bitcoin

Niall Ferguson Retracts Critical Appraisal of Crypto and DLT


Prominent British historian and author of ‘The Ascent of Money,’ Niall Ferguson, has retracted the pessimistic assertions that he had previously made with regards to the prospective utilities for Bitcoin and distributed ledger technology. The comments come one month after Ferguson was announced as an advisor to the stablecoin Ampleforth.

Also Read: How to Use Bitcoin When the Apocalypse Hits

Niall Ferguson Retracts Previous Criticisms of Cryptocurrencies

While delivering the keynote speech during the first day of the Australian Financial Review Business Summit last week, Ferguson stated that he “was very wrong” in doubting the potential applications for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

Referring to previous statements in which he predicted that virtual currencies would “turn out to be a complete delusion,” Ferguson stated that he was “wrong to think there was no…use for a form of currency based on blockchain technology.”

Niall Ferguson Retracts Critical Appraisal of Crypto and DLT

On the topic of price action, Ferguson noted that despite last year’s bear trend, the price of BTC “remains a long way from zero.”

Ferguson’s comments appear to follow remarks made during a Bank of England seminar in which he predicted that cryptocurrencies will comprise “the financial system of the future.”

Ferguson Critical of Fiat-Pegged Cryptocurrencies Despite Stablecoin Affiliation

Ferguson also expressed skepticism regarding fiat-collateralized cryptocurrencies such as tether, despite having joined stablecoin Ampleforth as an advisor last month.

At the time, Ferguson stated: “I’m attracted by Ampleforth’s mission to reinvent money in a way that protects individual freedom and to create a payments system that treats everyone equally.” According to Ampleforth’s website, the project seeks to “produce a money that is both sound, like gold; and stable, like fiat.”

Niall Ferguson Retracts Critical Appraisal of Crypto and DLT

In an interview with Breaker last month, Ferguson described the existing payments system as “a relic of the 1970s,” however, noted that “the experiment launched by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 is not yet finished,” adding: “To own a bitcoin today is to have an option on Satoshi’s experiment succeeding.”

What do you make of Niall Ferguson’s recent remarks regarding virtual currencies? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!


Images courtesy of Shutterstock


At Bitcoin.com there’s a bunch of free helpful services. For instance, have you seen our Tools page? You can even lookup the exchange rate for a transaction in the past. Or calculate the value of your current holdings. Or create a paper wallet. And much more.

Samuel Haig

Samuel Haig is a journalist who has been completely obsessed with bitcoin and cryptocurrency since 2012. Samuel lives in Tasmania, Australia, where he attended the University of Tasmania and majored in Political Science, and Journalism, Media & Communications. Samuel has written about the dialectics of decentralization, and is also a musician and kangaroo riding enthusiast.





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.