Is bitcoin just a glorified ponzi scheme?

[reagansimms]

At first glance, Bitcoin appears to have similarities to a Ponzi scheme, but upon closer examination, Bitcoin does not meet any of the criteria offered by a Ponzi scheme. Bitcoin's decentralized nature with no central issuer or authority makes everything transparent and visible to anyone.
Bitcoin also never guarantees profit because its price is purely determined by supply and demand, Bitcoin will also not collapse if adoption stops or decreases because its resilience has been tested and has successfully weathered pressure in several bear markets in the past, until now the Bitcoin network is still operating without changes that allow every new investor to get involved in it because of its decentralized structure.

[DiMarxist]

Why do people want to tag Bitcoin as another ponzi scheme, bitcorn is  never a ponzi scheme because one, Bitcoin is decentralized it is not a central currency, that's to say Bitcoin is not owned by an individual or an institution. The length of longevity of Bitcoin should even explain to those asking if Bitcoin is a ponzi scheme.
Have they ever seen a ponzi scheme existing for more than fifteen years. These are but indices to convince these people about Bitcoin. But, while we blem them for their ignorance, let's also know that some are really eager to know and deserves  to be taught.

[PX-Z]

It’s 2025 and I can’t believe some people still think that bitcoin is a ponzi scheme.

It's 2025 and some people still think Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme? At this point, I guess the Earth is still flat, emails are witchcraft, and dial-up is cutting-edge tech. Some people just refuse to leave 2009. I bet even actual Ponzi schemes are offended by the comparison.

[Zwei]

So I'm ok with someone calling Bitcoin a Ponzi Scheme so long as they admit that gold is also a Ponzi Scheme.  Where is the distinction though.  Are companies that don't make a profit Ponzi Schemes?  Is the Government a Ponzi Scheme if they don't have a balanced budget?

everything is gonna become a ponzi if we go by thier logic, and the government would be the bigest ponzi of them all, but they will deny that.

It's 2025 and some people still think Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme? At this point, I guess the Earth is still flat, emails are witchcraft, and dial-up is cutting-edge tech. Some people just refuse to leave 2009. I bet even actual Ponzi schemes are offended by the comparison.

that last part cracked me up, lol.  

if bitcoin is a "glorified ponzi", i guess the other none glorified ponzi schemes should sue it for unfair competition since the bitcoin ponzi is just so damn good. /s

[Promocodeudo]

Why do people want to tag Bitcoin as another ponzi scheme, bitcorn is  never a ponzi scheme because one, Bitcoin is decentralized it is not a central currency, that's to say Bitcoin is not owned by an individual or an institution. The length of longevity of Bitcoin should even explain to those asking if Bitcoin is a ponzi scheme.
Have they ever seen a ponzi scheme existing for more than fifteen years. These are but indices to convince these people about Bitcoin. But, while we blem them for their ignorance, let's also know that some are really eager to know and deserves  to be taught.

Buddy there are things I don't have to bother myself with because of believe when it comes to Bitcoin, we know what Bitcoin stands for, even though someone comes with arguments that's doesn't go out way, that doesn't change ourindset towards Bitcoin, such argument will help us to say more things about Bitcoin and the reason why we believe that Bitcoin first fall to the category of what the person we are arguing with is saying, come to think to think of it, has any ponzi scheme been able to accommodate the number of persons at a stretch without us hearing that the system has crash or one story or the other, you have tried to clear some stuff which I strong support, it is funny when people think that an innovation that has stand a test of time is a ponzi scheme, which ponzi scheme function as a means of transaction and an investment, which ponzi scheme has very last for more than 10 years without crashing or going into extinction, I think the difference is clear so I will have to rest my case.

[dumpsterhawk]

At first glance, Bitcoin appears to have similarities to a Ponzi scheme

I don't think that is true. Please list these similarities so we can discuss them.

A question that still causes heated debate. Yes, the volatility and hype around Bitcoin do not leave anyone indifferent, but writing it off as a "pyramid" is too superficial. Everything depends on the approach: if you blindly chase profit, the risk is high, as in any area. Personally, I consider Bitcoin as part of a diversified portfolio and use proven platforms for this, such as Paybis, because here you are immediately told Protect Yourself from Dollar Collapse . Convenient, transparent and without unnecessary noise. The main thing is awareness and sound calculation.

I wouldn't consider this a heated debate, not even close. You just have a bunch of uninformed people on one side combined with angry jerks who hate Bitcoin for a many number of reasons. If I say that an apple is a vegetable, does that make it a heated debate too or is it just me being dumb? There are proper definitions as to what constitutes a ponzi scheme, you can't modify them to your own will. Because of that, Bitcoin does not display any traits of such. I know that a lot of people have trouble with new concepts, and even worse so when they are radically different to anything that they are used to in their life. This does not change the fact that Bitcoin isn't a ponzi and can't become a ponzi.

if bitcoin is a "glorified ponzi", i guess the other none glorified ponzi schemes should sue it for unfair competition since the bitcoin ponzi is just so damn good. /s

They should. The one ponzi to rule them all

[andulolika]

Bitcoin is a glorified ponzi scheme to keep the tech alive.

[Ullaa]

I saw someone from another website ask this and I wanted to bring the discussion here in case a newbie is also asking the same thing. First of all, what is a ponzi scheme? a form of fraud in which belief in the success of a nonexistent enterprise is fostered by the payment of quick returns to the first investors from money invested by later investors. Three factors that make up a ponzi scheme: “guaranteed” high returns, dependent on new investors, and falsified documents.

So is bitcoin just a glorified ponzi scheme? No.

“Guaranteed high returns” = Bitcoin is decentralized and there is no central authority that is making promises to investors that they will get their money back. Other investors may hype bitcoin up but they are not actually associated with bitcoin itself.

“Dependent on new investors” = Bitcoin will run even without new investors. Yes, the price will fluctuate depending on the demand but the network will still work. Unlike in a ponzi scheme where it will collapse without a new investor so much as in a day.

“Falsified documents” = Everything is transparent in bitcoin. Every transaction is on the blockchain and open for anyone to see and keep track.

It’s 2025 and I can’t believe some people still think that bitcoin is a ponzi scheme. Hopefully this answers those people’s doubts.

A lot of people throw around the term "ponzi scheme" without fully understanding what it actually means. Especially thoose people who don't know about cryptocurrencyes. Bitcoin doesn't promise guaranteed returns there's no central figure promising profits and everything is visible on the blockchain It's more like a new kind of asset and yeah it's volatile, but that doesn't make it fraudulent

Actually people get confused because of all the scams that happen around crypto, that's why they thinks Crypto is  scam.

[Oluwa-btc]

I agree.

Anyone who claims that Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme either doesn't understand how Bitcoin works or doesn't understand what a Ponzi scheme is, or both.

You're correct, there's this confusion that lies between Bitcoin speculations and fraud;that certainly needs a balance.Scams really do exists in crypto but this time around, Bitcoin is not a PONZI SCHEME.Bitcoin itself is volatile and risky but just so you know, just be careful enough not to combine Bitcoin with the scams in it.
The knowledge balancing and understanding would definitely save you from some crypto shits tragedies.

[Japinat]

I agree.

Anyone who claims that Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme either doesn't understand how Bitcoin works or doesn't understand what a Ponzi scheme is, or both.

Certainly both. A well-knowledgeable person does not claim that bitcoin is a ponzi scheme, not because he knows the potentials of bitcoin, but also because he isn’t even a scammer itself that is using bitcoin for his own advantage. Let’s just be realistic here, those who are fond of claiming that this or that is a ponzi scheme is an scammer itself, otherwise how would he easily accuse bitcoin when there’s no experience based.