Some critics dismiss Bitcoin as a pyramid scheme—but that framing deserves scrutiny. Every currency system requires adoption and network effects to function. The U.S. Dollar maintains value through institutional backing, debt mechanisms, and petrodollar hegemony rather than pure utility. Bitcoin operates on transparent, verifiable scarcity and decentralized consensus. Whether you view Bitcoin as revolutionary or speculative, comparing it to traditional monetary systems reveals both have structural incentives at their core. The real question isn't which is a "scheme," but which incentive structure you find more credible long-term.