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He likens Bitcoin's emergence to an unnoticeable yet profound change, comparable to the oxygen's impact on Earth's evolution. The analogy illustrates how a seemingly small innovation can open vast new ecological niches — environments where new "species" of money can compete and adapt.
The Evolutionary Analogy: Money as a Biological Species
Antonopoulos introduces an intriguing analogy between biological evolution and the development of money. Before the advent of Bitcoin, traditional money was rooted in centralized control via national governments and central banks. This era, starting in the early 20th century, saw money detached from commodity backing and managed on a sovereign basis, like dinosaurs dominating the landscape — powerful, but ultimately vulnerable to extinction.