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Linux inventor says he doesn’t believe in cryptocurrencies
Alex Dovbnja
Linus Torvalds said cryptocurrencies are simply “a great vehicle for scams”
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Finnish-American computer engineer Linus Torvalds, best known for creating the Linux operating system, doesn’t believe in cryptocurrencies, according to his recent forum message.
The 54-year-old computer scientist criticized the new asset class as a “great vehicle for scams”. He also went on to mention that cryptocurrencies work like a typical Ponzi scheme that aims to find “the next idiot to hold the bag.”
“I don’t even believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny,” he joked.
A Satoshi candidate?
It is worth noting that the godfather of the open source movement, who also created the Git distributed version control system, was once said to be Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto.
Torvaldwho created the Linux kernel when he was 21 years old, had the skills needed to come up with the idea for Bitcoin, which made him one of the likely candidates.
The rumors were fueled by Torvalds changing a single name in the Linux kernel to “Name = I am Satoshi” in January 2022.
However, Torvalds explained that this was simply a “prankster” who took advantage of GitHub’s modus operandi to make it appear as if their git object was in his tree.
He continued to clarify that the rumors were just “empty noise”, adding that he was not the owner of a huge Bitcoin fortune.
No technological singularities
In his post, Torvalds also rejected the idea of technological singularity, dismissing it as a “children’s bedtime story.” “But unlike the very hungry caterpillar, it also makes for great clickbait stories you can make up,” he quipped.
While the legendary computer scientist admits that it’s a great science fiction concept, continued exponential growth doesn’t make sense to him. “We are seeing the limits approaching,” Torvalds added.
About the author
Alex Dovbnja
Alex Dovbnya (aka AlexMorris) is a cryptocurrency expert, trader and journalist with extensive experience covering everything related to the burgeoning industry, from price analysis to Blockchain disruption. Alex has authored more than 1,000 stories for U.Today, CryptoComes, and other fintech media. He is particularly interested in regulatory trends around the world that are shaping the future of digital assets; he can be contacted at alex.dovbnya@u.today.