CZ and Peter Schiff debate the future of sound money

CZ and Peter Schiff debate the future of sound money

During Binance Blockchain Week 2025 in Dubai, Changpeng Zhao and Peter Schiff confronted their views on what sound money could look like in the future. Peter Schiff defended tokenized gold as the ideal foundation. In his view, gold remains the most reliable asset, and tokenization merely modernizes its use by making it more mobile without stripping it of its physical nature. He argues that no sustainable currency can be built on an intangible asset.
 
CZ presented the opposite vision. According to him, Bitcoin already constitutes a complete monetary infrastructure adapted to the digital world. Its programmed scarcity, lack of intermediaries, ease of verification, and resistance to censorship make it superior to a digitized version of gold. He emphasized the transparency of the public ledger, an advantage impossible to replicate in a system relying on vaults and periodic audits.
 
The debate also highlighted the practical limitations of tokenized gold, such as reliance on third parties for gold custody and the difficulty of verifying in real time that each token truly corresponds to physical reserves. On the other side, criticism of Bitcoin focuses on its volatility and lack of physical backing, although its supporters see these traits as strengths rather than weaknesses.
 
Ultimately, no definitive conclusion emerged. The discussion revealed a deeper clash between two monetary philosophies: one based on the stability and tangibility of a millennia-old asset, and the other on the power of a global digital network capable of creating trust without a central authority. The debate remains open and reflects the major fault lines shaping the evolution of money today.
 

Lending Bitcoin instead of selling it for Strategy?

 In a context of financial pressure and heightened volatility, some companies heavily exposed to Bitcoin are exploring alternatives to selling their reserves. The idea is to lend BTC to obtain liquidity while retaining ownership of the asset. This approach allows companies to fund operating expenses, meet financial obligations, or distribute dividends without reducing long-term exposure to Bitcoin.
 
The mechanism relies on using BTC as collateral to secure a loan, typically in fiat currency or stablecoins. The benefit is twofold. First, the company keeps its bitcoins and can still benefit from potential future price appreciation. Second, it avoids triggering a taxable sale, which can represent a significant tax advantage depending on the jurisdiction. This strategy mirrors asset-backed lending in traditional finance, applied here to a digital asset.
 
However, this approach carries significant risks. The most critical is Bitcoin’s volatility. A sharp price drop can lead to collateral liquidation if the borrowed value exceeds predefined thresholds. Borrowers must therefore carefully manage their loan-to-value ratio and accept conservative margins to reduce the risk of forced liquidation. The stability of the lender and the security of custody are also key factors in the viability of this strategy.
 
Despite these constraints, the idea is gaining traction. It allows companies to mobilize an asset without selling it, addresses immediate financial needs, and aligns with a long-term conviction mindset. As crypto lending infrastructure becomes more mature and transparent, this practice could become a standard component of treasury management for Bitcoin-exposed companies.
 

The youngest self-made female billionaire thanks to Kalshi

Luana Lopes Lara, a former ballerina trained at the prestigious Bolshoi, has emerged as a major figure in tech by becoming the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. After leaving dance to study computer science at MIT, she co-founded Kalshi in 2018, a prediction markets platform allowing users to bet on real-world events such as elections, weather outcomes, or economic indicators. Kalshi’s explosive growth in 2025, pushing its valuation beyond 11 billion dollars, propelled Lara into the very exclusive circle of billionaire entrepreneurs under thirty.
 
Kalshi stands out for its regulatory compliance and its positioning as an information market rather than a pure speculative tool. This approach enabled it to gain the trust of institutional users while also attracting a young, tech-savvy audience. By capitalizing on the rise of prediction markets and building robust infrastructure, Kalshi has become a leading player in the sector, blending finance, data, and technological innovation.
 
Luana Lopes Lara’s journey is striking for her ability to navigate radically different worlds. Transitioning from classical ballet to software engineering and then fintech requires rare discipline and exceptional adaptability. Her unconventional path illustrates how rigor, resilience, and creativity can translate into high-level entrepreneurship and lead to remarkable success.
 
Kalshi’s rise may permanently reshape perceptions of prediction markets. By entering the sphere of major tech players, the platform opens the door to a new class of financial instruments where event analysis and collective participation take center stage. Luana Lopes Lara thus embodies a new generation of entrepreneurs capable of challenging conventions, combining vision with execution, and redefining the boundaries between finance, information, and technology.