随着比特币第三次减半的日益临近，人们对于它的关注度也在不断的提升。事实上，随着时间的推移，比特币的稀缺性将会继续使其成为对投资者越来越有吸引力的资产。
As the third halving of Bitcoin approaches, there is growing interest in it. Indeed, over time, the scarcity of bitcoin will continue to make it an increasingly attractive asset for investors.
那么，随着比特币继续向主流世界靠拢，我们到底该如何看待它呢？或者说，这里有一个非常重要的问题：比特币到底是什么？它是一种货币吗？还是一种价值储存的工具？又或者说，它就是一种全新的东西？
So, as Bitcoin continues to approach the mainstream world, what do we think of it? Or is there a very important question: what is bitcoin? Is it a currency? Is it a tool for storing values? Or is it a whole new thing?
一些人称，由于比特币的稀缺性、不可伪造性和避险属性，所以它是一种优越的价值储存方式。Coinbase就曾引用了这些特征，并证明比特币是数字时代与黄金竞争的终极价值储存方式。
Some argue that Bitcoin is a superior way of storing values because of its scarcity, forgery and risk avoidance attributes. Coinbase cited these features and proved that Bitcoin is the ultimate form of storage of values competing with gold in the digital age.
这一说法确实没什么问题，但是并不全面。就比如，有些人则会说，比特币的真正目标是被用作一种分布式的支付方式，或者引用中本聪的原话，即比特币是一个“点对点的电子现金系统”。
There is no problem with this statement, but it is not comprehensive. Some would say, for example, that the real goal of Bitcoin is to be used as a distributed method of payment, or to quote the plain words that bitcoin is a “point-to-point electronic cash system”.
的确，比特币的去中心化特性提供了一个可预测的发行率，同时理论上也不受任何政府对其货币政策和交易处理的干预，允许在全球范围内进行廉价、快捷和不受审查的转移。
Indeed, the decentralized nature of Bitcoin provides a predictable distribution rate, while theoretically allowing a cheap, rapid and uncensored global shift without any government intervention in the treatment of its monetary policies and transactions.
不过需要注意的是，虽然比特币的点对点特性使其不受人类干预(尽管有51%的攻击)，但是它在可用性方面也存在一些限制。所以目前，更多的时候，比特币还是被作为一种价值存储方式，而不是像货币一样用于日常支付。
However, it is important to note that, while Bitcoin’s point-to-point characteristics protect it from human intervention (albeit 51% of attacks), there are limitations on its availability. So, more often than not, Bitcoin is used as a form of value storage rather than as a currency for daily payments.
金钱、货币、价值存储方式？
Money, Currency, Value Storage?
是什么让像黄金这样的东西成为了价值储存方式，又是什么让像美元这样的东西成为了货币？简单地说，价值存储就是能够保持其价值，并且不会随着时间的推移而贬值的资产，包括黄金、白银等贵金属和债券等计息资产。
What makes things like gold a form of value storage, and what makes things like dollars a currency? Simply put, value storage is an asset that retains its value and that does not depreciate over time, including interest-bearing assets such as gold, precious metals such as silver and bonds.
相反，货币本身没有内在价值。它是一种计量单位，也是一种广泛使用的交换媒介，本身并没有内在价值。
On the contrary, the currency itself has no intrinsic value. It is a unit of measure and a widely used medium of exchange that does not have intrinsic value in itself.
而与货币不同，金钱则是具有内在价值的，不能随意创造。货币可以被视为金钱或商品的收据。就比如，在金本位制盛行的时候，人们可以把纸币兑换成黄金。
Unlike currencies, money is inherently valuable and cannot be created at will. Currency can be seen as a receipt of money or goods. For example, when gold is prevalent, people can convert banknotes into gold.
而以美元来说，随着新的美元被印刷出来，美元就会开始持续贬值，也就稀释了所有流通纸币的价值。这意味着美元只具有相对价值，而不是内在价值。
In dollar terms, when the new dollar is printed, the dollar starts to depreciate, diluting the value of all negotiable notes. This means that the dollar has only a relative value, not an intrinsic value.
但是对于像黄金或比特币这样的东西，创造更多的单位(通过挖矿)并不会稀释剩余单位的价值，因为它们具有内在价值。
But for things like gold or bitcoin, the creation of more units (by mining) does not dilute the value of the remaining units because they have intrinsic value.
尽管一些货币过去一直与贵金属挂钩，但是大多数货币并没有基础资产，它们的价值只来自于它们的广泛共识，以及背后政府和经济体的稳定。
Although some currencies have been tied to precious metals in the past, most have no basic assets, and their value derives only from their broad consensus and from the stability of Governments and economies behind them.
尽管比特币是众所周知的“加密货币”，但是它也不能成为一种货币，因为它具有内在价值。虽然有些人会反对，但是比特币的发行方式确实与法定货币不同，比特币不会凭空创造出来。换句话说，挖比特币挖矿是有有形成本的，有趣的是，这一成本不仅用于发行比特币，也确保了比特币作为去中心化分布式账本和国际支付系统的功能性和可靠性。
Bitcoin is a well-known “encrypted currency,” but it cannot be a currency because it has intrinsic value. While some will object, bitcoin is issued in a way that is different from the legal currency, and bitcoin is not created in vain.
价值储存也是货币的一个特性，但是两个概念不能等同。就比如，像黄金这样的贵金属可以被认为是货币，因为它符合大多数关键要求，比如可分割、耐用和便携等等，这跟比特币很类似。但是，黄金也同样缺乏被归类为货币的一个最重要的因素，就是人们普遍接受使用黄金作为支付方式。
Value storage is also a feature of money, but the two concepts cannot be equated. For example, precious metals like gold can be considered money, because it meets most of the key requirements, such as segregability, durability, and portability, which are similar to Bitcoin.
比特币是金钱
bitcoinismoney >/strong
虽然比特币已经已被证明是一种优越的价值储存方式，但是它真的是货币吗？定义货币的六个关键特征是：耐用性、便携性、可分割性、统一性、有限供应量和作为一种支付方式的普遍接受性。
Although Bitcoin has proved to be a superior form of value storage, is it really a currency? Six key features defining a currency are: durability, portability, segregability, uniformity, limited supply and universal acceptance as a mode of payment.
虽然比特币遵守前五条规则，但是它并不是一种被普遍接受的支付方式。的确，现在我们确实可以线上和线下看到一些接受比特币支付的商家，甚至一些政府也接受比特币作为纳税手段，但是与美元等法定货币相比，比特币还远未被“普遍接受”。那么，就像黄金一样，比特币实际上并不是货币。这里的问题是，比特币能成为货币吗？
Although Bitcoin follows the first five rules, it is not a generally accepted method of payment. Indeed, we can now see on and below the line some merchants who accept bitcoin payments, and even some governments accept bitcoin as a means of taxation, but bitcoins are far from being “universally accepted” when compared to legal currencies such as the United States dollar. So, like gold, bitcoins are actually not currency.
比特币能变成货币吗？
Can Bitcoin be a currency?
从理论上讲，如果比特币得到广泛使用，它可以变成货币，但是它有各种技术限制，这使得它在目前的形式下作为货币是不切实际的。
Theoretically, if Bitcoin were widely used, it could become a currency, but it had various technical constraints, which made it impractical to act as a currency in its current form.
Nexo首席执行官安东尼·特伦切夫在权衡比特币作为一种价值储存方式及其作为货币的潜力时就曾指出，比特币的复杂性是其主要限制之一。
The Chief Executive Officer of Nexo, Anthony Trenchev, in weighing Bitcoin as a form of value storage and its potential as a currency, pointed out that the complexity of Bitcoin was one of its main constraints.
他说道，“使用起来还是有点奇怪和不舒服。它不会像你的信用卡那样自然而然地付款。包括Nexo在内的许多公司都在致力于解决这一点，但是它的使用仍然是一款非常复杂的产品。”
He said, "It's a little weird and uncomfortable to use. It doesn't pay as naturally as your credit card. Many companies, including Neso, are working on this, but its use is still a very complex product."
虽然使用比特币对某些人群来说似乎相当简单，但是在某些情况下使用也会变得非常昂贵。就比如，一笔标准的比特币交易的成本大概是0.02美元到0.10美元不等，在向国外转账时，这笔费用确实相当便宜，但在用于小额转账和支付时，这笔费用可能就会很高。
While the use of bitcoin may seem quite simple for some groups of people, it may also become very expensive in some cases. For example, the cost of a standard bitcoin transaction may range from about $0.02 to $0.00, which is indeed quite cheap when transferred abroad, but may be high when used for small transfers and payments.
此外，比特币网络还有严重的拥堵问题，并且愿意支付较高手续费的人会得到优待，而手续费较低的交易则会被延迟打包到之后的区块。
In addition, the Bitcoin network has serious congestion problems and those willing to pay higher fees are given preferential treatment, while transactions with lower fees are delayed to later blocks.
2017年比特币牛市期间，比特币网络拥的堵程度创下了历史新高。它几乎不能用于正常的转账和支付，每笔交易的手续费甚至达到了50美元，一些交易需要几个小时甚至几天的时间才能确认。
In 2017, during the Bitcoin cow market, the crowding of Bitcoin’s network reached an all-time high. It could hardly be used for regular transfers and payments, with fees of even $50 per transaction, some of which would take hours or even days to confirm.
从那时起，人们用了像SegWit（隔离见证）这样的改进来提高比特币网络的吞吐量。但是即使如此，这对比特币作为主流货币形式来说依然说明不了什么，因为相比传统的中心化支付方式，比特币网络的处理速度依然远远不及。
Since then, improvements such as SegWit have been used to increase the amount of bitcoin infestation. But even so, it still makes little sense for bitcoin to be the dominant currency, as the processing of bitcoin remains far short of the traditional centralization of payments.
比特币VS黄金：数字时代的新价值储存方式
bitcoinVS gold: a new way of storing values in the digital age
虽然像闪电网络这样的解决方案正在寻求解决比特币的上述问题，提供一个第二层网络，在那里可以以更低的费用进行微交易，而不会阻塞比特币的原始网络，但是也远远没有得到普及。
While solutions such as the Lightning Network are seeking to solve the above-mentioned problems in Bitcoin, providing a second-tier network where micro-trading can take place at lower cost without blocking the original network in Sebitcoin, it is far from universal.
即使比特币无法作为一种货币形式达到大规模使用，但是安东尼·特伦切夫还是预测比特币价格在2020年将达到5万美元，他表示：
Even though Bitcoin could not be used on a large scale as a currency, Anthony Trenchev predicted that the price of Bitcoin would reach $50,000 in 2020, saying:
“最早的说法是比特币将成为一种革命性的货币和P2P支付系统。我认为这在任何方面都没有实现。比特币具有货币的功能，但它更多地还是被用作价值储存和价值转换，特别是在数额较大的情况下。”
“The earliest is that bitcoin will become a revolutionary monetary and P2P payment system. I don't think that's happening in any way. Bitcoin has the function of money, but it is still more used for value storage and value conversion, especially in larger amounts.”
另一方面，Bankera首席执行官Vytautas认为，比特币达到被广泛接受的货币的地位只是时间问题。他说道，“比特币本身不会失败，问题是技术（硬盘、宽带等硬件）需要多长时间才能改进，才能让比特币规模扩大，并作为一种被广泛接受的支付方式发挥作用。”
On the other hand, Vytautas, Chief Executive Officer of Bankera, argued that it was only a matter of time before Bitcoin reached the status of a widely accepted currency. He said that “bitcoin itself will not fail.
即使这些技术解决方案没有完全按照计划发挥作用，比特币作为一种可靠的价值储存手段，其稀缺性也可以使其成为一项非常有吸引力的投资，是抵御当前地缘政治和经济不稳定的绝佳对冲手段。所以对比特币来说，前景仍是光明的。
Even if these technological solutions do not work exactly as planned, the scarcity of Bitcoin, as a reliable repository of values, can make it a very attractive investment and an excellent hedge against current geopolitical and economic instability. So, for Bitcoin, the outlook is still bright.
高通胀率和激进的货币政策在历史上推动了黄金需求，比特币也可以这么说，尽管多次尝试，但比特币仍证明自己可以有效抵制政府干预。
High inflation and aggressive monetary policy have historically driven demand for gold, as can be said in Bitcoin, which, despite repeated attempts, has proved itself to be effective in resisting government intervention.
比特币是如何使用的
how bitcoin is used
虽然比特币作为货币存在局限性是不可否认的，但克服这些技术限制肯定会带来难以想象的优势，特别是在货币政策激进、人口中没有银行账户的比例很高的国家。在委内瑞拉等恶性通胀的国家，对数字资产的需求也会继续飙升。
While the limits of Bitcoin as a currency are undeniable, overcoming these technical constraints will certainly bring unimaginable advantages, especially in countries where monetary policy is radical and where there is a high proportion of the population without bank accounts. Demand for digital assets will also continue to rise sharply in countries of hyperinflation, such as Venezuela.
比特币未来可能不会是一种广泛使用的货币形式，但它作为价值储存和避险资产的优势是不可否认的。就像之前的黄金一样，经济危机和通货膨胀都会推动比特币的需求。随着首批比特币受监管衍生品的推出，机构的需求也会飙升。
Bitcoin may not be a widely used form of currency in the future, but its advantage as a value-storage and risk-free asset is undeniable. Like gold before, the economic crisis and inflation drive Bitcoin’s demand.
尽管中本聪发明比特币的初衷是为了创造一个“点对点的电子现金系统”，但是比特币的使用方式和现实生活中的表现才将决定它真正是什么，会变成什么。
Despite the fact that China’s invention of Bitcoin was originally intended to create a “point-to-point electronic cash system”, the way in which Bitcoin is used and the way in which it is performed in real life will determine what it really is and what it will become.
比特币目前的使用主要是投机性的，每天在网络上转移的价值只占其交易量的一小部分。虽然一些人关注这些数据是为了谴责比特币是泡沫，但也可以认为，比特币目前除了是一种价值储存方式或者金钱之外，还有一个重要的作用，就向更广泛的受众打开投资的大门。
Bitcoin’s current use is largely speculative, with a daily transfer of value on the Internet accounting for only a fraction of its trading volume. While some are concerned about the data to condemn Bitcoin as a bubble, it can also be argued that Bitcoin currently has an important role to play, in addition to being a form of value storage or money, in opening the door to investment to a wider audience.
不仅仅是一种货币或资产
is not just a currency or an asset
虽然人们可以就比特币的当前和未来定义进行辩论，但有一件事似乎是普遍同意的：比特币的底层技术区块链将会继续存在，而且其应用潜力已经远远超出了货币领域。
While one could debate the current and future definition of Bitcoin, one thing seemed to be generally agreed: the bottom-of-the-technology chain of Bitcoin would continue to exist and its application potential would extend well beyond the monetary sphere.
就像任何新的、突破性的技术一样，人们强烈需要一个广泛的应用案例，并随后大规模应用。区块链、智能合约才刚刚开始，你可以把它比作新生儿。然而，在现代世界中，理解和采用新技术是一个相当快的过程。一旦用户看到了一个明确的、通常是经济上的好处，它就会很快被采用，即使不知道这项技术是如何运作的。
Like any new, breakthrough technology, there is a strong need for a wide range of applications, followed by large-scale applications. Block chains, smart contracts are just beginning, and you can compare them to newborns. In the modern world, however, understanding and adopting new technologies is a fairly rapid process. Once users see a clear, usually economic, benefit, it will soon be adopted, even if they do not know how it works.
正如古希腊哲学家柏拉图所说“需要是发明之母”，虽然很难说这项发明在未来会是什么样子或用途，但比特币及其基础技术的诞生显然是出于对金融格局变革的需求。在这种变化到来之前，比特币也会变得越来越重要。
As the ancient Greek philosopher Plato put it, “Necessity is the mother of inventions”, although it is difficult to say what the invention will look like or be used in the future, it is clear that Bitcoin and its underlying technology were born out of demand for changes in the financial landscape.
注册有任何问题请添加 微信：MVIP619 拉你进入群
打开微信扫一扫
添加客服
进入交流群
发表评论