Bitcoin academics slam controversial ECB paper blasting Bitcoin

As a seasoned crypto investor with over a decade of experience navigating the digital asset landscape, I can’t help but feel exasperated by the ongoing debate between traditional financial institutions like the European Central Bank (ECB) and the crypto community. The latest paper from the ECB, which portrayed Bitcoin as a Ponzi scheme short of calling it explicitly, seems to be nothing more than a rehashing of outdated criticisms that ignore the progress and potential of this revolutionary technology.


A recent European Central Bank document, which came close to labeling Bitcoin as a Ponzi scheme, has faced criticism from a team of cryptocurrency scholars in their latest scholarly response.

its high volatility, lack of significant economic contribution, and concentration of wealth.

On October 22nd, a response was published, offering constructive criticism towards the October 12th research paper from the European Central Bank (ECB), penned by Ulrich Bindseil and Jürgen Schaaf. This paper had sparked strong reactions among supporters of cryptocurrencies.

In the study, it was concluded that Bitcoin’s sustainability for the long term and societal influence may not be favorable. Remarkably, Rudd suggested Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) as a more effective alternative for contemporary monetary structures.

ECB arguments “fundamentally flawed”

In the views expressed by the authors of the ECB report, Dr. Rudd contends that they have misconstrued the fundamental aim of Bitcoin. Specifically, he claims they erroneously suggest a transition from being a medium for transactions to an investment avenue, all while failing to grasp its core technologies, specifically the proof-of-work mechanism and decentralization principles.

According to Rudd, instead of highlighting the advancements in scalability and efficiency, Bindseil and Schaff only mention the initial constraints, overlooking the substantial progress that has been made.

Rudd pointed out on October 12 that the paper contained several significant errors, among them misleading assertions about Bitcoin’s distribution of wealth. These assertions overlook the reality that numerous large Bitcoin wallets belong to exchanges, which manage funds for countless individual users.

In response, the European Central Bank’s claims that Bitcoin has no inherent worth ignore its role as a means for long-term savings and its powerful network benefits. Moreover, the criticism leveled at Bitcoin’s instability seems to disregard it as a typical aspect of adopting new technology in its early stages.

In their analysis, the European Central Bank pointed out that Bitcoin’s issue with wealth distribution is not fully understood because it overlooks the wider effects of inflation in conventional financial structures. They used the declining value of the U.S. dollar due to inflation as a case in point.

Bitcoin academics slam controversial ECB paper blasting Bitcoin

Conflict of interest

The counterargument underscores the fact that the authors themselves played crucial parts in creating a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) or a digital version of the Euro for the European Central Bank (ECB). This involvement raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

“Given the ECB’s strategic focus on developing a CBDC, it is reasonable to infer that the authors, at best, have a vested interest in portraying Bitcoin as an inferior, speculative asset.”

As a financial analyst, I acknowledge that my previous assessments may have underestimated the potential advantages of Bitcoin. This digital currency offers significant benefits, such as its role in fostering financial inclusion by providing access to banking services for unbanked populations, facilitating seamless cross-border payments, and serving as a reliable store of value in countries with volatile currencies. Furthermore, it showcases technological advancements in energy efficiency and power grid stability, which could have important implications for the global economy and financial infrastructure.

The rebuttal’s co-authors were Axiom Capital general partner Allen Farrington, Freddie New from Bitcoin Policy UK, and Dennis Porter from the Satoshi Action Fund. 

The study found that “flaws in methodology and potential influences from personal or institutional viewpoints” compromised the objective assessment of Bitcoin’s usefulness and future prospects within the academic context, as the paper did not offer a reliable evaluation.

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2024-10-23 06:58