r/Bitcoin

Did Satoshi choose 21M as a nod to the inflation of ‘truth’ itself?

Most people explain Bitcoin's 21 million supply limit by referencing mining rewards and halvings (50 → 25 → 12.5 → etc.).
But if you think critically, you'll notice:

Satoshi could have set block halvings after 200,000 or 250,000 blocks instead of 210,000.

He could have chosen a starting reward of 40, 60, or any other value.

The total supply could have been any number — 20 million, 25 million, 50 million — depending on simple design choices.

Now, recently I watched a 2007 lecture by Kent Hovind called "Dinosaurs and the Bible".

Originally, I was simply curious about the topic of dinosaurs in the Bible (not Bitcoin, not earth age theories).
But then something jumped out at me:

Starting around minute 45:00 Kent Hovind explains how, throughout modern history, scientists have kept increasing the estimated age of the Earth:

- In 1770, the Earth was said to be 70,000 years old.

- In 1905, it became 2 billion years old.

- In 1969, it was raised to 3.5 billion years old.

- Today, it's 4.6 billion years old.

He jokingly calculates that, based on the historical record, the Earth's age "inflates" by about 21 million years per year.

Now — Bitcoin’s whitepaper was published in 2008, just after this lecture was circulating online.

Here’s the theory:

Satoshi might have seen the irony that not just currencies inflate — but even supposed scientific "truth" about fundamental things like the age of the Earth inflates over time.
Choosing 21 million bitcoins could be a subtle philosophical jab:

- A fixed, hard limit against monetary inflation,

- And perhaps symbolically, a fixed limit against the inflation of truth itself.

In a world where everything — money, facts, narratives — keeps inflating and losing meaning, Bitcoin stands as a rare creation with hard, unchangeable scarcity.

Important note:

- I realize there’s no direct proof.

- But when you look at Satoshi’s style (hidden references, anti-inflation ethos, philosophical undertones) — and the timing (2007 lecture, 2008 whitepaper) — it makes this theory very logically possible.

Maybe Bitcoin’s 21 million supply cap isn’t just about economics...
Maybe it's also a message about truth, scarcity, and resistance to human tendency to endlessly inflate everything.

Would love to hear what you all think. Has anyone else ever made this connection before?

https://redd.it/1k868gc
@r_bitcoin

www.tgoop.com/r_Bitcoin/62417

124 viewsApr 26 at 10:37

Did Satoshi choose 21M as a nod to the inflation of ‘truth’ itself?

Most people explain Bitcoin's 21 million supply limit by referencing mining rewards and halvings (50 → 25 → 12.5 → etc.).
But if you think critically, you'll notice:

Satoshi could have set block halvings after 200,000 or 250,000 blocks instead of 210,000.

He could have chosen a starting reward of 40, 60, or any other value.

The total supply could have been any number — 20 million, 25 million, 50 million — depending on simple design choices.

Now, recently I watched a 2007 lecture by Kent Hovind called "Dinosaurs and the Bible".

Originally, I was simply curious about the topic of dinosaurs in the Bible (not Bitcoin, not earth age theories).
But then something jumped out at me:

Starting around minute 45:00 Kent Hovind explains how, throughout modern history, scientists have kept increasing the estimated age of the Earth:

- In 1770, the Earth was said to be 70,000 years old.

- In 1905, it became 2 billion years old.

- In 1969, it was raised to 3.5 billion years old.

- Today, it's 4.6 billion years old.

He jokingly calculates that, based on the historical record, the Earth's age "inflates" by about 21 million years per year.

Now — Bitcoin’s whitepaper was published in 2008, just after this lecture was circulating online.

Here’s the theory:

Satoshi might have seen the irony that not just currencies inflate — but even supposed scientific "truth" about fundamental things like the age of the Earth inflates over time.
Choosing 21 million bitcoins could be a subtle philosophical jab:

- A fixed, hard limit against monetary inflation,

- And perhaps symbolically, a fixed limit against the inflation of truth itself.

In a world where everything — money, facts, narratives — keeps inflating and losing meaning, Bitcoin stands as a rare creation with hard, unchangeable scarcity.

Important note:

- I realize there’s no direct proof.

- But when you look at Satoshi’s style (hidden references, anti-inflation ethos, philosophical undertones) — and the timing (2007 lecture, 2008 whitepaper) — it makes this theory very logically possible.

Maybe Bitcoin’s 21 million supply cap isn’t just about economics...
Maybe it's also a message about truth, scarcity, and resistance to human tendency to endlessly inflate everything.

Would love to hear what you all think. Has anyone else ever made this connection before?

https://redd.it/1k868gc
@r_bitcoin

BY r/Bitcoin