Jordan Peterson, a Canadian professor of psychology, and Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a Lebanese-American economist and author of "The Black Swan," got into a Twitter spat about bitcoin's potential to solve financial problems.
The former is a fierce opponent of the cryptocurrency, whilst the latter believes it may have advantages as the economy moves toward digitalization.
One of Australia's top banks, ANZ, wants to stop allowing cash withdrawals from some of its locations, according to the Daily Mail. Also, it plans to drastically reduce the number of ATMs it has around the nation, which would considerably reduce the quantity of paper money it can provide customers.
The strategy may have an impact on older and disabled clients who mostly use physical currency, according to critics.
Jordan Peterson, a well-known psychologist, thinks that consumers would concentrate on bitcoin instead than ANZ's modifications. In recent years, popularity of the top digital asset has increased in Australia. Almost 90% of the inhabitants, according to a poll by Independent Reserve towards the end of 2022, are aware of its existence, and one in four people have cryptocurrency.
Peterson and Taleb disagree with each other, wherein Taleb cautioned novice investors against taking his advice. He went on to say that the Canadian is a member of "the bitcoin cartel."
I did not feel compelled to jump & explain that Peterson talking about finance is slightly less sophisticated than a committee of antivaxx Canadian truckers lecturing on quantum field theory.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb (@nntaleb) March 30, 2023
But I need to warn the young victims that Peterson is owned by the bitcoin cartel. https://t.co/gvB8FR5a4o
The Black Swan's author previously supported cryptocurrencies, saying in 2019 that he preferred to invest in bitcoin and gold rather than cash, equities, or bonds.
His optimistic outlook appears to have shifted as a result of his Coinbase problems in 2020. He terminated his account on the platform back then, stating it was uncooperative in addressing certain technical issues.
In the summer of 2021, Taleb published a manifesto against bitcoin, arguing that it shouldn't be considered money, a store of value, or a virtual equivalent of gold. He also rejected the idea that Bitcoin was created with libertarian principles:
“The belief that bitcoin is an offshoot of libertarian and Austrian economics has not a shade of backing… Libertarianism is fundamentally about the rule of law in place of the rule of regulation. It is not about the rule of rule – mechanistic, automated rules with irreversible outcomes… Nor is libertarianism about total distrust.”
The economist then said that it is incorrect to think of bitcoin as a refuge since it reacts to liquidity "just like previous bubble goods."