In a recent social media postElon Musk believed that energy is the real currency.
Bitcoiners have treated this approach as an endorsement of the leading cryptocurrency, because it validates the fundamental philosophy of proof-of-work money.
They view Musk’s message as an indirect admission that Bitcoin is the superior form of money because it is literally tied to energy consumption, unlike fiat currency.
Musk’s explicit endorsement of Bitcoin
As U.Today reports, the centibillionaire gave a more detailed explanation of this philosophy during a podcast appearance about three weeks ago.
Musk explicitly linked his “energy is currency” concept to Bitcoin. He praised Bitcoin for its connection to energy, noting that unlike you, you cannot simply “legislate” or print more energy.
He argued that the progress of civilization should be measured by its mastery of energy (the Kardashev scale).
At the same time, Musk predicted that money itself would eventually become obsolete. He believes that once AI and robotics will create a post-scarcity world.
Complicated views
In 2021, Tesla purchased $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin and accepted it as payment.
However, the company had to change course on BTC as a payment method a few weeks later.
Musk was unable to reconcile Tesla’s focus on sustainable energy with Bitcoin’s heavy reliance on coal mining.
Much of Bitcoin mining was concentrated in China’s Xinjiang province, which relies heavily on coal.
Between 2021 and 2025, the “facts on the ground” have changed, allowing Musk to reconcile his views without coming across as a hypocrite.
China banned cryptocurrency mining in mid-2021, forcing miners to migrate to places like Texas (wind/solar) and Iceland (geothermal).
In 2025, a report from the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance confirmed that Bitcoin mining had crossed the 50% sustainable energy threshold.
