ujuzi mpya wa kiufundi unaweza kuhitajika kutambuliwa kuhusu mitandao, usimbaji fiche au kriptografia ndani ya kampuni.

Uelewa wa mambo ya kiufundi ya Bitcoin pia unakosekana kwa ujumla, na kampuni za teknolojia ziko katika nafasi nzuri kusaidia kuelimisha soko.

Ili kuweza kutoa elimu na mafunzo bora kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya ndani na msaada pamoja na kwa soko, vipengele vya kifedha vya Bitcoin pia vinahitaji kueleweka. Hili linaweza lisiwe eneo la faraja kwa kampuni ya teknolojia ya kawaida, lakini litahitajika ili kutoa elimu na mafunzo bora kwa wateja watarajiwa kuhusu kwa nini ni muhimu na kwa nini bidhaa na huduma mpya ambazo kampuni inatoa zina thamani.

4.4.7 Usimamizi wa wateja – ushirikishwaji, uandikishaji na uhifadhi

Lengo kuu la kampuni yoyote ni kutoa matokeo chanya kwa wateja wanaolengwa na kutafsiri hilo kuwa faida. Kampuni za teknolojia mara nyingi zimeweka timu ya 'Mafanikio ya Wateja' ili kuzingatia kusimamia kila mteja katika mzunguko mzima, kutoka kujenga uelewa hadi upendeleo, uandikishaji na usimamizi wa wateja, na hatimaye uaminifu.

Hata hivyo, kazi hii itakavyosimamiwa, sasa italazimika kujumuisha Bitcoin. Hii inaweza kujumuisha:

• Warsha za Elimu kwa Wateja kuhusu Bitcoin
• Mchango kwa maendeleo ya huduma kutoka kwa wateja
• Kuuza huduma mpya zinazohusiana na Bitcoin kwa wateja waliopo
• Kusimamia kuridhika kwa wateja kunakohusiana na huduma mpya
• Kukusanya tafiti za kesi na ushuhuda unaohusiana na suluhisho za Bitcoin

Hii itahitaji ujuzi mpya na huenda michakato mipya kuwekwa.

4.4.8 Ubunifu

Bitcoin bado iko katika hatua za awali za kupokelewa na kuendelezwa, na hivyo iko kwenye mkondo mkali wa ubunifu endelevu katika sehemu nyingi za sekta hii. Ni muhimu kwa kampuni yoyote ya teknolojia kufuatilia ubunifu huu ili kubaki muhimu katika sekta. Kwa kuwa sekta ya teknolojia tayari inabadilika kwa kasi, utamaduni wa ubunifu endelevu unapaswa tayari kuwepo, na Bitcoin inahitaji kujumuishwa katika mchakato huu.

4.4.9 Muhtasari

Mtandao uliinua 'Idara ya IT' hadi kwenye uongozi kupitia nafasi ya CTO ilipobainika kuwa IT haikuwa 'chombo tu' bali ilikuwa inabadilisha (au kufuta) mifumo ya uendeshaji. Bitcoin inajenga zaidi juu ya hili kwa kubadilisha upande wa kifedha wa biashara. Kila kampuni kubwa/ya kati sasa ni biashara ya programu na, ndani ya miaka 10-15, kila kampuni huenda ikawa biashara ya Bitcoin pia.

Kampuni za teknolojia ziko katika nafasi nzuri kuelewa na kunufaika na upokeaji huu wa Bitcoin. Hii inaweza kuchukua sura nyingi kulingana na wasifu wa kampuni na soko linalolengwa, lakini itahitaji kiwango fulani cha uelewa na uwekezaji katika sehemu nyingi za kampuni ili kufanikiwa.

4.5.0 Utangulizi

Nadhani kwamba Mtandao utakuwa moja ya nguvu kuu za kupunguza jukumu la serikali. Kitu kimoja ambacho kinakosekana, lakini kitakachotengenezwa hivi karibuni, ni e-cash inayotegemewa, njia ambayo unaweza kuhamisha fedha kutoka A kwenda B kupitia Mtandao bila A kumjua B au B kumjua A. Kama vile ninavyoweza kuchukua noti ya 20€, nikakupa, na hakuna rekodi ya ilikotoka. Unaweza kupata hiyo bila kujua mimi ni nani.
Milton Friedman

Kampuni nyingi na watu wengi walikosa umuhimu wa mtandao ulipoanza na waliendelea kufanya hivyo hata ulipoendelea kutoa uwezo mpana ambao sasa tunauchukulia kuwa wa kawaida, na ambao umebadilisha nyanja nyingi za maisha yetu. Watumiaji wa mwanzo - wakati wa nukuu hii - waliokuwa wakihangaika kutuma barua pepe kupitia modem ya kasi ndogo, wangeona vigumu kufikiria kutembea na kifaa cha mkononi kinachotoa upatikanaji wa papo hapo kwa programu nyingi zinazopatikana leo.

Teknolojia za wingu pia zilileta mabadiliko makubwa, zikianza na uzinduzi wa huduma za msingi za kuhifadhi data miaka michache kabla ya kuzinduliwa kwa Bitcoin, na mwanzoni zilionekana kama toleo la kuhifadhi data nje ya ofisi, lakini baadaye zikawa jukwaa kuu la utoaji wa huduma za TEHAMA na zinaendelea kuendeleza uwezo na vipengele vipya kwa kasi ambayo ni vigumu kuendana nayo.

Kiungo kilichokosekana cha kufungua hatua inayofuata ya thamani kutoka kwenye mtandao, kama Friedman alivyosema mapema, ni njia ya kidijitali inayofanana na pesa taslimu ambayo inaweza kutumika kulipia thamani inayotolewa kupitia mtandao, jambo ambalo Bitcoin inaleta. Imeendelea kiasili, bila bajeti ya masoko au kampuni kubwa nyuma yake, na imekubalika kwa kasi kuliko mtandao hadi kuwa 'e-cash' ambayo Friedman aliona kama kiungo kilichokosekana. Inawawezesha watu na kampuni kufanya miamala duniani kote bila kuhitaji ruhusa au mifumo kutoka kwa Serikali. Itafungua wimbi jipya la ubunifu na ushirikiano duniani, na kampuni zitakazolielewa hili na kulikubali mapema ndizo zitakazonufaika zaidi.

4.5.1 Bitcoin kwa Watoa Huduma za Kitaalamu

Huduma za kitaalamu kwa kawaida huelezea biashara zinazotoa huduma na utaalamu badala ya bidhaa iliyotengenezwa. Ikiwa wewe ni mmoja wao, basi sura hii inaelezea athari zinazoweza kutokea kwenye sekta hii, jinsi kuwa na pesa taslimu ya kidijitali isiyo na uaminifu inayopatikana duniani kote inaweza kuathiri jinsi unavyofanya biashara, na aina za huduma zinazoweza kutolewa ili kunufaika na maendeleo haya.

Kwa nini uzingatie Bitcoin?

Bitcoin inaweza kufungua njia mpya kwa huduma zilizopo, kuathiri jinsi huduma za sasa zinavyoweza kuhitaji kubadilika, na kutoa uwezekano wa kujenga huduma mpya zinazohusiana na ujuzi na maarifa yako ya sasa ya sekta.

Kuongeza bitcoin kwenye majadiliano na wateja waliopo

Katika mazingira ya sasa, bitcoin bado ni zaidi ya biashara kwenda kwa mtumiaji (B2C). Kampuni ya huduma za kitaalamu yenye wateja kama vile hoteli au minyororo ya migahawa inaweza kushauriana na wateja hao ili kujumuisha malipo ya bitcoin kwa wateja wao wa mwisho.

Kadri soko linavyokomaa, kuongeza Bitcoin kama chaguo la malipo kwa huduma zao wenyewe pia kunaweza kutangaza uwezo wao katika eneo hili. Wamiliki wa Bitcoin huwa na hamu ya kutafuta na kutumia huduma kutoka kwa kampuni ambazo wanaweza kulipa kwa Bitcoin.

Jinsi Bitcoin inaweza kuathiri huduma zilizopo

Kwa mashirika ya huduma za kitaalamu, kuibuka kwa uchumi wa Bitcoin kunaweza kuhitaji mtazamo wa ushirikiano zaidi ambapo wauzaji, wasambazaji, watumiaji na hata washindani watakuwa na mabadilishano ya wazi zaidi ya data na maarifa kwenye mfumo wa ikolojia wa pamoja. Bitcoin inahusu mfumo wa ikolojia unaoutumikia, kusawazisha uwanja wa mchezo na kusambaza upya mamlaka na uwajibikaji kwa wale wanaoshiriki ndani yake. Kwa mfano, Nostr (Notes and other stuff transmitted by relay) ni jukwaa jipya la mitandao ya kijamii linalotoa kiungo cha moja kwa moja kati ya jamii ya watumiaji kwa kubadilishana taarifa na thamani kwa kutumia Bitcoin.

Kama vile Wingu lilivyowezesha ushirikiano wa kimataifa na kutoa upatikanaji mkubwa wa rasilimali za TEHAMA kwa watumiaji wengi zaidi, Bitcoin inaweza kuwezesha upatikanaji wa aina ya pesa iliyo wazi na wazi kwa hadhira ya kimataifa. Mashirika ya huduma za kitaalamu yatapaswa kuangalia suluhisho wanazotoa ili kuzingatia jinsi mabadiliko haya yanaweza kuathiri jinsi wanavyotoa huduma na bidhaa zao zilizopo kwa wateja wao.

Huduma mpya zinazotokana na mfumo wa ikolojia wa Bitcoin

Mbali na kuathiri huduma zilizopo, Bitcoin na mfumo wa ikolojia unaojengwa juu yake unatoa fursa ya kuunda huduma mpya kama njia mbadala au vyanzo vipya kabisa vya mapato kwa kampuni za huduma za kitaalamu. Baadhi ya mifano ya haya imetolewa hapa chini:

Uhasibu

Historia

Ingawa bitcoin huenda si mali ya kawaida kwa wahasibu wa hazina za kampuni, uelewa mkubwa wa bitcoin unaweza kusaidia kueleza kwa nini wahasibu wa hazina za kampuni kubwa zilizoorodheshwa kwenye soko la hisa wameanza kuikubali katika miaka ya hivi karibuni. Sifa nyingi za bitcoin, kama vile idadi ya juu ya tokeni milioni 21 na uhaba unaothibitishwa kwenye blockchain ya umma, zinaweza kuifanya kuwa sehemu ya kuhifadhi thamani inayovutia. Sehemu hii muhimu ya mkusanyiko inaweza kuwa kinga muhimu dhidi ya nakisi za bajeti, kushuka kwa thamani ya sarafu, na hatari za kijiografia. Wahasibu wa hazina za kampuni wanapokabiliana na changamoto mpya za kiuchumi, sifa za kipekee za bitcoin zimekuwa msaada.

Kiasili, hazina za kampuni zimekuwa zikisimamia fedha kwa tahadhari kwa kugawa mtaji mwingi kwenye mali zinazochukuliwa kuwa na hatari ndogo (mfano, amana za benki, fedha za soko la fedha, hati fungani za hazina, hati za biashara, na mikataba ya ununuzi wa tena). Hata hivyo, sababu zisizoeleweka za kiuchumi ikiwa ni pamoja na mfumuko wa bei, viwango vya riba, na hatari za kijiografia zilizoongezeka zinaweza kufanya kampuni kufikiria upya ufanisi wa mikakati hiyo.

Mchambuzi wa uwekezaji na mwandishi Lyn Alden anaelezea aina tatu za mfumuko wa bei: mfumuko wa fedha, mfumuko wa bei wa mali, na mfumuko wa bei wa bidhaa na huduma (CPI). Mfumuko wa fedha (ongezeko la jumla ya fedha kama inavyopimwa na M2) hauhakikishi lakini ni mtangulizi wa mfumuko wa bei wa mali (ongezeko la bei na thamani ya mali zinazoweza kuwekeza) na mfumuko wa bei wa bidhaa na huduma (ongezeko la kiwango cha bei cha bidhaa na huduma zisizo za kifedha).

Kulingana na aina ya biashara, kampuni zinaweza kuathiriwa na mfumuko wa bei wa mali na mfumuko wa bei wa bidhaa na huduma. Kwa mfano, mfumuko wa bei wa mali unaweza kusababisha ongezeko la thamani ya mali ambayo kampuni inaweza kutaka kuwekeza au kununua, na mfumuko wa bei wa bidhaa na huduma unaweza kusababisha gharama kubwa zaidi za bidhaa kulingana na uwezo wa ununuzi wa fedha taslimu.

Kwa nini Wahasibu wa Hazina za Kampuni Wanaweza Kufikiria Kuwekeza kwenye Bitcoin

Kampuni za huduma za kitaalamu zinapaswa kufahamu idadi inayoongezeka ya kampuni zinazoongeza bitcoin kwenye mizania yao, na kwa nini, kwa mfano MicroStrategy na Metaplanet. Kuelewa faida za kuwa na uwezo wa kutumia mizania yako kama kichocheo cha thamani kwa wanahisa kunaongeza thamani kwenye ushauri ambao kampuni ya huduma za kitaalamu inaweza kutoa kwa wateja wake.

Kanuni

Maendeleo mengi ya kisheria duniani kote kuhusu mali za kidijitali yamewapa wawekezaji ujasiri zaidi katika bitcoin kama uwekezaji. Kwa data ya soko inayoongezeka na historia ya bei, kanuni rafiki kwa mali za kidijitali kama mfumo wa kisheria wa MiCA wa Umoja wa Ulaya (E.U.), na idhini ya SEC ya Marekani ya bidhaa ya kubadilishana bitcoin ya moja kwa moja mwezi Januari 2024 zimewapa wawekezaji na kampuni uhakika na uwazi waliokuwa wakitafuta.

Mabadiliko ya Kanuni za Uhasibu za FASB

Mwezi Desemba 2023, Bodi ya Viwango vya Uhasibu wa Fedha (FASB) ilisasisha miongozo yake kuhusu jinsi kampuni zinavyopaswa kuhesabu na kuripoti bitcoin na mali nyingine za kidijitali kwenye mizania yao ya kampuni. Kanuni hizi mpya zinawanufaisha kampuni zinazoshikilia bitcoin kwa kuwaruhusu kutumia uhasibu wa thamani halisi ya soko, hatimaye kuruhusu kampuni pia kuongeza thamani ya mali kulingana na soko. Hapo awali, kampuni ziliruhusiwa tu kupunguza thamani ya mali za kidijitali. Miongozo mipya inaweza kutoa mtazamo bora wa taarifa za kifedha za kampuni na afya ya kifedha kwa kuonyesha thamani halisi ya bitcoin inayoshikiliwa.

Utendaji wa Bei ya Bitcoin kwa Muda

Kama jaribio la kufikiria, fikiria jinsi mizania ya kampuni ya wastani ya S&P 500 ingekuwa kama wangewekeza asilimia 1 tu ya mizania yao ya hazina ya kampuni kwenye bitcoin katika miaka mitano iliyopita. Tukichukulia wastani wa ukubwa wa hazina ya €10 bilioni, fikiria kama asilimia 1 (€100 milioni) ingetengwa kwa bitcoin mwezi Juni 2019 kwa €10,000. Licha ya kushuka kwa thamani mwanzoni na vipindi vya mabadiliko makubwa ya bei, nafasi ya bitcoin hatimaye ingepata nafuu na kukua hadi takriban €700 milioni kufikia Juni 2024. Ingawa kampuni inaweza kukumbana na mabadiliko ya mapato ya muda mfupi, utendaji wa kifedha wa muda mrefu wa kampuni ungeimarika sana, hasa wakati wa vipindi vya mfumuko wa bei mkubwa vilivyofuata kuanza kwa janga la COVID-19.

Fursa

Mazingaombwe ya sasa ya kiuchumi yenye mfumuko wa bei mkubwa na usio na uhakika yamekuwa yakiwasukuma wahasibu wa hazina za kampuni wenye mtazamo wa mbele kufikiria kuongeza bitcoin kwenye mizania yao. Mfululizo wa mgao wa mizania kwenye bitcoin kutoka Block Inc., MicroStrategy, Stone Ridge Holdings Group, na wengine unaonyesha mwelekeo ambao unaweza kuendelea kukua kadri biashara zinavyopima hatari za kupungua kwa ukwasi kutokana na viwango vya juu vya riba na uwezekano wa kupoteza uwezo wa ununuzi wa fedha taslimu kutokana na sera za fedha na bajeti za benki kuu.

Kampuni zinazochagua kugawa kwenye bitcoin zinaweza kunufaika na utendaji bora kutokana na thamani ya bitcoin kuongezeka kwa muda, na wahasibu wanaoelewa faida na athari zinazowezekana za njia hii wanaweza kunufaika.

Huduma za kifedha

Historia

Muunganiko wa sekta za huduma za kifedha na teknolojia umeleta kiwango cha kutokuwa na uhakika, huku ubunifu kama teknolojia ya malipo ya mtu kwa mtu (peer-to-peer) ukivuruga miundombinu, uendeshaji na mifano ya biashara.

Ingawa ubunifu huu unasukuma suluhisho zinazolenga zaidi wateja kwa gharama nafuu, pia unaweka shinikizo kubwa kwa taasisi za kifedha kuwa na mwitikio na wepesi zaidi.

Sekta ya teknolojia ya kifedha (Fintech) inajumuisha kampuni nyingi zinazotumia teknolojia kutoa huduma bunifu kama malipo mtandaoni, programu za simu, mara nyingi zikifanya kazi na sarafu za kawaida na mifumo ya malipo.

Sarafu za kidijitali hutumia blockchain na kriptografia kutoa sarafu mbadala za kidijitali, ambazo zimeundwa kutoa uwazi, usalama na miamala isiyo na mipaka. Soko hili limeendelea kwa miaka kadhaa kujumuisha suluhisho tofauti na ndilo msingi wa Sarafu za Kidijitali za Benki Kuu (CBDCs) zinazotengenezwa na Serikali duniani kote. Hii imesababisha mkanganyiko sokoni na suluhisho tofauti zikishindania umakini wa biashara na Serikali. Hakuna kati ya suluhisho hizi inayotoa manufaa yanayotakiwa ya aina ya pesa isiyo na udhibiti, chanzo wazi na isiyo na ruhusa isipokuwa Bitcoin.

Fursa

• Uhamisho wa fedha za kigeni duniani: Njia za kifedha zilizopo zinazotumika kuhamisha pesa duniani ni ghali, ngumu na polepole, na pia hazipatikani kwa washiriki wote wanaoweza kushiriki. Hii inafungua fursa ya kutoa uhamisho wa kifedha wa bei nafuu, uwazi zaidi na ufanisi kati ya pande mbili zozote duniani. Hii inaweza kuwa kwa msingi wa Dola ya Marekani kwa kutumia suluhisho kama USDT (Tether), au kutumia bitcoin moja kwa moja kupitia Lightning Network.
• Huduma za ushauri: Kupitishwa kwa Bitcoin kama suluhisho bora zaidi la kukidhi mahitaji ya wateja – kuelewa sifa bora za Bitcoin kama hifadhi ya thamani na mfumo unaojengwa kuizunguka - kunatoa fursa ya kutoa huduma za ushauri kwa wateja kuhusu jinsi wanavyoweza kufaidika na kupitishwa kwa bitcoin, pamoja na kuilinganisha na mbadala nyingine.

Huduma ya ukaguzi na uthibitisho

Historia

Teknolojia ya blockchain ina uwezo wa kuathiri michakato yote ya utunzaji wa kumbukumbu, ikiwa ni pamoja na jinsi miamala inavyoanzishwa, kuchakatwa, kuidhinishwa, kurekodiwa na kuripotiwa. Hii inaweza kuwa na athari kwenye shughuli kama vile utoaji wa taarifa za kifedha na taarifa za kodi. Wahasibu waliohitimu watahitaji kuelewa teknolojia inayotumika kuunda na kuthibitisha miamala ya Bitcoin na jinsi inavyohifadhiwa kwenye leja ya blockchain ikilinganishwa na leja za jadi.

Ingawa nje ya wigo wa moduli hii, suluhisho mbadala nyingine zinazotokana na wazo la blockchains zipo, kama vile CBDCs, ‘stablecoins’ na suluhisho nyingine zinazolenga mikataba mahiri. Kuelewa suluhisho hizi na athari zinazoweza kutokea iwapo mteja ameamua kuzitumia pia kutahitaji kuelewa jinsi zinavyofanya kazi. Utaalamu huu utakuwa muhimu kujibu maswali kama vile kama ni za kidemokrasia na za umma au ‘zinazoruhusiwa’ na kusimamiwa na muungano wa wamiliki wa itifaki, kama mfano kwa usimamizi wa mnyororo wa ugavi. Hii itakuwa na athari juu ya mbinu gani za uthibitishaji zinaweza kuhitajika kwa ufuatiliaji bora wa ukaguzi.

• Mikataba mahiri: Mikataba mahiri ni njia ya kujiendesha mchakato wa mikataba na kuwezesha ufuatiliaji na utekelezaji wa ahadi za kimkataba kwa uingiliaji mdogo wa binadamu. Uendeshaji otomatiki unaweza kuboresha ufanisi, kupunguza muda wa makato na makosa ya kiutendaji. Kwa sababu kutumia teknolojia ya mikataba mahiri kunahitaji kutafsiri masharti yote ya mkataba kuwa mantiki, pia kunaweza kuboresha utii wa mkataba kwa kupunguza utata katika hali fulani. Hata hivyo, inaweza kuhitaji kiwango fulani cha ujuzi wa kiufundi kutekeleza na kufuatilia ambacho timu haina kwa sasa. Mkaguzi wa CPA anaweza kuhitajika kuthibitisha kiolesura kati ya mikataba mahiri na vyanzo vya data vya nje vinavyochochea matukio ya biashara. Bila tathmini huru, watumiaji wanakabiliwa na hatari ya makosa au udhaifu usiotambulika.
• Ripoti za ESG: Kujihusisha na bitcoin kunaweza kuruhusu makampuni kupata faida chanya katika ripoti zao za ESG, ambazo sasa ni sehemu ya lazima na kubwa ya ripoti zao za kisheria. Karatasi ya KPMG iliyoandikwa mwaka 2022 inaelezea jinsi uchimbaji wa Bitcoin unaweza kuhamasisha matumizi ya nishati mbadala, kusawazisha gridi za nishati kwa kutumia vyanzo vya nishati mbadala visivyo na uhakika, kupunguza utoaji wa methane na kusaidia kutumia tena joto linalozalishwa na vituo vya data.

Fursa

Ili kuchukua jukumu jipya, mkaguzi anaweza kuhitaji seti mpya ya ujuzi:

• Uelewa wa lugha za programu za kiufundi
• Njia bora za ukusanyaji wa data kutoka kwenye blockchain ya Bitcoin kwa matumizi ya ukaguzi
• Tofauti za utekelezaji kati ya suluhisho na athari zake kwenye uaminifu na umiliki wa itifaki
• Kukagua mkataba mahiri kwa kufuata kanuni na udhibiti wa wahusika wengine
• Usuluhishi wa migogoro kwa mikataba mahiri kulingana na mfumo wowote wa kisheria unaotumika
• Uelewa wa athari za ESG za kupitishwa kwa bitcoin

Washauri wa Kifedha

Historia

Mbali na kumiliki mali za kidijitali moja kwa moja, watu wengi wenye utajiri na ofisi za kifamilia wanatenga sehemu ya uwekezaji wao mpya kwenye mifuko inayowekeza kwenye mali mahususi za kidijitali au miradi ya mali za kidijitali. Wakati ETF mpya za bitcoin spot zinawawezesha kushikilia uwekezaji unaofuatilia utendaji wa bitcoin bila kuchukua hatari za uhifadhi zinazohusiana na kumiliki mali yenyewe, njia salama zaidi ya kulinda thamani ya muda mrefu ni kujifunza jinsi ya kushikilia mali hiyo moja kwa moja.

Kwa kutia moyo, inaonekana wasimamizi wamekubali kwa ujumla kwamba mali za kidijitali kama bitcoin zipo na zitabaki, hivyo, badala ya kuzingatia kama zinapaswa kupigwa marufuku au la, sasa wanazingatia kusawazisha kati ya kukuza sekta na kulinda wawekezaji. Ni muhimu kupata ushauri wa kina wa ndani na wa jumla kuhusu matibabu ya kisheria ya kimataifa ya mkakati wa uwekezaji wa mali za kidijitali na mwingiliano wa utawala mmoja na mwingine.

Eneo moja linaweza kuwa na njia tofauti za kushughulikia mali za kidijitali na faida zinazotokana nazo kwa madhumuni ya kodi. Njia sawa na uchambuzi wa kisheria uliotajwa hapo juu itahitaji kutumika kwa kodi, kwa kupata ushauri maalum wa kodi wa ndani pamoja na mtazamo mpana wa kimataifa.

Wasiwasi kuhusu usalama wa data unahitaji utekelezaji wa hatua madhubuti za usalama wa mtandao ili kuhakikisha kuwa mali za kifedha na taarifa binafsi zinalindwa ipasavyo.

Ofisi nyingi za kifamilia huhifadhi sarafu zao za kidijitali na funguo binafsi kwa mtoa huduma maalum wa uhifadhi wa crypto wa mtu wa tatu. Mtoa huduma anapaswa kuwa na mifumo imara zaidi ya usalama inayopatikana kwa sasa, kuhitaji tabaka nyingi za uthibitishaji kutoka kwa wadau mbalimbali wa ndani ili kutekeleza biashara yoyote, na kuwa na bima inayofidia upotevu wa mali hiyo endapo kutatokea udanganyifu au shambulio la mtandao.

Fursa

Washauri wa ofisi za kifamilia na watu wenye utajiri wanaweza kutoa huduma mbalimbali kulingana na mienendo hii ya soko:

• Usimamizi wa usalama wa mali za kidijitali
• Ushauri wa usalama wa mtandao
• Ushauri wa uhifadhi salama wa Bitcoin
• Athari za kodi
• Bitcoin kama sehemu ya usimamizi wa jumla wa mfuko wa uwekezaji
• Uundaji wa taratibu mpya za kisheria na za kufuata, kama vile hafla za kusaini funguo kwa ajili ya uhamisho

Ushauri wa masoko

Historia

Kuna kampuni nyingi za huduma za kitaalamu zinazolenga kutoa huduma za masoko, kutoka kusaidia wateja kufafanua mkakati na kuunda maudhui, hadi kujenga tovuti na kuongeza trafiki kwenye tovuti hizo.

Mkakati wowote wa masoko ya kidijitali unapaswa kujumuisha mpango wa kutumia njia za mtandaoni kuanzisha uwepo wa mtandaoni na kufikia malengo mahususi ya masoko. Mwisho wa siku, lengo ni kuongeza mwonekano wa biashara yoyote na kuvutia wateja wapya kwa kutumia njia mbalimbali.

Mfano mmoja wa njia mpya inayohusiana kwa karibu na Bitcoin ni Nostr. Kama Bitcoin, hii ni jukwaa la wazi lililogawanywa ambapo mtumiaji anamiliki data kwa kutumia ufunguo binafsi. Muundo wa Nostr unaokinga dhidi ya udhibiti unahakikisha kuwa mawasiliano ya biashara, ujumbe wa masoko, na mwingiliano na wateja hauingiliwi na watu wa nje. Hii ni muhimu hasa kwa biashara zinazofanya kazi katika sekta zenye kanuni kali au pale ambapo uhuru wa kujieleza ni suala. Zaidi ya hayo, matumizi ya Nostr ya ufunguo binafsi mmoja kufikia miingiliano mingi hurahisisha usimamizi wa akaunti, na kutoa utulivu wa akili kwa uwezo wa kubadilisha kati ya programu tofauti kwa urahisi. Muunganiko na Bitcoin na Lightning pia unaruhusu miamala ya kimataifa na malipo madogo – kipengele cha Lightning kinachofungua mbinu mpya za masoko.

Fursa

Kusaidia wateja na masoko yao kunaweza kujumuisha mipango ya:

• Kujenga uongozi wa mawazo kuhusu Bitcoin katika eneo la teknolojia linalohusiana na biashara
• Kuvutia wateja wapya kwa bidhaa na huduma zinazolenga Bitcoin
• Kuongeza utambuzi wa chapa katika eneo la Bitcoin

Mpango wa masoko unaweza kujumuisha mipango kama:

• Kujenga ukurasa mpya wa kutua wa tovuti unaolenga Bitcoin na/au Lightning
• Kujumuisha ujumbe wa Bitcoin kwenye kampeni zilizopo za masoko
• Kusimamia uzinduzi wa bidhaa au huduma zinazohusiana na Bitcoin
• Kukuza wafuasi wa mitandao ya kijamii kwenye majukwaa lengwa yanayohusiana na maudhui ya Bitcoin na kutathmini matumizi ya majukwaa mapya kama Nostr
• Kuchangia kwenye programu huria

Kujenga uelewa wa kina katika maeneo haya kutafungua aina mpya za huduma za uuzaji ambazo zinaweza kuendelezwa na kuuzwa kwa wateja waliopo au wapya.

Huduma zinazolengwa kwa Sekta ya Biashara Ndogo na za Kati

Faida kwa Biashara Ndogo na za Kati:

• Kinga dhidi ya mfumuko wa bei
• Upatikanaji wa masoko ya kimataifa
• Ada ndogo za miamala
• Malipo kukamilika karibu papo hapo
• Usalama ulioboreshwa
• Uhuru wa kifedha
• Ustahimilivu dhidi ya udhibiti

Kwa biashara ya huduma za kitaalamu, kuna faida kadhaa zinazoweza kupatikana kutokana na kupokea Bitcoin ambazo sekta ya Biashara Ndogo na za Kati inapaswa kuvutiwa nazo, na huduma zinaweza kubuniwa ili kukidhi kila moja ya hizi:

• Ufikaji wa soko: jamii ya mtandaoni ya Bitcoin iko tayari kusafiri mbali na kufanya utafiti mtandaoni kununua kutoka kwa kampuni zinazokubali Bitcoin. Hii inaweza kufungua kundi jipya la wateja kwa kampuni ndogo.
• Kupokea Bitcoin kama malipo kunaweza kukamilika haraka zaidi na kwa ada ndogo kuliko njia za kawaida za malipo.
• Bitcoin pia inaweza kuongeza usalama wa miamala ya mtandaoni kutokana na sifa za kiteknolojia ya msingi, pamoja na kutotegemea mfumo wa benki wa jadi, hivyo kufanya iwe ngumu kudhibitiwa.
• Kuweka baadhi au Bitcoin yote iliyopokelewa kwenye pochi salama kunaweza kusaidia kuhifadhi utajiri, hasa katika nchi zenye sarafu za fiat zinazopungua thamani haraka, na hivyo kuwa fursa nzuri ya uwekezaji wa muda mrefu.

Fursa

Kwa kuwa kampuni ndogo zitategemea kampuni chache za huduma ikilinganishwa na makampuni makubwa, ikiwa shirika la huduma za kitaalamu linalenga soko hili basi itakuwa na faida kuwa na uwezo wa kuwashauri kuhusu nyanja zote za kupokea Bitcoin.

Afya

Kuwa mbele ya mwelekeo wa sekta kunawawezesha makampuni ya Huduma za Kitaalamu katika sekta hiyo kuendelea kutoa thamani kwa wateja wao. Mifano michache katika afya inaweza kuonyesha jinsi ubunifu unaotokana na Bitcoin unaweza kubadilisha sekta kwa kutatua matatizo halisi ya soko.

Usimamizi salama wa data – mfano Nostr 

Umiliki na ushirikiano salama wa data za wagonjwa ni suala muhimu na viwango kama HIPAA nchini Marekani vimewekwa ili kuhakikisha data inalindwa ipasavyo.

Sekta ya afya inaweza kunufaika sana kutokana na asili ya Nostr iliyo sambamba na salama. Kama ilivyoonyeshwa kwenye mradi wa majaribio nchini El Salvador, itifaki ya SALUD inayotumia Nostr inalenga kubadilisha jinsi data za wagonjwa zinavyosimamiwa na kushirikiwa. Kwa kusambaza data za afya, Nostr inahakikisha wagonjwa wanabaki na umiliki wa rekodi zao za matibabu huku watoa huduma za afya wakiweza kupata data sahihi na isiyoweza kubadilishwa inapohitajika.

Njia hii inashughulikia wasiwasi mkubwa uliopo kwenye mifumo ya sasa ya usimamizi wa data za afya, ambapo taarifa za wagonjwa mara nyingi zinadhibitiwa na taasisi kuu ambazo zinaweza kutumia vibaya au kuuza data hiyo. Kwa kutumia Nostr, hatari ya uvujaji wa data au upatikanaji usioidhinishwa inapunguzwa, na wagonjwa wanaweza kuchagua kutoshiriki data zao bila kupoteza udhibiti wa taarifa zao.

Mfano wa pili wa jinsi Bitcoin inaweza kuingizwa kwenye mbinu mpya za Afya ni CrowdHealth. Imeunda jukwaa linalotumia faida za Bitcoin kwenye gharama na malipo kupitia muunganiko na pochi ya Lightning kufanya na kupokea malipo. Malipo haya yanamilikiwa na wachangiaji, ambao wanaweza kuomba msaada wa jamii iwapo watakabiliwa na bili kubwa ya matibabu.

Hii ni mifano ya jinsi mfumo wa Bitcoin unaoendelea kwa kasi unavyobadilisha sekta moja maalum, na mifano mingi zaidi inaweza kupatikana kwenye sekta nyingine. Mashirika ya huduma za kitaalamu yanayolenga sekta maalum yanaweza kunufaika kwa kusaidia sekta hiyo kupokea suluhisho kama hizi, au kuwa wabunifu wanaoleta aina hizi za suluhisho kwenye sekta mpya kadri soko linavyoendelea.

4.5.3 Kujenga mfumo wa Bitcoin

Bitcoin ni na imekuwa blockchain inayoongoza, lakini mkazo uliowekwa kwenye usalama na usambazaji kwenye safu ya kwanza uliacha pengo kwa uwezo mwingine sokoni, ambao suluhisho zingine za blockchain zilijitokeza kujaribu kujaza. Kwa sababu mbalimbali hizi hazijapata mafanikio makubwa ya kibiashara kwa miaka mingi, na sasa mfumo wa Bitcoin umeongezeka hadi hatua ambayo aina hizi mpya za uwezo zinaweza kujengwa juu yake bila kuathiri teknolojia ya msingi ya safu ya kwanza.

Zaidi ya hayo, watumiaji wengi wa Bitcoin ni wahifadhi wa muda mrefu, wakiona kama hifadhi ya thamani au dhahabu ya kidijitali. Wafuasi wa Bitcoin pekee ni sehemu kubwa ya jamii hii wanaoamini kuwa ndiyo sarafu ya kidijitali pekee itakayodumu. Wanadai kuwa asili ya Bitcoin iliyo sambamba, usalama, na faida ya kuwa wa kwanza inafanya iwe bora kuliko sarafu nyingine zote za kidijitali, na hivyo kuwatofautisha na blockchains mbadala.

Pia kuna kiasi kikubwa na kinachoongezeka cha thamani kinacholindwa ndani ya mtandao wa Bitcoin na wahifadhi hawa, hivyo kukuza mfumo wa asili wa Bitcoin haitakuwa suala la kuvutia watumiaji wapya. Badala yake, miradi italazimika kutumia hazina kubwa ya watumiaji, watengenezaji, na mtaji tayari kwenye mtandao. Hii inaleta fursa kadhaa za kupanua mfumo wa Bitcoin ambapo huduma za kitaalamu zinaweza kujengwa:

1. Kuongeza Uwezo wa Kupitia Miamala Mingi:Tayari kuna suluhisho kadhaa za kuongeza uwezo wa mtandao wa Bitcoin, kama vile Lightning Network. Hata hivyo, zingine pia zinajengwa kulenga matatizo tofauti. Kwa mfano kutoa suluhisho za kina za kuongeza uwezo wa mtandao zenye usalama, usambazaji na ufanisi kwa mikataba mahiri.
2. Kuwezesha Mikataba Mahiri:Fikiria mkataba unaojiendesha wenyewe moja kwa moja, bila haja ya mawakili au wapatanishi. Hivyo ndivyo mikataba mahiri ya Bitcoin inavyofanya kazi. Mikataba mahiri ya Bitcoin ni mikataba inayotekelezwa yenyewe na masharti ya makubaliano yakiwa yameandikwa moja kwa moja kwenye msimbo wa kidijitali. Inatekeleza na kutimiza mkataba moja kwa moja pale masharti yaliyowekwa yanapotimia, bila haja ya wapatanishi.
3. Kukuza Uwezo wa Kuingiliana:Kujenga madaraja na viunganishi vinavyowezesha mwingiliano rahisi kati ya Bitcoin na blockchains nyingine. Hii itawawezesha watumiaji kuhamisha mali kati ya mitandao kwa urahisi na kutumia vipengele bora vya kila mtandao. Mfano ni USDT – stablecoin inayoweza kuhamishwa kwenye blockchains nyingi tofauti ambapo watumiaji kawaida huchagua bei ya chini zaidi. Kuwezesha USDT iliyoshikiliwa kwenye mojawapo ya blockchains hizi mbadala kuhamishwa kwenye Lightning na Bitcoin kunaweza kuwezesha mwingiliano na uhamishaji wa thamani kwenye mtandao salama zaidi wa Bitcoin.
4. Kuunganisha Uzoefu Rafiki kwa Mtumiaji:Kadri mfumo unavyokua, kuna haja ya zana zinazorahisisha mchakato wa maendeleo na utekelezaji kwa watengenezaji. Hii inajumuisha pochi bora, mifumo ya maendeleo, na zana za kutatua hitilafu. Zaidi ya hapo, urafiki kwa mtumiaji ni muhimu kwa wale ambao hawana ujuzi mkubwa wa kiteknolojia ili waweze kushiriki na kutumia mfumo huu.
5. Elimu na Ujenzi wa Jamii:Jamii imara ndiyo msingi wa mradi wowote wa blockchain wenye mafanikio. Kuwekeza kwenye elimu, warsha, na miradi inayoendeshwa na jamii kunaweza kusaidia watumiaji kugundua, watengenezaji kujenga, na wawekezaji kuungana.

Fursa

Hii inafungua huduma nyingi zinazoweza kuundwa kwa ajili ya soko ili kushauri watumiaji na biashara nyingine kuhusu mfumo wa Bitcoin, jambo ambalo tayari linafanyika duniani kote:

• Ushauri
• Elimu
• Nunua, hifadhi na uza Bitcoin

4.5.4 Mustakabali

Nini kinaweza kutokea siku zijazo?

Sehemu iliyopita imetoa mifano kadhaa ya aina za huduma zinazotolewa sokoni leo, lakini ni aina gani ya suluhisho zinaweza kupatikana siku zijazo ambazo kampuni zinaweza kujenga huduma za kitaalamu kuzunguka, kushauri, kuchambua, kubuni na kutekeleza ili kukidhi mahitaji yanayobadilika ya wateja?

Upigaji kura wa kielektroniki

Mfano mmoja wa matumizi yanayoweza kujengwa juu ya Bitcoin ni kulinda uchaguzi wa Serikali.

• Hali ya sasa na changamoto: Uchaguzi wa kidemokrasia umeundwa ili kuhakikisha kwamba mamlaka yanahamishwa kulingana na matokeo, na kwamba serikali iliyochaguliwa inaakisi matakwa ya watu. Hii inahitaji kwamba wapiga kura wanaostahili waweze kushiriki katika mchakato bila vitisho, kwamba kura zote zihesabiwe ipasavyo, hakuna uwezekano wa kughushi kura na kwamba matokeo yawe wazi. Duniani kote, uchaguzi mara nyingi unaonekana kutotimiza lengo hili, na 
• Mapendekezo yaliyopo: Serikali zimejaribu njia mbalimbali kuhakikisha haki katika mchakato wa uchaguzi, kama vile kuhitaji kitambulisho cha mpiga kura, au kuhesabu kura kwa njia huru kwa kutumia karatasi, lakini changamoto bado zipo. Serikali kama Umoja wa Ulaya zinachunguza njia za kutumia blockchains mbadala na itifaki ili kufikia lengo la mfumo wa kupiga kura wa kielektroniki ulio wazi na usioweza kuchezewa. Hata hivyo, bado inahitaji imani kwa yule anayebuni na kuendesha mfumo huo na utatengenezwa kulingana na ratiba ya Serikali.
• Njia mbadala zinazotumia Bitcoin tayari zimeundwa ambazo zinatumia uwezo wake wa chanzo-wazi kutoa njia wazi na isiyoweza kuchezewa ya kuendesha uchaguzi.

Guatemala

• Shukrani kwa OpenTimestamps, zana iliyoundwa na mendelezaji wa bitcoin Peter Todd miaka michache iliyopita, kampuni ya teknolojia ya Guatemala Simple Proof ina uwezo wa kulinda nyaraka muhimu kuhusu uchaguzi wa urais wa nchi hiyo dhidi ya udanganyifu na uchezewaji. Zana ya Todd, inayotumia kazi za hash na blockchain ya bitcoin, ina uwezo wa kuweka alama ya muda kwenye vipande vya taarifa na kufanya iwe rahisi kugundua majaribio ya udanganyifu na uchezewaji.

Itifaki ya kupiga kura ya kielektroniki ya chanzo-wazi na isiyokuwa na mamlaka kuu: HodlParman – mtetezi hai wa Bitcoin – hivi karibuni alitangaza:

• ‘Nimekuwa nikifanya kazi kwenye itifaki ya kupiga kura ya kielektroniki isiyokuwa na mamlaka kuu ambayo ni ya rika kwa rika kabisa, inaondoa uwezekano wa udanganyifu wa uchaguzi au kupiga kura mara mbili, inahifadhi siri ya kura, na inaweza kuthibitishwa na mtu yeyote. Inafaidika na relays za Nostr, na saa ya Bitcoin, na HAITAJI blockchain wala tokeni’

Kama tunavyoona, kuna njia ya 'kawaida' ya kutatua tatizo linalojulikana, katika kesi hii uaminifu wa uchaguzi, ambayo bado inaendelea na haitatatua lazima matatizo yote, na njia mpya inayotegemea mfumo wa Bitcoin ambayo tayari imeundwa na inapatikana na ina uwezo wa kuyatatua. Kuelewa aina hizi za suluhisho na jinsi zinavyoweza kutumika kutoa huduma sokoni, ikiwemo katika kesi hii Serikali, kutatoa njia mpya za mapato.

Zawadi za Sats

Uwezo wa kutoa kiasi kidogo cha bitcoin kama malipo bila gharama yoyote karibu kabisa unafungua njia tofauti kwa kampuni kuchunguza, ambapo kampuni inayolenga huduma za Bitcoin inaweza kutoa ushauri kama vile:

• Kutumia majukwaa kama Microstrategy kwa zawadi za wafanyakazi
• Majukwaa ya podcast yanayopendelea Bitcoin kama Fountain, zawadi kwa kuhudhuria matangazo ya moja kwa moja kwa kutumia NOSTR na zap streaming
• Kulipa watu kukamilisha tafiti ili kuhamasisha ushiriki

Muhtasari

Sekta ya huduma za kitaalamu ni pana kwa wigo, ikijumuisha biashara za ukubwa wote, malengo na upeo. Bila kujali lengo, mifano hii inatarajiwa kuonyesha kwamba Bitcoin na mfumo wake unaoweza kubadilika una uwezo wa kubadilisha sana sekta hii, kubadilisha jinsi huduma zinavyotolewa na kufungua fursa mpya. Mashirika ya huduma za kitaalamu yatakayochukua muda kuelewa mienendo hii mapema yanaweza kupata faida ya mapema.

Marejeo

1. https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2023/bitcoin-role-esg-imperative.html
2. https://medium.com/@primalcapital/growing-the-bitcoin-ecosystem-afb424e0ff0f
3. https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/research-and-insights/adding-bitcoin-corporate-treasury
4. https://www.pathcheck.org/en/blog/notes-and-other-stuff-over-relays-nostr-for-health

Baadhi ya kampuni zinazotoa huduma za Bitcoin:

• River
• Swan
• CoinCorner
• Strike
• Relai
• Musqet

Kando na utu, pesa ndizo kichocheo kinachoendesha kila kitendo cha hiari cha binadamu. Bitcoin ni pesa isiyoegemea upande wowote, ya kimataifa yenye sheria, lakini haina watawala. Ikiwa haiwezi kulazimishwa, na haishindwi, athari zake za kijiografia hazina kifani.
James Dewar

4.6.0 Utangulizi

Mara tu teknolojia mpya inapokukanyaga, kama hauko upande wa tingatinga, basi wewe ni sehemu ya barabara.
Stewart Brand

Lengo la sura hii ni kuwaelekeza serikali, mashirika ya serikali, na wafanyakazi wa serikali kwamba kupuuza Bitcoin ni sawa na kuficha kichwa kwenye mchanga na kutumaini kwamba aidha inaweza kulazimishwa au itashindwa. Ikiwa hakuna mojawapo ya matokeo haya yatatokea basi itabadilisha sana miundo ya motisha kwa kila kitendo cha binadamu kijacho. Watu wanaoishi katika maeneo ya nchi zilizopo ambazo serikali zao zitachukua hatua ya kwanza kuelewa na kutekeleza sera mwafaka wanaweza kupata faida kubwa.

Inawezekana kwamba Bitcoin inaweza kulazimishwa na/au ikashindwa, lakini isipokuwa serikali ijifunze kuhusu teknolojia hii na ifikie hitimisho hilo kupitia maarifa bila upendeleo, wanachukua hatari kubwa, matokeo yake yatabebwa na raia ambao kwa niaba yao wanatarajiwa kuchukua hatua. Baada ya kupokea taarifa kwa kusoma sura hii, hiyo itakuwa uzembe mkubwa na kutotekeleza wajibu kwa serikali za leo, mashirika yao na wafanyakazi. Kama hutaki jukumu hilo, acha kusoma sasa hivi, na jiuzulu.

Serikali zinaweza kuelezwa kama taasisi zinazotumia, au kutaka kutumia, ukiritimba wa nguvu katika eneo lao la kijiografia. Mpangilio huu umefikiwa kwa ajili ya kujilinda dhidi ya vitisho vya nje, na kudumisha utulivu ndani. Jamii na uchumi vilivyoendelea, serikali zimekuwa zikiongeza majukumu yao ndani. Moja ya majukumu yaliyotokea, polepole mwanzoni, kutoka mwishoni mwa karne ya 19 ni udhibiti wa pesa kupitia benki kuu. Lengo la sura hii si kutoa hoja ya kuunga mkono au kupinga benki kuu na udhibiti wa pesa na serikali, bali kuonyesha kwamba huenda isiwezekane kutumia nguvu hii siku zijazo. Yeyote anayeelewa umuhimu wa udhibiti wa pesa katika matumizi ya nguvu nyingine atatambua kupotea kwa udhibiti huu wa kati kama upepo mkali unaosukuma madaraka kugawanywa zaidi ndani ya nchi.

Historia inatufundisha kwamba mbali na vita au magonjwa, mabadiliko makubwa ya kijamii mara nyingi yamechochewa na teknolojia kuliko sheria kwa sababu mabadiliko hayo mara chache yalikuwa yanatafutwa mapema na watu au viongozi wao. Kwa kweli hata kama mabadiliko hayo yangetafutwa, sheria haina uwezo wa kugundua au kubuni teknolojia.

Nguvu nyingi ambazo nchi zimepata katika karne iliyopita kutokana na kuchukua udhibiti wa pesa (ambao haujawahi kutokea kihistoria) huenda zikabidi ziachwe. Hii si tishio kwa watu, bali inaweza kuwa kwa muundo wa serikali na taasisi. Viongozi wa taasisi zetu wanahitaji kujifunza kuhusu Bitcoin na athari zake ili waelewe jinsi maslahi ya eneo na watu wanaounda nchi yao kwa sasa yanaweza kuathiriwa.

Ni kwa njia hii tu wataweza kuchagua sera zitakazoboreshwa kwa ajili ya eneo na watu wao. Elimu na unyenyekevu vitahitajika kwa wote ili kuboresha maamuzi. Hakuna pa kujificha, mabadiliko yatatulazimisha wakati wowote, na matokeo bora yanaweza kupatikana kwa kuyatabiri mapema. Nadharia ya mchezo inayotumika inaweza kumaanisha kumbatia mapema au upoteze.

Hii ni kipimo cha uadilifu kwa wanasiasa wetu wa sasa na viongozi wa taasisi. Je, wanaongozwa zaidi na hamu ya kuboresha mustakabali wa eneo na watu wanaounda nchi yao kwa sasa? Au, vipaumbele vyao vinaathiriwa na motisha nyingine, iwe binafsi, kibiashara au kiitikadi?

Kwa kujifunza kuhusu Bitcoin serikali zinaweza kupanga njia kwa manufaa ya raia wao wa sasa na wa baadaye. Sura hii inalenga kutoa maeneo kadhaa ya kuzingatia ili kusaidia kuanzisha mchakato wa kupanga.

4.6.1 Teknolojia dhidi ya Sheria

Sababu muhimu zaidi za mabadiliko hazipatikani kwenye ilani za kisiasa au matamko ya wachumi waliokufa, bali kwenye mambo yaliyofichika yanayobadilisha mipaka ambapo nguvu hutumika. Mara nyingi, mabadiliko madogo ya hali ya hewa, jiografia, vijidudu, na teknolojia hubadilisha mantiki ya matumizi ya nguvu.
James Dale Davidson

Historia imejaa mifano ya ubunifu wa kiteknolojia kubadilisha jinsi jamii za binadamu zilivyokua na kutawaliwa. The Sovereign Individual, kitabu cha 1997 kilichoandikwa na James Dale Davidson na William Rees-Mogg, kinachunguza jinsi mabadiliko ya kiteknolojia yalivyoleta mabadiliko Magharibi kutoka dunia iliyotawaliwa na Kanisa hadi ile ya nchi za taifa tunazoishi leo. Wanatambua ubunifu muhimu wa kiteknolojia kama kuibuka kwa mashine ya kuchapisha na matumizi ya baruti kama nishati ya matumizi ya nguvu ambayo ilibadilisha faida ya matumizi ya nguvu kwa kiwango kikubwa.

Jambo muhimu la kuzingatia ni kwamba hakuna ushahidi kwamba Kanisa au watu kwa ujumla walitaka au kuanzisha mabadiliko yaliyotokea. Kwa kutazama nyuma inaonekana ni lazima kwamba nguvu iliyotokana na udhibiti wa Kanisa wa taarifa ingepungua kadri uchumi mpya ulivyoondoa ukiritimba wake wa kuzalisha maandishi.

Mashine ya kuchapisha ilipunguza gharama ya kuzalisha taarifa, na hivyo kuongeza ugawanyaji wa uzalishaji wa maandishi.

Historia inaonyesha kwamba teknolojia zilizochochea mabadiliko makubwa hazikuanzishwa na mfumo wa serikali, taasisi, uongozi au watu kupitia michakato ya kidemokrasia. Mara nyingi tunaona watu na taasisi walijaribu bure kupinga, kuzuia na kuchelewesha matumizi yake. Katika karne ya 20 tunaweza kuona hili kwenye majibu ya awali kuhusu matumizi ya magari, umeme, usimbaji, barua pepe na mtandao.

Ukwamaji wa teknolojia mpya na masoko ulisababisha mabadiliko ya mahali watu waliishi, jinsi walivyofanya kazi na wakati mwingine muundo wenyewe wa kile walichokiona kama utamaduni, nchi au chombo cha uongozi. Katika visa vingi ilibadilisha ukubwa na muundo wa chombo hicho chenyewe. Mifano mingine ya teknolojia kuleta mabadiliko makubwa ya kijamii ni pamoja na kuibuka kwa umeme, magari na mtandao.

Kodi na madeni pia yameundwa na sheria na hivyo huathiriwa na teknolojia. Hili linaweza kuonekana katika historia. Kihistoria, kodi zilikuwa zimepunguzwa kwenye vitu kama ada za stempu na ushuru wa forodha kwa sababu teknolojia muhimu ya kusaidia kodi ya mapato na nyingine haikuwepo bado.

Ushahidi huu umetolewa kuunga mkono hitimisho kwamba teknolojia ni ya juu kuliko sheria. Sheria inaweza kufuata baadaye, lakini mwelekeo wa sababu unaonyesha njia za kisheria haziwezi kwa ufanisi au kwa kudumu kuzuia mabadiliko, na wala sheria haiwezi kusababisha mabadiliko hayo. Sheria kubadilika ni matokeo ya mabadiliko ya teknolojia, si chanzo, na ubunifu mpya wa kiteknolojia hauwezi kupigiwa kura, kutangazwa na mtawala au hata kuzuiwa bila kujidhuru.

Ukweli haupingiki. Uovu unaweza kuushambulia na ujinga unaweza kuudharau, lakini, mwishowe, uko pale pale.
Winston Churchill

Teknolojia zilizofanikiwa ni aina ya "ukweli". Kwa hivyo, sheria haijaweza kuzuia maendeleo ya teknolojia nyingi ambazo wakati wa kuzaliwa kwake jamii ilionekana kutaka kuzuia. Ambapo hili limefanikiwa mara nyingi limepunguza utajiri wa taifa hilo kwa muda wa kati hadi mrefu.

4.6.2 Ugatuaji

Hakuna shaka pia kwamba uwezo wa serikali kuu kutumia aina hii ya fedha ni moja ya sababu zinazochangia kuongezeka kwa ugatuaji usiotakiwa wa serikali.
Friedrich A. Hayek

Hayek alidai kwamba ugatuaji wa pesa uliofanyika katika karne ya 20 ulikuwa chanzo kikuu cha ugatuaji wa nchi za taifa. Kuibuka kwa Bitcoin kunaweza kusababisha hili kurudi nyuma, jambo ambalo watu wengi wanaunga mkono na hata wanasiasa wanalizungumzia, lakini wameonekana kushindwa kulitekeleza.

Kabla ya karne ya 20, wafalme, malkia na serikali daima walikuwa na kikomo cha upatikanaji wa pesa. Utajiri unaopimwa na pesa hutoka chini, si juu. Hadi karne ya 20 asili ya pesa ilionyesha ukweli huu na hivyo pesa yenyewe ilikuwa 'halisi'. Aina ya pesa hii, teknolojia yake maalum, ilibadilika kulingana na wakati na mahali kama sehemu ya mageuzi ya jamii za binadamu.

Tangu mwanzoni mwa karne ya 20, majaribio yalifanyika kuondoa 'uhalisia' wa pesa, na kufikia kilele chake mwaka 1961 wakati ubadilishwaji wa dola na dhahabu uliposimamishwa "kwa muda".

Nimeagiza Katibu Connally kusimamisha kwa muda ubadilishwaji wa dola ya Marekani isipokuwa kwa kiasi na masharti yatakayoamuliwa kuwa ni kwa maslahi ya utulivu wa fedha na kwa maslahi bora ya Marekani.
Richard Nixon

Pesa ni teknolojia na Bitcoin, kama pesa ya kidijitali, inaweza kuwa moja ya ubunifu mkubwa zaidi wa kiteknolojia katika historia ya binadamu.

...pesa ni, kwa asili, teknolojia kama mashine nyingine yoyote ya msingi kama kabari, lever au gurudumu.
Business Insider

Huenda pesa ikalinganishwa kwa ukubwa na uvumbuzi wa kilimo, mashine ya kuchapisha au baruti. Kando na utu, pesa huchochea kila kitendo cha hiari cha binadamu na hivyo inawezekana kwamba suluhisho jipya katika teknolojia hii kwa watu bilioni 8 linaweza kuwa uvumbuzi wenye athari kubwa zaidi katika historia ya binadamu.

Pesa ni nguvu, ni teknolojia, na hivyo ni ya juu kuliko sheria, na kwa hivyo pia ni ya juu kuliko taasisi za kutunga sheria. Ugatuaji wa pesa utasababisha ugatuaji wa madaraka.

Moja ya adhabu zinazolipwa kwa baraka za utulivu wa sarafu ni kwamba sheria inajikuta haiko tayari kwa mabadiliko yasiyotegemewa na ya mapinduzi katika mfumo wa fedha.
Phanor J. Eder

Leo mataifa yanaainisha pesa moja au zaidi kama fedha halali. Ikiwa soko litaamua kitu kingine kama pesa inayopendelewa ama ndani au kimataifa basi serikali zinaweza kukutana na hali ambapo mahitaji ya pesa ya ndani yanazidiwa na mahitaji ya pesa ya kimataifa, isiyoegemea upande wowote na 'halisi'. Tutaona tena kwamba pesa halisi ni bidhaa inayodhaminiwa na soko ambayo inaweza kusababisha mabadiliko ya sheria, na haiundwi yenyewe na sheria. Mataifa yanaweza kuchagua kuendelea na sheria za fedha zinazotaja pesa isiyotakiwa sana, lakini itakuwa busara kuzingatia athari za kujidhuru kwa kufanya hivyo :

Historia inaonyesha haiwezekani kujitenga na matokeo ya wengine kushikilia pesa ngumu kuliko zako.
Saifedean Ammous

Hoja iliyowasilishwa hapo juu inaonyesha jinsi pesa iliyogatuliwa, ya kimataifa na isiyoegemea upande wowote inaweza kuchochea ugatuaji wa madaraka. Sasa tunageukia jinsi Bitcoin, teknolojia ya mawasiliano ya fedha iliyogatuliwa, inaweza pia kuwa mtangulizi wa ugatuaji wa mawasiliano na vyombo vya habari visivyo vya fedha.

Ugatuaji wa mawasiliano

Bitcoin ni itifaki ya mawasiliano ya mtandao iliyogatuliwa, wazi na isiyoegemea upande wowote ambayo soko linaonekana kuithamini zaidi kama pesa.

Kuna vipengele vya itifaki hii ambavyo vinaweza pia kuleta mtazamo mpya katika mawasiliano ya binadamu zaidi ya pesa. Tunaona suluhisho za mawasiliano na mitandao ya kijamii zikianza kujitokeza na kupata umaarufu ambazo zinatumia baadhi ya vipengele hivi, kwa mfano Nostr na Keet. Huu unaweza kuwa mwanzo wa mgawanyo mkubwa wa huduma ukilinganisha na jinsi mtandao unavyotumika leo. Huduma hizi za mitandao ya kijamii pia kuna uwezekano mkubwa zitakuwa na uwezo wa kufanya miamala ya Bitcoin moja kwa moja ndani yake.

Kwa kuzingatia mijadala ya hivi karibuni, hasa katika ulimwengu ulioendelea, kuhusu uhuru wa kujieleza na udhibiti, mgawanyo wa mawasiliano haupaswi kupuuzwa na serikali, na unapaswa kuongoza sera leo bila kujali Bitcoin yenyewe.

Inawezekana kuwa ni kinyume na malengo kwa serikali kuwa na nguvu kupita kiasi kwa kutaka kupiga marufuku, kufunga, kudhibiti au kuingilia suluhisho za sasa zilizogatuliwa. Kadri serikali inavyoshinikiza zaidi, ndivyo suluhisho mbadala zinavyokua haraka zaidi. Katika jamii huru zinazofanana na zile za ulimwengu ulioendelea, suluhisho hizi mbadala zitakuwa ghali zaidi kufuatilia, na hivyo kuwa vigumu sana kufuatilia kwa idadi kubwa ya watu.

Kwa hiyo, njia bora inaweza kuwa kufanya kazi kwa hiari na suluhisho zilizogatuliwa zilizopo kwa kuzingatia tu madhara makubwa yanayokubalika na jamii na siyo kwenye masuala yanayohusu mitazamo mbadala inayoshikiliwa na wengi au kwa raia mmoja mmoja. Ahadi ya kimataifa ya uhuru kamili wa kujieleza kwenye majukwaa yaliyopo itapunguza msukumo wa kwenda kwenye majukwaa mapya yaliyogatuliwa.

4.6.3 Utaifa wa Kimataifa

Utaifa wa kimataifa kupitia mali

Bitcoin ni mali ya kidijitali na hivyo haina nafasi ya kimwili wala athari ya kijiografia. Zaidi ya hayo, Bitcoin siyo muundo wa kisheria. Hivyo, Bitcoin ni uvumbuzi wa kipekee ambao umekuwa mali yenye thamani lakini haina makazi ya kimwili wala kisheria.

Dunia imepitia kipindi cha hivi karibuni ambapo ilikuwa kwenye kiwango kimoja cha fedha - kiwango cha dhahabu. Ingawa nchi ziliendelea kuwa na sarafu zao, viwango vya ubadilishaji havikubadilika mara kwa mara kwani vilikuwa vinathaminiwa kulingana na uzito wa dhahabu ambao kila moja iliwakilisha. Hata hivyo, gharama kubwa na uhamishaji wa polepole wa dhahabu kimwili hatimaye ulihitimisha kipindi hiki. Pia, hili liliweka kikomo kwa kiwango cha utaifa wa kimataifa ambacho dhahabu ingeweza kutoa zaidi ya kuwa kipimo cha pamoja cha thamani. Uwepo wa dhahabu kama kiwango cha fedha cha kimataifa ulikuwa na mipaka na hatimaye ukadhoofishwa na ukweli kwamba inachukua nafasi ya kimwili.

Utaifa wa kimataifa kupitia mtandao wa kijamii

Jumuiya ya Bitcoin imekua kama mtandao wa kijamii wa kimataifa. Makazi yanaweza kubadilisha uhuru ambao watu wanayo kulingana na jiografia, kwa mfano uwezo wa kufikia mtandao wazi, au orodha ya programu zilizoidhinishwa kwenye Duka la Apple App, au Duka la Google Play. Makazi pia yanaweza kuathiri hadhi ya kisheria na udhibiti wa Bitcoin kama mali na njia ya kubadilishana. Hata hivyo, utamaduni na maarifa ya pamoja ambayo yamekua na yanaendelea kukua katika jumuiya ya Bitcoin ni uzoefu wa pamoja wa kimataifa.

Matokeo ya utaifa wa kimataifa

Inaonekana kuwa ni jambo lisilokubalika kwa nchi yoyote ya ulimwengu huru kutekeleza sera zinazopunguza uhuru wa watu wa kusafiri hadi kufikia kufanya kuhama kwenda nchi nyingine kuwa kosa la jinai. Hatua kama hiyo ya kiimla ingekuwa ishara ya mwisho wa ulimwengu ulioendelea na historia inaonyesha kuwa haitadumu kwa muda mrefu kabla ya mapinduzi.

Kwa kuzingatia hayo hapo juu, mchanganyiko wa asili isiyo na mipaka ya kijiografia ya Bitcoin na mtandao wa kijamii wa kimataifa utaleta nguvu kubwa ya ushindani kwa serikali za mataifa kutoa huduma zenye thamani kwa raia wao au kukabiliwa na kupungua kwa wateja. Hii si lazima iwe 'mbio za kushuka chini' kama wengine wanavyodai, bali ni mlipuko wa utofauti, na kwa msisitizo mkubwa juu ya utoaji wa huduma bora na zenye tija kwa kulingana na kodi inayokusanywa kwa kiwango ambacho soko litakubali.

Mazingaombwe ya ushindani zaidi ambayo serikali za mataifa zitajikuta nayo pamoja na ukuaji wa pesa mpya inayoratibu vitendo vya binadamu duniani kote itakuwa kama msukumo wa nje. Ikitandwa na mgawanyo wa pesa na mawasiliano unaovuta ndani, serikali za mataifa zinaweza kujikuta zikivutwa kutoka pande zote mbili. Maeneo ya umahiri yanaweza kutengana kuwa maeneo au jumuiya ndani, na kusambaratika nje. Ukubwa na wigo wa serikali za mataifa huenda, kwa wastani, ukapungua. Haijalishi ukubwa utakaopatikana katika eneo fulani, raia wanaolipa kodi hawatakuwa waombaji tena bali wateja na hivyo watadai huduma zenye thamani kwa pesa yao.

Mgawanyo wa ndani, na mvutano wa nje unaweza kuvunja baadhi ya mataifa kama vile spaghettification kwenye shimo jeusi. Bitcoin ni ya ndani na ya kimataifa kwa wakati mmoja.

Tunaona tayari ndani ya uchumi wa bitcoin athari zinazonekana kuwa kinyume, yaani kuwa nguvu ya ndani na ya kimataifa kwa wakati mmoja. Kuna ujanibishaji zaidi, upungufu wa wapatanishi na mgawanyo zaidi na uchumi na mitandao ya kijamii ya ndani na ya kimataifa, huku kukiwa na pengo dogo kati yao.

Hapa kuna orodha isiyo kamili ya masuala mahususi ambayo serikali zinaweza kutaka kuzingatia athari za utaifa huu wa kimataifa:

• Kodi / bajeti
• Ugavi wa pesa / mfumo wa benki
• Ulinzi / uendeshaji wa vita
• Miundo ya serikali za kimataifa
• Miundo ya serikali za kikanda / za ndani
• Miundo ya kiuchumi
• Mashirika ya hisani, yasiyo ya faida, ya kidini na ya kijamii
• Elimu / taaluma

4.6.4 Maadili

Masuala muhimu zaidi ya kimaadili hutofautiana kulingana na jiografia na siasa. Tunazingatia mitazamo miwili: Mtazamo wa ulimwengu ulioendelea na mtazamo wa Kusini mwa Dunia. Kwamba mfumo wa sasa wa kifedha unaleta matatizo tofauti kwa raia kulingana na mahali wanapoishi kunaweza pia kuchukuliwa kama suala la kimaadili linalohusiana na usawa wa binadamu.

Mtazamo wa ulimwengu ulioendelea - pengo la utajiri na mazingira

Athari ya Cantillon imetokana na Richard Cantillon, mchumi wa Kifaransa-Muairishi wa karne ya 18 ambaye ndiye aliyebainisha kwa mara ya kwanza. Athari hii inaelezea jinsi mfumuko wa bei wa fedha unavyoathiri bidhaa na mali katika uchumi kwa njia isiyo sawa. Fedha mpya za fiat zinapoingizwa kwenye uchumi, athari zake huhisiwa na watu na sekta tofauti kwa nyakati tofauti. Kwa kawaida mali hupanda thamani, na kuwafaidisha matajiri, huku wasio na mali wakikumbwa na mfumuko wa bei wa jumla.

Mfumo wa sasa wa fedha ni sababu kubwa ya msingi ya ukuaji wa pengo la utajiri kati ya matajiri na maskini. Uwezo wa matajiri na wenye uhusiano wa kisiasa kutumia mfumo uliopo kwa manufaa yao, kwa gharama ya wasiojiweza, ni sifa ya jinsi mfumo wa sasa wa pesa unavyofanya kazi. Utaratibu huu pia unasababisha kupungua kwa tabaka la kati, wachache wakitajirika, na wengi wakizidi kuwa maskini. Kurudi kwenye pesa isiyoegemea upande wowote ambayo inaweza kupatikana tu kwa kufanya kazi, bila kujali utajiri wa mtu, kutazuia ongezeko la mapengo haya ya utajiri na kuanza kuyapunguza na hivyo kuleta jamii zenye usawa zaidi.

Bitcoin inaonekana kutoa manufaa kadhaa katika mfumo wa ESG. Katika historia yake fupi, njia mpya na bunifu za kutumia mtandao na mali yake asilia zinaendelea kujitokeza, kama vile kusaidia kusawazisha gridi za nishati, kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi chafu, na hata kusaidia kutoa joto endelevu kwa majengo ya biashara na makazi.KPMG

Bitcoin inaweza kuwa mchangiaji muhimu katika kusaidia kupunguza mabadiliko ya tabianchi kutokana na mwingiliano wake wa kiuchumi na uzalishaji na matumizi ya nishati. Karatasi hii pia inaonyesha manufaa makubwa ya Kijamii na Utawala yanayohusishwa na Bitcoin,

Katika dunia ambapo pesa haiwezi kuundwa ili kuchochea matumizi ya rasilimali, rasilimali zilizopo zitakuwa zinatumika kwa ufanisi zaidi na bila upotevu. Kuna uwezekano mkubwa wa kuona mabadiliko ya motisha za kiuchumi kati ya uzalishaji mpya na "matengenezo na matumizi tena" huku hili la pili likiongezeka zaidi. Hii itapunguza matumizi ya kupita kiasi bila kusababisha janga la kiuchumi kwani pesa haitategemea tena deni. Tutaona matumizi endelevu zaidi ya rasilimali na ongezeko la utajiri kwa wale wanaofanya kazi, kutumia chini ya wanachopata na kuweka akiba hiyo kwenye pesa ngumu.

Kusini mwa Dunia / nchi zinazoendelea - kutengwa kifedha na sarafu za kitaifa zisizosimamiwa vizuri

Baadhi yetu tunazaliwa kwenye mifumo ya fedha yenye sera nzuri na watawala wenye busara... Lakini wengi wetu tunateseka chini ya mifumo ya fedha mibovu au isiyosimamiwa vizuri... hatuna uwezo wa kuchagua taasisi za fedha tunazozaliwa nazo kama vile hatuchagui mama zetu wa kibaiolojia.Resistance Money, Andrew Bailey, Bradley Rettler, Craig Warmke

Katika Kusini mwa Dunia tunaona kwa mtazamo wa sarafu zisizosimamiwa vizuri zenye mfumuko wa bei mkubwa, uwezo mdogo wa kubadilishana kimataifa na viwango vya chini vya ujumuishaji wa kifedha. Katika nchi nyingi kubwa nusu au zaidi ya watu hawana akaunti za benki. Sarafu ya kimataifa isiyoegemea upande wowote, isiyohitaji ruhusa na yenye ugavi usiobadilika ina mengi ya kutoa kwa watu hawa.

Mfumuko wa bei mkubwa unafanya iwe vigumu kwa raia kuweka akiba. Kuweka akiba ni jambo muhimu katika kujenga mtaji kwenye uchumi na ukosefu wake unadhoofisha sana ukuaji halisi na uendelevu. Badala yake, uchumi unategemea mtaji wa nje au mara nyingi zaidi deni ili kuchochea uzalishaji. Deni hili mara nyingi huja na masharti ambayo yanaathiri aina ya maendeleo ya kiuchumi ambayo mkopeshaji anaona yanafaa na ambayo huenda siyo yale ambayo soko la ndani lingeendeleza lenyewe. Kwamba deni linapangwa katikati pia hutoa fursa kwa viongozi wasio waadilifu kujinufaisha binafsi.

Mfumuko wa bei mkubwa unasababisha watu kuweka thamani ndogo kwenye siku za usoni kwa sababu wanapunguza thamani ya wakati ujao kwa kiwango kikubwa. Kupunguza thamani ya wakati ni muhimu kwa ukuaji wa ustaarabu na uchumi. Mfumuko mdogo wa bei, na kupunguza thamani ya wakati kunafanya iwe rahisi kwa watu kupanga na kuwekeza kwa ajili ya siku za usoni.

Kuwatenga idadi kubwa ya watu duniani wasiweze kupata huduma za kubadilishana pesa za kimataifa pia kunawazuia kushiriki kwenye masoko ya kimataifa. Hii inadhuru uwezo wao wa kujipatia mahitaji yao kwa kutoa bidhaa na huduma kwa wanunuzi wanaotaka. Kutengwa kwao pia kunadhuru wateja ambao wangeweza kufaidika na faida za ushindani ambazo waliotengwa wangetoa; sote tunapoteza, wengine zaidi kuliko wengine.

4.6.5 Kutathmini chaguzi za sera

Mabadiliko ndiyo sheria ya maisha. Na wale wanaotazama tu yaliyopita au yaliyopo hakika watakosa yajayoJohn F. Kennedy

Haijalishi serikali zitachukua hatua gani kuhusu suala hili, kina na upana wa athari zake vinamaanisha kwamba kuibuka kwa Bitcoin kunapaswa kuongezwa kwenye rejista za kitaifa za hatari.

4.6.5.1 Pinga - Mpiganaji

Baadhi ya vipengele vya sera za serikali, lakini hasa vile vya wasimamizi wa fedha, vinaonekana kuchukua msimamo huu kwa muda mwingi tangu Bitcoin ilipopata thamani iliyovutia umakini. Pale ambapo kanuni zimejitokeza, zimekuwa za kujibu tu, polepole na zimekuwa na athari ya kuzuia ukuaji. Hata hivyo, hii huenda haikukusudiwa na inaweza tu kuwa ni matokeo ya ukosefu wa mkakati wa kutosha kutoka kwa serikali, na hivyo wasimamizi walio chini yao.

Ikiwa Bitcoin itaendelea kupanda, vitabu vya historia vitaona kwamba kuwanyima wengine fursa kutakuwa kumewadhuru sana watu wanaoishi katika nchi zilizochukua mkondo huu. Kuibuka kwa mtandao wa intaneti kulipingwa kidogo, mwanzoni kabisa, katika nchi zilizoendelea, lakini busara ilishinda haraka na faida nyingi za kibiashara na kiteknolojia zimeendelezwa, kujengwa na kupatikana na nchi zile zilizoukumbatia wakati bado ulikuwa mchanga.

4.6.5.2 Puuza - Mcheza Kamari

Chaguo hili linaonekana kuwa ndilo lililochukuliwa na serikali nyingi kuanzia 2009-2024 isipokuwa kwa mifano michache kama vile El Salvador na Bhutan. Licha ya kazi ya taasisi za sera kama vile Bitcoin Policy Institute nchini Marekani na Bitcoin Policy UK, serikali nyingi zimeendelea kutojua masuala haya na hivyo kukosa kuchukua hatua za kupunguza madhara na pia kukosa fursa zinazotokana na Kuibuka kwa Bitcoin. Pale ambapo kanuni zimewekwa, zimekuwa za kujibu tu badala ya kuwa na mkakati wa kina.

Kupuuza kwa makusudi hakuwezi kuwa msimamo unaokubalika kwani ni kucheza kamari na mustakabali wa watu wanaoishi katika maeneo ambayo serikali inawajibika nayo kwa sasa. Kuunga mkono upotoshaji na kutumia hotuba za kisiasa kudharau teknolojia kubwa haiwezi kuwa njia ya kimaadili au kitaaluma ya kuendesha siasa za serikali. Kucheka Bitcoin kama 'pesa ya kichawi ya mtandaoni' huenda kulikuwa na mantiki katika miaka ya mwanzo ilipokuwa tu ni kitu cha wapenzi wa teknolojia au ilikuwa na thamani ndogo sana, lakini sasa si msimamo unaokubalika tena.

4.6.5.3 Chelewesha - Mfuatiliaji wa Mwisho

Kujaribu kuchelewesha kuibuka kwa Bitcoin ni chaguo la kweli. Hata hivyo, litakuja kwa gharama ya matokeo mabaya zaidi kwa watu wanaoishi leo na watakaoishi baadaye katika maeneo ambayo serikali hiyo inawajibika nayo. Kwa kuzingatia hatari hii, inapaswa kufuatwa tu kutoka kwenye msingi wa ujuzi na utaalamu wa kina.

Huenda kuna maeneo ambapo kuchelewesha kwa makusudi na kwa ushirikiano wa kimataifa kwenye mada maalum kunaweza kuwa na manufaa katika kulainisha mabadiliko yasiyoepukika. Mfano mmoja ni kwamba kwa kupunguza juhudi za kufungia au kuweka vikwazo visivyo vya lazima kwa kampuni za mitandao ya kijamii zilizo na udhibiti wa kati, uhamiaji kwenda kwenye suluhisho zisizoweza kudhibitiwa unaweza kucheleweshwa. Hii inaweza kupunguza gharama za kusimamia uhalifu wa kifedha wa kimataifa na uhalifu mwingine mkubwa kwa muda mrefu zaidi.

4.6.5.4 Kubali - Mvumbuzi

Ikiwa itashinda, iunge mkono. Historia inawapendelea viongozi wanaowaunga mkono washindi.
James Dewar

Ikiwa Bitcoin itaendelea kupanda kama pesa ya kimataifa, washindi wa mapema watakuwa:

• Watu binafsi waliokumbatia Bitcoin mapema
• Biashara na wanahisa wao waliokumbatia Bitcoin mapema
• Wananchi wa nchi ambazo serikali zao zilikumbatia Bitcoin mapema

Kwa muda mrefu kila mtu atanufaika, lakini faida kubwa za awali zitaingia katika nchi ambazo serikali zao zitachukua chaguo hili.

Kwa kukumbatia Bitcoin sasa, serikali zinaweza:

• Kusaidia elimu ya raia wao
• Kuendeleza sheria na kanuni za Bitcoin kwa mtazamo wa kimkakati
• Kuhamasisha, au angalau kubaki bila upendeleo, ukuaji wa sekta mpya
• Kutabiri mabadiliko ya uchumi - ukubwa wa sekta ya fedha, kupungua kwa umuhimu na nguvu ya makampuni makubwa
• Kudhibiti athari kwa ufadhili wa serikali

Je, Bitcoin itamfanya asifae tena mwanasiasa anayeamini jukumu lake ni kutawala badala ya kuhudumia?
Darren Freemantle

Ni hatari zaidi kijamii kwa tajiri kutumia utajiri wake wa ziada kwa kutoa misaada kuliko kwa anasa. Kwa kutumia kwa anasa, anaumiza zaidi yeye mwenyewe na watu wa karibu yake, lakini kwa kutumia kwa misaada anailetea jamii madhara makubwa zaidi.
John A. Hobson

4.7.0 Utangulizi

Serikali hazitapoteza tu uwezo wao wa kutoza kodi aina nyingi za mapato na mitaji; pia zinalazimika kupoteza uwezo wao wa kulazimisha matumizi ya pesa.
James Dale Davidson

Kama ilivyojadiliwa katika sura inayolenga serikali, kuibuka kwa Bitcoin kuna uwezekano wa kuweka shinikizo kubwa kwa ufadhili wa serikali katika huduma za ustawi wa jamii. Shinikizo hili la ziada linaweza kutokea wakati huo huo ambapo uchumi mwingi wa magharibi unakabiliwa na idadi ya watu wanaozeeka.

Kupungua kwa jukumu la serikali kama mfadhili na/au mtoaji wa huduma, pamoja na kuongezeka kwa mahitaji kutoka kwa wananchi wao, kutaongeza sana mahitaji ya shughuli za hisani na uhisani wa kuzisaidia. Katika dunia ambapo mali za kifedha zinaweza kuhifadhiwa binafsi na kwa njia isiyo ya kimwili, viwango vya juu vya kodi ya kulazimisha vinaweza kudumu tu, hata katika demokrasia zenye ridhaa ya wapiga kura, kwa kuweka viwango vya juu vya vikwazo dhidi ya uhuru wa kusafiri ambavyo kwa sasa havikubaliki. Tazama nukuu hapo juu kutoka The Sovereign Individual, au isome yote.

Hata hivyo, kuna pia fursa kwa mashirika ya hisani na yasiyo ya kibiashara. Sio kwamba huduma zao hazitahitajika tena, bali ni kinyume chake. Na wengi wa wale ambao, kupitia kujifunza na kuona mbali, wanapata utajiri kupitia mabadiliko haya watafuata njia ya waliowatangulia (kwa mfano Rockefeller na Carnegie) na kuwa wahisani wanapoona uhitaji na kupata uwezo.

4.7.1 Hatari

Ninalazimika kulipa kiasi kikubwa kwa maskini kwa mujibu wa sheria, kiasi kwamba sina uwezo wa kutoa michango ya hiari...hii inazuia na kudhoofisha moyo wa kutoa; na moyo huu, kwa kutotumika...unazidi kudhoofika, na, kwa muda, labda unakufa kabisa
Thomas Alcock

Hatari ambazo mashirika ya hisani yanakabiliana nazo zinatokana na mambo yafuatayo:

• Kuongezeka kwa mahitaji ya kijamii ya huduma za afya na ustawi kutokana na mabadiliko ya idadi ya watu (katika nchi zilizoendelea)
• Kupungua kwa uwezo wa serikali kuendelea kutoa huduma zilizopo
• Kupungua kwa uwezo wa serikali kutoa msaada wa kifedha kwa mashirika ya hisani ili kusaidia huduma zilizopo

Yaliyo hapo juu husababisha hatari kwamba mashirika ya hisani na yasiyo ya kibiashara yanaweza kukabiliwa na ongezeko la mahitaji ya huduma wakati huo huo ambapo chanzo kikuu cha ufadhili kinapungua.

Katika karne ya 20, serikali ilikuja kuwa mtoaji mkuu wa huduma za afya na ustawi katika nchi nyingi zilizoendelea, maeneo ambayo hapo awali yalikuwa chini ya mashirika ya hisani, vikundi vya kijamii na taasisi za kidini. Kuibuka kwa dola ya ustawi wa jamii tangu vita kuu ya pili ya dunia kumetokana na kuongezeka kwa nguvu za serikali za kitaifa. Ikiwa hali hii itabadilika, basi kutatokea mapengo katika utoaji wa huduma za kijamii na watu watajitahidi kujipanga kuziba mapengo hayo.

Ni chukizo kwa jamii iliyoendelea kwa hospitali kutegemea hisani binafsi.
Aneurin Bevan

Wakati watu wengi, wakiwemo wanasiasa, wamekuwa wakitoa hoja za kimaadili kuhusu kutegemea mashirika ya hisani kama "chukizo" au maneno yanayofanana, huenda ikatokea kwamba kuwa na mitazamo kama hiyo ilikuwa ni fursa ya muda tu. Kwa vyovyote vile, mawazo kama haya yamepingwa kiakili. Kurudi kwenye matarajio kwamba wenye uwezo mkubwa watachukua mzigo mkubwa kupitia uhisani badala ya kulazimishwa kunaweza kuwa na manufaa ya kimaadili na kijamii.

Maendeleo ya sasa na yajayo katika teknolojia na tija duniani yanamaanisha kwamba mabadiliko kama haya hayatakuwa kurudi nyuma kwenye dunia kama ilivyokuwa kabla ya karne ya 20. Rasilimali za kutoa mitandao ya usalama inayotakiwa kwa ujumla leo ni kubwa zaidi kuliko zilizokuwepo awali. Kwa kweli, Bitcoin, kwa kuchochea maamuzi bora ya ugawaji wa rasilimali, ukuaji wa mitaji na kupunguza upendeleo wa muda mfupi, yenyewe itatoa msingi mpya wa kuongeza rasilimali ambazo uchumi wa dunia unaweza kuzalisha.

4.7.2 Vitisho

Mabadiliko ndiyo sheria ya maisha. Na wale wanaotazama tu yaliyopita au yaliyopo hakika watakosa yajayo
John F. Kennedy

Ufadhili

Mashirika ya hisani au yasiyo ya kibiashara yanayopokea ufadhili kutoka serikali kuu au za mitaa yanaweza kukabiliwa na kupungua kwa mapato haya kutokana na ugatuaji wa nguvu za kifedha kutoka kwa vyombo hivi vya kisiasa.

Hatari hiyo hiyo inawahusu mashirika yanayopata ufadhili mkubwa kutoka kwa makampuni ambayo yenyewe yanaweza kukabiliwa na changamoto kutokana na kuibuka kwa Bitcoin. Hasa, tungependa kusisitiza makampuni ambayo leo yanafanya kazi katika mazingira ya huduma za kifedha. Ikiwa mashirika haya ya ufadhili yenyewe hayapangi na kujibu teknolojia hii mpya, basi uwezo wao wa kuendelea kusaidia shughuli za hisani unaweza kupungua.

Mashirika ya hisani yanayopata sehemu ya ufadhili wao kutoka kwenye uwekezaji, mirathi au mfuko wa kudumu yanaweza kugundua kwamba mapato halisi kutoka vyanzo hivi yanapungua kadri Bitcoin inavyopunguza thamani ya ziada ya fedha wanayoshikilia kwa sasa. Hasa, hili linaweza kuathiri mali isiyohamishika, dhahabu na hisa. Deni pia linaweza kupoteza thamani halisi si tu kutokana na serikali zilizozidiwa na madeni, bali pia kwa sababu linakabiliwa na ushindani kutoka kwa kuibuka kwa mali mpya ya kifedha.

Mabadiliko ya idadi ya watu wanaotoa ufadhili yamekuwa yakibadilika kila wakati na hili si jambo jipya. Hata hivyo, kinachoweza kutokea kutokana na kuibuka kwa Bitcoin ni kwamba tofauti ya maadili na mitazamo ya vizazi vinavyokuja inaweza kuwa tofauti sana na ilivyokuwa zamani.

Ukuaji wa Mahitaji

Kadri serikali zinavyopungua uwezo wa kutoa baadhi ya huduma za afya na ustawi, kutakuwa na ongezeko la mahitaji yasiyotimizwa katika jamii. Watu watazidi kutegemea mashirika madogo ya kijamii ya karibu kusaidia kukidhi mahitaji haya. Mashirika mapya yataibuka, yakisaidiwa na wafadhili wapya waliohamasika.

Dunia iliyoendelea inakabiliwa na bomu la wakati la idadi ya watu linalosababishwa na kuzeeka kwa watu na kupungua kwa viwango vya uzazi. Mwelekeo huu unasukuma serikali zaidi kwenye madeni na mara nyingi kuongeza mzigo wa ahadi za baadaye zisizofadhiliwa. Mahitaji mengi ya sasa hayakidhiwi, na ahadi ambazo karibu hakika hazitatimizwa zinatolewa. Hii inasababishwa na siasa za muda mfupi, lakini ina athari mbaya ya kuongeza matarajio zaidi ya kile kinachoweza kutolewa. Matarajio kama haya ni chanzo cha mahitaji ya baadaye kwa sababu yanaposhindwa kutimizwa, watu wana uwezekano wa kuwa hawakujipanga binafsi vya kutosha, hata pale ambapo wangeweza kama wasingepokea ahadi hizo mwanzoni.

4.7.3 Fursa

Katika sehemu hii tunasisitiza baadhi ya fursa zinazowezekana kwa mashirika ya hisani na yasiyo ya kibiashara ambazo Bitcoin inaweza kutoa. Hazijakamilika, lakini ni fursa kwa mashirika mengi na zinalenga kuchochea fikra.

Uelewa mmoja muhimu ni kwamba ikiwa Bitcoin itaendelea kwenye njia yake ya kuwa mali na sarafu yenye thamani duniani kote, basi kuna kundi la kizazi tayari linashiriki leo ambalo kutoka humo watatokea wahisani wengi wa kesho. Ni kundi lililo na motisha na limejitolea, wengi wao tayari wanaelewa kwamba utajiri mkubwa unakuja na wajibu mkubwa. Wana uwezekano mkubwa wa kuwa tayari kushirikiana na kusaidia mashirika ya hisani yanayojipanga kimaadili kusaidia wenye uhitaji, iwe uhitaji huo ni wa sasa, au unaibuka kadri serikali zinavyoshindwa kutimiza ahadi zilizopita.

Kwa mahitaji mapya na kundi jipya la wafadhili, inaweza kuwa na faida kuanzisha shirika tanzu la hisani au lisilo la kibiashara. Shirika tanzu jipya linalojitegemea linaweza kupata umakini zaidi na kuwa na uwezo wa kubuni haraka zaidi katika utoaji na ukusanyaji wa fedha. Unaweza hata kupata wafanyakazi wa Bitcoin ambao wako tayari kujitolea muda wao kukusaidia, pamoja na kutoa njia za kusaidia uhisani kifedha, kwa sababu kuwa na utajiri pia kunawafanya watu kuwa wamiliki wa muda wao.

Kubali na lengo michango ya bitcoin

Kupokea bitcoin ni njia rahisi na ya gharama nafuu ya kujihusisha na kundi la Bitcoin. Kuna biashara nyingi duniani kote sasa zinazofanya hivi ili kuongeza mapato, kwa kutumia mitandao ya kijamii na huduma za mtandaoni kujitangaza, mara nyingi bila malipo. Kwa kukubali bitcoin, mashirika yanafungua milango kwa soko la kimataifa linalokua la watu wanaozidi kuwa na utajiri kadri muda unavyopita. Soko hili ni rahisi kulilenga kwa sasa kwani limeungana sana kwenye mitandao ya kijamii na majukwaa ya mtandaoni.

Katika baadhi ya maeneo ya kodi, kodi ya faida ya mtaji hulipwa unapotumia bitcoin katika biashara. Hata hivyo, michango kwa mashirika ya hisani inaweza isitozwe kodi hivyo kupunguza vikwazo zaidi kuliko kwa biashara.

Kujenga sifa ndani ya jamii hii ya kimataifa kwa sasa kutakuwa rahisi zaidi kuliko baada ya miaka michache ijayo ambapo itakuwa kubwa zaidi na shirika lako la hisani litakuwa moja kati ya mamia yanayokubali bitcoin. Zaidi ya hayo, watu unaoshirikiana nao leo wana uwezekano mkubwa wa kuwa sehemu kubwa ya wale watakaokuwa wahisani siku zijazo kuliko wale watakaokumbatia Bitcoin baadaye. Kujihusisha na kundi hili kunafungua fursa ya kimataifa kuzingatiwa kwa mirathi ya Bitcoin pamoja na msaada mwingine usio wa kifedha kama vile kujitolea.

Usimamizi wa Hazina

Kwa mashirika ya hisani na yasiyo ya kibiashara yanayopata mapato kutoka kwenye uwekezaji au/na mfuko wa kudumu, kujumuisha mgao wa bitcoin kwenye mchanganyiko wa uwekezaji kunaweza kutoa mapato bora kwa hatari fulani kwa kuongeza uwiano wa Sharpe. Tazama Sura ya 7.3 ‘Usimamizi wa Hazina’ kwa maelezo zaidi kuhusu hili.

Ubunifu wa Utoaji

Biashara nyingi zinazoshirikiana na Bitcoin huanzisha bidhaa na huduma mahsusi kwa soko hili ili kuongeza mapato na uaminifu. Kuna fursa kwa mashirika ya hisani kuangalia jinsi teknolojia ya Bitcoin inaweza kutoa jukwaa la kuboresha utoaji wa huduma zao.

Tunatoa mfano mmoja tu hapa kusaidia kufafanua wazo na kusaidia mchakato wako wa ubunifu.

‘Kuweka benki’ wasio na akaunti za benki: Kadi za malipo za Bitcoin, zinazotolewa na kujazwa na shirika la hisani, zinaweza kusaidia watu wasio na akaunti za benki, iwe ni kwa sababu ya matatizo ya utambulisho au kutokuwa na faida, kupata huduma kama vile benki za chakula huku wakidumisha faragha na heshima. Suluhisho kama hili linaweza pia kukuza ujuzi wa kuishi kwa kujitegemea kama vile kufanya maamuzi ya bajeti dukani. Hii inaweza kutoa msingi kwa walengwa kupata uzoefu wa usimamizi wa fedha hata kama kwa sasa hawana upatikanaji wa huduma za kibenki. Inaweza pia kusaidia kuhakikisha malipo yanafika maeneo yenye uhitaji haraka na kwa ufanisi wa gharama.

Muundo wa Utoaji

Fikiria kuhusu kugatua miundo ili kushirikisha jamii za mitaa zaidi. Muundo uliogatuliwa zaidi una uwezekano wa kukuza ushirikiano kutoka chini kwenda juu na unaweza kuakisi vyema zaidi mwelekeo wa dunia inayozidi kuwa ya kugatua.

Ukuaji wa Mahitaji

Tambua maeneo ambako malengo ya hisani ya shirika lako yanakutana na mahitaji ambayo hayajatimizwa kwa sasa, au pale ambapo serikali inakidhi baadhi ya mahitaji lakini inaweza kujiondoa au kupunguza huduma endapo itakabiliwa na changamoto za kifedha siku zijazo.

Panga na toa kipaumbele kwa kupanua huduma zako katika maeneo haya.

4.7.4 Shughuli

Buni kampeni ya ukusanyaji wa fedha inayolenga kundi la watu wanaotumia Bitcoin.

Baadhi ya mambo unayoweza kuzingatia:

• Kwa nini wafadhili wapya watakaoibuka kutokana na teknolojia hii watataka kushirikiana na wewe?
• Ni maadili gani kundi hili linashikilia?
• Je, shirika lako la hisani / kampeni yako inagusa vipi maadili haya?
• Ni aina gani ya kujitolea kwa Bitcoin inayoweza kuvutia michango zaidi?
• Je, kundi hili limegawanyika vipi kijiografia?
• Ni makundi gani ya utajiri yaliyopo ndani ya kundi hili kwa sasa, na baadaye?
• Unawezaje kuwasiliana nao na kuwafikia?
• Unawezaje kukuza uhusiano wa muda mrefu na kuaminiana na makundi haya?