Fiat Money, Inflation & the Collapse of Civilization | Saifedean Ammous episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 16, 2025 · 1H 7M

Fiat Money, Inflation & the Collapse of Civilization | Saifedean Ammous

from What Bitcoin Did

Saifedean Ammous joins the show to explain why the real collapse didn’t begin in 1971, but in 1914, and how fiat money quietly rewired civilisation itself. We break down how governments escaped monetary discipline through war finance, why inflation destroys savings, culture, and long-term thinking, and how central banks learned to fund wars, empires, and endless deficits without public consent. Saifedean walks through the hidden monetary history of World War I, the death of the gold standard, and why fiat money wasn’t an accident, but a power grab that reshaped the modern world. We also dig into Bitcoin as the first real alternative to this system, not as an ideology, but as a price technology. He explains why Bitcoin’s price is the only scoreboard that matters, how money itself is a market with a $300T addressable size, and why Bitcoin doesn’t need fiat to collapse in order to win. We explore nation-state adoption, gold vs Bitcoin, why reserve assets reprice suddenly not gradually, and why Bitcoin is still early. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: IREN ANCHORWATCH BLOCKWARE LEDN BITKEY SWAN FOLLOW: Danny Knowles: https://x.com/\_DannyKnowles or https://primal.net/danny Saifedean Ammous: https://x.com/saifedean

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Fiat Money, Inflation & the Collapse of Civilization | Saifedean Ammous

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How long is this episode of What Bitcoin Did?

This episode is 1 hour and 7 minutes long.

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This episode was published on December 16, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Saifedean Ammous joins the show to explain why the real collapse didn’t begin in 1971, but in 1914, and how fiat money quietly rewired civilisation itself. We break down how governments escaped monetary discipline through war finance, why inflation...

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