What Bitcoin Did BITCOIN IS HUMAN NATURE w/ Jesse Myers
May 2, 2025
Jesse Myers, author of the Once in a Species newsletter, dives into the human inclination towards scarce assets, attributing this to our evolutionary history. He discusses how early money systems may have allowed Homo sapiens to outcompete Neanderthals. The conversation touches on primitive currencies, creativity in early humans, and why Bitcoin epitomizes this age-old search for perfect scarcity. Myers presents Bitcoin not just as a currency, but as a reflection of human nature and a potential game-changer in societal norms.
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Scarcity Drives Humanity and Bitcoin
- Humanity's fascination with scarce assets is literally hardwired in our DNA.
- Bitcoin represents the culmination of 142,000 years of this pursuit for perfect scarcity.
Shell Beads as Proto-Money
- Nick Szabo's article 'Shelling Out' shows seashell beads as humanity's earliest form of money.
- This reveals why humans value scarce collectibles as proto-money for over 75,000 years.
Money Emerges from Shared Value
- Money emerges when a scarce commodity gains intersubjective value within a group.
- This shared valuation transforms collectibles into stores of value and mediums of exchange.