I agree that being backed by a government carries weight. Largely because tax liabilities are denominated in the home currency, which creates a persistent demand for the currency.
But it's silly when people bring up the army or military when it comes to the USD or other fiat currencies. As if the only thing keeping the dollar valuable are carrier strike groups threatening people around the world. If military spending was cut in half, I guarantee you the dollar would be just as valuable.
China, Russia and North Korea all have formidable militaries. Their currencies carry very little weight outside their borders. In contrast the Swiss Franc, Swedish Krona and New Zealand Dollar are all considered ultra-hard currencies despite those countries having little to no ability to project force around the globe.
What if those who produce, use and mantain those tanks, ships, planes and rifles suddenly lose trust in the mean of compensation which the government offers them in exchange of their services?
Nobody ever thinks about this, but government and all the infrastructure it owns are embedded in society
The general view is that Bitcoin takes hold among the population and then there is a fight between the population and the government....quite the contrary, Bitcoin simply takes over the government at an equal or slighly inferior rate compared to the general population.
See how many people in the Capitol are being bitten by the bitcoin bug. For every critic you'll find somebody who is willing to speak in favor of it.
But it's silly when people bring up the army or military when it comes to the USD or other fiat currencies. As if the only thing keeping the dollar valuable are carrier strike groups threatening people around the world. If military spending was cut in half, I guarantee you the dollar would be just as valuable.
China, Russia and North Korea all have formidable militaries. Their currencies carry very little weight outside their borders. In contrast the Swiss Franc, Swedish Krona and New Zealand Dollar are all considered ultra-hard currencies despite those countries having little to no ability to project force around the globe.