What if the Internet Goes Down?

Bitcoin is currently being transacted using SMS (Short Message Service) technology in South Africa.

This does not require internet access.

(The service is currently custodial, but they are working to use SIM cards as private keys).

If the internet were to go down in one region, the Bitcoin network would continue operating in other areas via nodes.

Here is a map showing the geographic distribution of nodes:

Alternate digital communication methods are being developed, such as radio wave transmission and satellite broadcasts.

Bitcoin is a cyber technology that will continue to improve and strengthen its resilience to attack vectors and choke points.

In the doomsday scenario of a global internet outage, it would be catastrophic for modern civilization as a whole, far beyond just affecting Bitcoin.

In such a scenario, guns and food would skyrocket in value.

Evaluating advanced technology through an apocalyptic lens is an interesting thought experiment, although not helpful to form logical conclusions.

We are going through a digital renaissance.

Fiat money will continue to obscure the reality of value,

gold will get co-opted to meet the needs of final settlement,

and Bitcoin will be a beacon of the first instance of digital scarcity.