Bitcoin as Payment Method: BlackRock Manager Skeptical While Enthusiasts Already Live the Standard

Conflicting Visions for Bitcoin's Future

The debate surrounding Bitcoin's original vision as a "Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" has entered a new phase: While the world's largest asset manager BlackRock remains skeptical, early pioneers are already living according to the Bitcoin standard today—with radical consequences for their everyday lives.

BlackRock Views Bitcoin Primarily as a Store of Value

Robbie Mitchnick, head of digital assets at BlackRock, expressed reservation in a recent YouTube interview about using Bitcoin as a daily payment method. "Our clients are not betting on Bitcoin as a payment method," the BlackRock insider stated clearly ^[1]. Most investors view the cryptocurrency rather as protection against inflation or as part of a diversified portfolio.

The manager pointed to significant technical hurdles: "Much still needs to happen regarding Bitcoin scaling, Lightning, and other aspects to make this possible" ^[1]. Instead, Mitchnick sees greater potential in dollar stablecoins, which "have demonstrated enormous market viability as a payment instrument" ^[1].

The iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF managed by BlackRock currently holds nearly 778,000 BTC with a total value of $65.7 billion ^[1]—a clear signal that institutional investors primarily view Bitcoin as an investment asset.

Living the Bitcoin Standard: A Self-Experiment

The situation is quite different for Felix Billert, co-founder of wave.space. "My euro account is currently at around minus 500 euros," Billert explains in a conversation with BTC-ECHO ^[2]. The Bitcoin enthusiast consistently forgoes fiat currencies and instead relies entirely on Bitcoin.

Billert's approach goes far beyond a simple investment strategy: He lives the Bitcoin standard as a practical self-experiment in an alternative monetary system. To do so, he uses the Lightning Network for everyday transactions—precisely the technology that BlackRock manager Mitchnick still wants to see further developed.

Vision of a New Monetary Order

Billert is convinced that Bitcoin will eventually replace the euro. His prediction: "30 to 50 years until the euro is completely replaced" ^[2]. He argues that an increasing number of people are seeking a decentralized and secure currency—properties that Bitcoin possesses by design.

The difference between both perspectives could hardly be greater: While institutional investors view Bitcoin as "digital gold" and bet on appreciation, early adopters like Billert are already practicing Satoshi Nakamoto's original vision from the Bitcoin whitepaper today.

Between Vision and Reality

These conflicting positions reveal the divided perception of Bitcoin in 2025. On one hand, the narrative of a store of value dominates, fueled by billions in ETF investments. On the other hand, pioneers demonstrate that living according to the Bitcoin standard is already possible today—albeit under special circumstances.

Whether Bitcoin will establish itself as an everyday payment method remains to be seen. BlackRock manager Mitchnick does not rule this out in the long term: "At some point that's possible, but at the current time it's rather speculative" ^[1]. Felix Billert, meanwhile, is already living what for many is still music of the future.