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Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk has sparked a brand new debate about Bitcoin after he said in a recent social media post that the cryptocurrency is “based on energy” and that energy can’t be counterfeited. The comment posted on X quickly caught the eye of investors and politicians alike.
Musk's remark landed at a time when markets were moving. Bitcoin was within the red, trading at around $86,500 on the time of the post. Cryptocurrency reporting received strong reactions on social media and trading desks. Some market observers viewed the statement as a push to portray BTC as an inflation hedge.
Musk calls Bitcoin “energy money”
According to Musk, the means of mining links Bitcoin to physical energy: miners use electricity to secure the network and mint latest coins, which he says makes it harder to counterfeit Bitcoin than printed fiat.
In a brand new clip from Nikhil Kamath's interview, Musk makes his stance clear:
Available now @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/dQVLniUgWA
— Nikhil Kamath (@nikhilkamathcio) November 30, 2025
The argument presents energy consumption not as a mistake, but as a type of evidence that scarcity is happening. Several crypto outlets ran articles explaining the thought and the way it contrasted with previous criticisms Musk had made concerning the environmental impact of mining.
Market movements and political echoes
Traders and a few political figures reacted quickly. Bitcoin supporters voiced their support while others urged caution. Meanwhile, separate reporting noted that SpaceX recently moved nearly $270 million price of Bitcoin, a move that traders described as potentially market-influencing. Both sides of the talk said Musk's post could influence investor sentiment, at the very least within the short term.
BTCUSD is currently trading at $86,718. Chart: TradingView
What the energy argument means
The core of the claim is straightforward: You can't produce energy the best way a central bank can print extra money. This idea appeals to people frightened about rising public spending on technology and AI, which some analysts say could put pressure on fiat money.
However, critics indicate a loophole: the energy used to mine Bitcoin doesn’t change into a stored reserve like gold. It is consumed. Value, they argue, still depends heavily on trust and demand, not only energy.
Past attitudes and current questions
Musk's comments mark a visual departure from his previous stance in 2021, when Tesla suspended Bitcoin payments over mining energy concerns.
Since then, the mining sector has undergone some changes, with more projects claiming the usage of renewable energy while others still depend on fossil fuels. The debate now mixes technical, economic and political issues, making it difficult to seek out clear answers.
Featured image by Lovepik, chart by TradingView
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