Bitcoin should be used for payments, says BitVM creator

• Bitcoin was born as a peer-to-peer electronic currency for payments
• Debate between store of value and practical use reignites
• Dorsey and Linus advocate focusing on everyday Bitcoin payments

The debate over Bitcoin's true purpose is once again gaining traction amid its growing image as "digital gold" and an institutional asset. For Robin Linus, creator of BitVM, the cryptocurrency's essence is being overlooked when reduced to merely a store of value mechanism.

“Bitcoin’s purpose is payments—store of value is just an interesting byproduct”

said Linus, remembering that the project was born with the objective of creating peer-to-peer electronic money for private transactions.

In recent years, the narrative surrounding Bitcoin has solidified in the institutional investment arena, particularly with the rise of ETFs and the entry of treasury firms accumulating large amounts of the currency. However, influential figures like Jack Dorsey and Linus argue that this direction could jeopardize the cryptocurrency's future relevance.

Can't retweet this often enough: Bitcoin's purpose is payments—store of value is just a neat byproduct. https://t.co/v4QiUiZc34

— яobin linus (@robin_linus) August 27, 2025

Dorsey was blunt in arguing that, without daily use in payments, Bitcoin loses part of its social function:

"I think it needs to be in payments to be relevant in everyday life, otherwise it's something you buy and forget about, using only in emergencies or when you need to replenish liquidity. So I think if it doesn't transition to payments and find that everyday use, it will become increasingly irrelevant. And that's a failure for me."

Satoshi Nakamoto's original records reinforce this argument. From the first emails exchanged in 2008 to the whitepaper, Bitcoin was described as a peer-to-peer electronic currency, backed by proof-of-work and designed to enable digital payments without intermediaries.

Over time, institutionalization and the "Number Go Up" narrative attracted liquidity and visibility, but also diverted focus from practical use cases for everyday people. Still, voices like Dorsey, Linus, Guy Swann, and other figures in the ecosystem insist that Bitcoin's universal utility depends on its everyday adoption as money in action, not just as a stored asset.

The debate remains open, with discussions involving community leaders such as Michael Saylor, Adam Back, and Saifedean Ammous, who are called upon to present concrete visions for the future of cryptocurrency as a means of payment.