It’s the year 2045. Digital assets move at the speed of light. AI agents interact millions of times a second, using bitcoin as a base currency. Bitcoin is now a $200 trillion asset class, a settlement layer for the AI Age of the Internet.
This is the future imagined by bitcoin evangelist Michael Saylor, the executive chairman of Strategy (MSTR). Saylor pioneered the bitcoin corporate treasury – transforming his flailing software firm into a Nasdaq-listed $85 billion leveraged bitcoin powerhouse.
Recently, CoinDesk sat down with Saylor, Bitcoin’s ultimate maximalist, for a two-hour interview to break down his vision for global bitcoin domination.
Since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, bitcoin has maintained a 26% gain, peaking at a $2.1 trillion market cap, reaching a January all-time high of $109,000. Strategy, a Wall Street proxy for bitcoin, remains robust with about a 50% gain, despite a drop of around 30% from November highs amid a broader decline in U.S. equities, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield, and oil.
The United States has witnessed a significant policy shift—from regulating crypto through enforcement and covertly de-banking digital asset firms, often referred to as ‘Operation Chokepoint 2.0’ by the industry, to openly declaring its ambition to become a ‘bitcoin superpower’ and the crypto capital of the world. For Saylor, this sea change means that doors once shut have begun to open. Governments and traditional institutional investors, once hesitant to engage with digital assets, are now showing great interest.
Saylor reports a surge in invitations to elite gatherings, including meetings with South America’s wealthiest families, Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds, and prestigious conferences like Morgan Stanley’s tech forum, CPAC, and even the White House. He has evolved from advising corporations on bitcoin treasury strategies to consulting nation-states about establishing their strategic bitcoin reserves.
Notably, Saylor asserts that bitcoin has achieved ‘escape velocity.’ Once the U.S. government begins aggressively acquiring bitcoin, it will position itself as a beneficiary, compelling other countries to adopt it as global capital.
U.S. Bitcoin Strategic Reserve
President Trump’s executive order to establish a U.S. Bitcoin Strategic Reserve marks a milestone in realizing bitcoin’s potential. Historically, the U.S. possessed about 400,000 bitcoins but sold half of it, resulting in losses estimated at $17 billion at current market value. Saylor’s advocacy includes a vision where the U.S. targets to acquire 5% to 25% of the total bitcoin supply by 2035, potentially generating up to $100 trillion in economic value by 2045.
Saylor’s proposal to acquire more bitcoin through various innovative methods, including catering to U.S. Federal Reserve earnings, underscores the administration’s commitment to securing significant holdings in this digital asset.
Globally, as the U.S. embraces bitcoin, banks worldwide are anticipated to follow suit. Saylor emphasizes, ‘Pandora’s box has been opened.’ The spread of bitcoin across the global banking system is likened to a virus—once entrenched, its influence becomes inexorable.
‘Thermodynamically Sound’ Money
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Michael Saylor’s educational journey took him across Air Force bases before achieving dual degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in aeronautics, astronautics, and the history of science. A true pioneer, Saylor’s systems mindset attracted him to the inherently robust design of bitcoin.
Following an early career as an Air Force Reserve captain, he co-founded MicroStrategy in 1989 and navigated the tumultuous waters of the dot-com bubble before the firm pivoted toward bitcoin investment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in July 2020, MicroStrategy embarked on a sustained acquisition of bitcoin, leveraging various financial strategies to raise capital and maintain operations.
Today, Saylor’s company, rebranded as ‘Strategy,’ has attracted institutional investors looking to harness the potential volatility of bitcoin. With the recent admission to the Nasdaq 100 and a potential move toward the S&P 500, Strategy has cemented its position as a key player in this evolving financial landscape.
‘Economic Immortality’
Saylor envisions a future where bitcoin enables an ‘economic immortality,’ where he may even choose to burn his own bitcoin rather than bequeath it. Emphasizing a collective ethos, he believes in enhancing the wealth and power of the Bitcoin network for generations to come.
“If I believe that and I burn those keys, then I have made everybody in the network that much richer and more powerful forever,” stated Saylor. Such aspirations underline his commitment to the principles espoused by the bitcoin community, advocating for sound money and freedom in perpetuity.
