[theurbandragon]

If we go by this logic some could claim that the "Dollar" is a Ponzi scheme

1. People invest thier time/effort for "Dollars" 2. When someone "buys" something they are effectively cashing out the worth of the "Dollar" through trade (someone else's time/effort) 3. "Dollars" do not nessarily create more labor (time/effort) 4. "Dollars" are just effectively pieces of paper or digital bits if people stop actually working. It is worth something because people are willing to work, invest time/effort, for "Dollars". 5. Printing money effectly dilutes the existing pool of labor, etc. "taking away money".

[graeme]

No one view a dollar as a speculative investment asset they expect to rise in value though. That’s the whole point of a ponzi scheme, and also why most people buy bitcoin: they expect it to go up.

You can reliably expect a dollar to decrease in value, by contrast. People may hold it as a hedge but no one expects a dollar to 10x.

You have hit on something useful: dollars are just a claim on the real economy, but if the economy stops dollars are worthless. But this isn’t the same as the dollar (or any type of savings) being a ponzi