OpenAI CEO: Bitcoin is a “logical” step on the technology tree

Author: Brayden Lindrea, Cointelegraph; Compiler: Songxue, Golden Finance

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called Bitcoin a "super logical" step on the technology tree that is both independent of government control and helps fight corruption.

“I’m excited about Bitcoin,” Altman told Joe Rogan on the Oct. 6 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

"I think having a global currency that is not controlled by any government is a very logical and important step in the technological development tree."

The interview with the OpenAI boss covered his views on Bitcoin as the world’s reserve currency, as well as his concerns about central bank digital currencies (CBDC).

Altman, who is also the founder of Worldcoin, said the shift to a “technology-inspired world,” including Bitcoin, could help reduce corruption.

"Obviously, one of the things I've observed, and a lot of other people have observed, is that corruption is an incredible impediment to progress in society," Altman said.

"But in a world where payments are no longer like a bag of cash but are made digitally, even if you use Bitcoin, you can monitor these financial flows," he added:

"I think it helps reduce corruption issues."

At the same time, Rogan expressed optimism about Bitcoin. Although he is skeptical of the cryptocurrency industry as a whole, he expressed his belief that Bitcoin can become a "viable currency for global use."

"The really fascinating cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. To me, I think it has the best chance of becoming a viable global currency. There is a limited amount of it, and people can mine it with their own computers. "

"To me, it's very fascinating," Rogan added.

However, Altman has been a long-time supporter of Bitcoin even before the podcast. In a blog post from 10 years ago, Altman proposed that a world using Bitcoin for transactions would be more transparent.

“A world where we all transact in Bitcoin is going to be more transparent and there’s a lot of financial transparency. That’s probably the thing that will reduce corruption the most,” Altman said.

Rogan, Altman “very worried” about CBDC, slam U.S. war on cryptocurrencies

At the same time, both Altman and Rogan said they are "super opposed" to CBDCs and expressed concerns about the United States becoming a surveillance state.

Rogan believes that a CBDC could give governments more control over how people spend their money:

"I'm very concerned about central bank digital currencies and their connection to social credit scores. It scares the hell out of me. The push for this is not for the overall good of society, but for control."

Altman also added that he is not happy with the U.S. government’s recent treatment of the cryptocurrency industry:

"There are a lot of things that make me disappointed with the recent actions of the U.S. government, and it's something that makes me very sad about this country," he said.