In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Sam Altman enthusiastically endorsed Bitcoin, expressing strong reservations about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, hailed Bitcoin as a “highly rational” advancement along the technology trajectory, emphasizing its independence from government influence and its potential to combat corruption.
During an October 6th appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Altman shared his excitement about Bitcoin’s global potential as a currency not under any government’s jurisdiction, deeming it a significant milestone in the tech world.
Altman’s extensive conversation with Rogan encompassed a wide range of topics, including his perspective on Bitcoin’s role as a global reserve currency and his concerns regarding CBDCs. As the founder of Worldcoin, Altman envisioned a “technologically empowered world,” in which Bitcoin played a pivotal role in reducing corruption.
Altman noted that corruption poses a significant obstacle to societal progress and that digital payments, including Bitcoin, could facilitate a shift away from cash-based transactions, enhancing transparency and reducing corruption.
Rogan, despite harboring skepticism about the broader cryptocurrency industry, expressed his optimism about Bitcoin’s potential to become a universally accepted currency. He found Bitcoin’s inherent limitations and decentralized mining process particularly fascinating.
Altman has been a staunch advocate of Bitcoin for a decade, having argued in a blog post a decade ago that a Bitcoin-based world would offer enhanced transparency, a key factor in reducing corruption.
Both Altman and Rogan expressed strong opposition to CBDCs and voiced concerns about the United States adopting a surveillance-oriented approach. Rogan worried that CBDCs could grant governments unprecedented control over individuals’ spending habits, particularly with the potential for tying them to a social credit system.
Altman echoed Rogan’s concerns, expressing disappointment in recent U.S. government actions, particularly their stance on cryptocurrency. He emphasized the need to protect the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies and the importance of not relinquishing control to centralized authorities.
