Bitcoin Is risky... But living on fiat is riskier

[Hewlet]

Many people are not paying attention to inflation the way they are paying attention to Bitcoin volatility, and that is the reason why they are rejecting Bitcoin. Some are not seeing how they are being affected by inflation because it is a silent process, but with Bitcoin, the price fluctuations are what make some people scared to invest.

The thing is that with inflation, not so many people knows how to calculate it so they just only responds to it when it becomes really obvious. inflation comes from different angles and from different things so wether you are interested in it or not, it directly affects you. those that have had the privilege of saving much in fiat and at the same time have also invested in bitcoin will easily tell that the volatility that comes with bitcoin is not a big deal as long as you are not one that thinks of selling just so soon. DIP will come and sometimes it will stay long but eventually, bull will also come. it is only bad when an investors sells off during bear for lack of patience. if you can survive though the system of inflation that appears almost constant, then there is nothing difficult staying through times when bitcoin becomes negatively volatile. moreover, bitcoin is always volatile.
 

[Publictalk792]

Many people are not paying attention to inflation the way they are paying attention to Bitcoin volatility, and that is the reason why they are rejecting Bitcoin. Some are not seeing how they are being affected by inflation because it is a silent process, but with Bitcoin, the price fluctuations are what make some people scared to invest.

The thing is that with inflation, not so many people knows how to calculate it so they just only responds to it when it becomes really obvious. inflation comes from different angles and from different things so wether you are interested in it or not, it directly affects you. those that have had the privilege of saving much in fiat and at the same time have also invested in bitcoin will easily tell that the volatility that comes with bitcoin is not a big deal as long as you are not one that thinks of selling just so soon. DIP will come and sometimes it will stay long but eventually, bull will also come. it is only bad when an investors sells off during bear for lack of patience. if you can survive though the system of inflation that appears almost constant, then there is nothing difficult staying through times when bitcoin becomes negatively volatile. moreover, bitcoin is always volatile.
 

Most people lack patience, and that is where you start to lose out. Bear markets are far from fun to be in when you are in them. 2022 was more than year long affair, and Bitcoin dropped fast from $69k to $15k. Those who sold in at low end were taking real loss and inflation was also taking its bite. Finally, those who had invested saw $126k. When you have already accepted fact that inflation is unavoidable tax on your savings and you are riding it on day to day basis without fear, Bitcoin price ups and downs is much easier pill to swallow. One is guaranteed and one is less sure but in past has recovered better.

[imthegreat]

Bitcoin is a new and unfamiliar route for many, but the rewards are great. I don't understand why such a large percentage of people in society lack enthusiasm for learning something new. Bitcoin has been talked about on TV a hundred times, but everyone only cares about it when it hits its ATH. All the idiots immediately rush to show their greed and buy it for 120k. This is the face of the entire crypto community. But what really shocks me is those who think every Bitcoin is indivisible and can only be bought whole. This stupidity creates an incredibly high barrier to entry for them, beyond which they don't want to see all of Bitcoin's advantages.

[Tamaperdana]

Fiat carries more risks than Bitcoin in  the long run because it loses purchasing power over time , while Bitcoin tend to increase in value over the long term

However, Bitcoin carries more risk than fiat in the short term.  Fiat does not get dumped and  lose over 50-60% of its value in just a few month, as Bitcoin is currently undergoing.


So it would be inaccurate to say that one is riskier than the other. Instead of comparing them,  what we should do is understand the true nature of each asset and use them for different purposes, situation and time horizons.

I completely agree with your assumption, because what you said is fundamentally true. In the short term, fiat currency is indeed reliable. Although the fiat pound is constantly eroded by inflation, its percentage fluctuations are still not as extreme as Bitcoin's. Therefore, it is absolutely correct to say that in the short term, and perhaps for everyday use, fiat currency is very good to use. As for Bitcoin, as you said, it can experience significant price spikes and drops over several months, and that is clearly not good in the short term.

But in the long term, Bitcoin is clearly superior. Although Bitcoin has quite rapid price fluctuations, its price always tends to continue to rise over the long term. Therefore, I think we now have a key point: for investment, Bitcoin is definitely the primary choice. But for everyday use, fiat currency is definitely better. So, basically, both currencies have their positive and negative sides. So, yes, we don't need to lean toward one or the other, because we ultimately need both.

[marrcelo]

Yes fiat currencies we all know that devalue over time. Only way to control inflation and good investment to give profit long term but people who want everything now mainly for those who earn little it's even justified he earns just for necessity. The truth is that people don't invest in Bitcoin who find it complicated have difficulty with technology or that people around them talk bad or don't have the stomach for Bitcoin's volatility ignorance the backward ones in life people and the government too.

[Junoto]

i mean, Bitcoin’s risk is loud and obvious: wild price swings and big volatility.

that scares most people. fiat risk, on the other hand, is silent and slow: inflation quietly eats away your purchasing power, and governments can print, freeze, or devalue money anytime.

a few people don’t see the slow erosion as risk because it feels normal. Bitcoin feels dangerous simply because it’s visible and fast. many reject Bitcoin not because it’s truly too risky, but because its risks are unfamiliar.

familiarity often beats logic. that said, it’s understandable if someone prefers to stay with what they know.

not everyone likes volatility. but for those who see the bigger picture, Bitcoin isn’t just risky — it’s one of the best hedges against the silent risks of the current system.

if can i ask you (OP) here is: what do you think is the best way to explain this “loud risk vs silent risk” concept to someone who’s still scared of Bitcoin?

[Renampun]

One of the most common argument against Bitcoin is that it is “too risky.” some point to volatility, price drops, and uncertainty as reasons to stay away... And decide keeping their money in cash and traditional savings feels safer...

They look at bitcoin in the short term, so they see that it is more likely to be volatile and too risky to hold. but if they looked at it from a long-term perspective instead, they might see that short-term volatility is just a trend and in the long term the price of Bitcoin will tend to trend upward even though it is experiencing fluctuations along the way but that is not one thing to worry about. that's why it is always recommended to invest only money that you can afford to invest, because it can help investors avoid making emotional decisions based on short-term price movements and they can still focus on holding until they can actually make a profit.

[Dogedegen]

I completely agree with your assumption, because what you said is fundamentally true. In the short term, fiat currency is indeed reliable. Although the fiat pound is constantly eroded by inflation, its percentage fluctuations are still not as extreme as Bitcoin's. Therefore, it is absolutely correct to say that in the short term, and perhaps for everyday use, fiat currency is very good to use. As for Bitcoin, as you said, it can experience significant price spikes and drops over several months, and that is clearly not good in the short term.

But in the long term, Bitcoin is clearly superior. Although Bitcoin has quite rapid price fluctuations, its price always tends to continue to rise over the long term. Therefore, I think we now have a key point: for investment, Bitcoin is definitely the primary choice. But for everyday use, fiat currency is definitely better. So, basically, both currencies have their positive and negative sides. So, yes, we don't need to lean toward one or the other, because we ultimately need both.

The illusion of reliability in the short term is the thing that leads most people to make the wrong choice. If something is good short term it can also mean that it is a poison in the long term. Fiat is the worst thing that has ever been made when it comes to money, so its short term reliability does not give it any credit at all. In the shortest of the term, you can pay with anything and it will be reliable as long as both parties of the transactions are intelligent.

that scares most people. fiat risk, on the other hand, is silent and slow: inflation quietly eats away your purchasing power, and governments can print, freeze, or devalue money anytime.

Lost half your value away in a few years is not exactly slow, it is just an illusion. Since COVID the cost of daily goods has gone up 2 or even 3 times on average, there are some outliers but they don't matter at all when your monthly cost has gone up twice. So what exactly is slow or silent about it? The people simply do not understand where the price increase comes from and how inflation works at all. If they did they would be jumping ship as fast as possible! If you tell them you could lose 50% of value in Bitcoin during a bear market drop they would panic. If you tell them they will lose 50% of value in a few years of fiat for most countries, they will not understand what you are talking about.

[topbitcoin]

From this we must see the scale of priorities by making fiat a short and medium term need and making bitcoin an investment and hedge that we have. Being in bitcoin is risky but by looking at the progress that has happened now we always believe that every year bitcoin will increase and it becomes a very big hope for us to see a future with the financial freedom that we hope for.

The thing about progress that makes me very confident is investing every time I make money and I also invest with discretionary funds because currently the income we receive is weekly and after everything is sufficient for my needs, I think choosing to invest is something that is an obligation for us to do because if we don't invest, the funds will run out and there are always expenses that we make with the aim that the funds will run out without any remaining savings, so by investing with discretionary funds, even though sometimes with a small amount, it will slowly become our future assets with a large amount, this is because without us realizing what we have been doing so far.

Mandatory or not I think this is determined from the financial condition that we have because everyone's point of view depends on their economic condition.

If those who are in the upper middle economies of scale then maybe investing can be a good option to develop their finances because they know this is the thing to do but in contrast to those who can say poor it will be difficult to make investments a liability.

Indeed, not a few people will still be able to invest in bitcoin even though they are poor but this cannot be an obligation for them because precisely if this is made an obligation then it is likely that they will be very difficult to withstand the risks they have.

But as long as we can afford to buy the slightest then the results will definitely be felt.

[Asuspawer09]

In reality, fiat is safer than Bitcoin, because it doesn't have a volatile market price, you can totally save up money and expect almost the same value. The only thing that you need to watch out for is inflation because it is where the value gets destroyed on fiat money, but overall, it is surely much safer than just investing in risk assets like cryptocurrency.

ofcourse someone can always argue that putting your money in Bitcoin is better than just staying on fiat money, ofcourse when it comes to investment your money might earn a huge profit in the future, and long term you might get a good investment over time, but still, the risk and reward are always vice versa, it is high risk but also high reward, If you are just going to gamble everything on Bitcoin you can just say and speculate that it is going to be a 500k$ in the future or it will have a higher value than the fiat, it is probably true but still wasn't something that is guarantee.

Nothing is 100% safe in this world. Everything comes up with its risks. How you manage those risks, is what will keep you afloat in the long-term. Fiat, although stable, suffers from inflation. Which means, your purchasing power will diminish over time. With Bitcoin, it's all of the contrary. But it's a often a victim of short-term volatility.

If you want to spend money quickly, Bitcoin might not be your best option. I'd leverage between both BTC and Fiat's advantages/disadvantages for my own benefit. Never invest more than what you can't afford to lose, and there should be nothing to worry about.

Agree with that, so there should be a middle ground where you have a good balance that you have Bitcoin and fiat at the same time, having only Bitcoin or fiat only was not recommended since they both have advantages and disadvantages, diversifying was a good thing it can avoid a lot of problems long term, and good balance can keep your investment long term, since you dont have to worry about volatility of the market because you know that you have fiat.

One thing that I learned in my investing is that you should do it in order, not just straight up investing in Bitcoin, start with building your financial foundation first, maybe have a small savings, then build your emergency fund, then build your health fund, etc. After all of that, and you know you have already built your finances, you could start investing in risky assets like real estate, gold, Bitcoin, etc. That is when it is a good time to explore investments to start generating passive incomes.