đŞđľđ đđśđđ°đźđśđť đśđ đđľđ˛ đđŁđĄđŽ đŁđ˛đżđłđ˛đ°đđšđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛ đđđđ˛đ
In a world of abundance, đđśđđ°đźđśđť đżđ˛đąđ˛đłđśđťđ˛đ đđľđ˛ đşđ˛đŽđťđśđťđ´ đźđł đđ°đŽđżđ°đśđđ.
đđđ đ°đľđŠđŚđł đ˘đ´đ´đŚđľđ´ have a potentially unlimited supply, but đ°đŻđđş đđŞđľđ¤đ°đŞđŻ is absolutely scarce and đąđŚđłđ§đŚđ¤đľđđş limited.
But arenât precious metals supposed to be scarce? And what about real estate?
Letâs explore đ˛đđ˛đżđ đŽđđđ˛đ đ°đšđŽđđ below, and examine just how scarce they đłđŚđ˘đđđş areâŚđ

đŞđľđ đđśđŽđ đđđżđżđ˛đťđ°đśđ˛đ đđżđ˛ đĄđźđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛
Fiat currencies are government-issued money đŻđŽđ°đ¸đ˛đą đźđťđšđ đŻđ đ˝đżđźđşđśđđ˛đ đłđżđźđş đđľđ˛ đśđđđđ˛đż, rather than by a commodity. Central banks can create more at will, leading to inflation and diminishing purchasing power. This lack of scarcity undermines fiat's long-term value.
Fiat's supply is measured in various ways, such as M0 (physical currency) and M1/M2/M3 (including digital forms). These measurements show fiat's đ§đđŚđšđŞđŁđŞđđŞđľđş and the đŁđđśđłđłđŚđĽ đđŞđŻđŚđ´ between present and future money, contributing to its abundance.
Ownership of fiat is conditional and đ°đŽđť đŻđ˛ đżđ˛đđźđ¸đ˛đą đŽđ đŽđťđ đđśđşđ˛ by issuing authorities. This uncertainty, coupled with fiat's ability to manifest đŻđŚđ¨đ˘đľđŞđˇđŚ balances through debt creation, further highlights its fundamental lack of scarcity.

đŞđľđ đŚđđźđ°đ¸đ đđżđ˛ đĄđźđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛
Stocks represent ownership shares in companies, and are far from being scarce. Companies can issue new shares, diluting existing ownership. This process is subject to corporate decisions and market conditions, making stocks đŞđŻđŠđŚđłđŚđŻđľđđş đ˘đŁđśđŻđĽđ˘đŻđľ.
Stock issuance is controlled by company executives and boards, đťđźđ đŽ đ˝đżđ˛đąđ˛đđ˛đżđşđśđťđ˛đą đşđŽđđľđ˛đşđŽđđśđ°đŽđš đŽđšđ´đźđżđśđđľđş. This means the total number of shares can increase, leading to potential dilution of individual share value.
The regulatory environment also influences stock scarcity. Securities laws and market demands can lead to stock splits or reverse splits, further adding to supply volatility, and altering the number of shares đ¸đŞđľđŠđ°đśđľ đ˘ đ§đŞđšđŚđĽ đđŞđŽđŞđľ.

đŞđľđ đđźđťđąđ đđżđ˛ đĄđźđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛
Bonds are debt securities issued by entities like governments and corporations to raise capital. Investors lend money in exchange for periodic interest payments and the return of the bond's face value at maturity. đđ´đ´đśđŚđłđ´ đ¤đ˘đŻ đ¤đ°đŻđľđŞđŻđśđ˘đđđş đ¤đłđŚđ˘đľđŚ đŻđŚđ¸ đŁđ°đŻđĽđ´ đľđ° đ§đŞđŻđ˘đŻđ¤đŚ đĽđŚđŁđľ đ°đł đ§đśđŻđĽ đąđłđ°đŤđŚđ¤đľđ´, making them abundant, not scarce.
The issuance of bonds is đšđśđşđśđđ˛đą đźđťđšđ đŻđ đđľđ˛ đśđđđđ˛đż'đ đ°đżđ˛đąđśđđđźđżđđľđśđťđ˛đđ đŽđťđą đşđŽđżđ¸đ˛đ đąđ˛đşđŽđťđą, not by a fixed supply. Governments, in particular, issue bonds regularly to finance budget deficits, making the total volume of bonds in the market đŚđˇđŚđł-đŚđšđąđ˘đŻđĽđŞđŻđ¨.
In essence, the bond market's đŞđŻđŠđŚđłđŚđŻđľ đ¤đ˘đąđ˘đ¤đŞđľđş đ§đ°đł đ¨đłđ°đ¸đľđŠ and the đ¤đ°đŻđľđŞđŻđśđ°đśđ´ đŞđŻđľđłđ°đĽđśđ¤đľđŞđ°đŻ đ°đ§ đŻđŚđ¸ đŞđ´đ´đśđ˘đŻđ¤đŚđ´ underscore its lack of scarcity.

đŞđľđ đĽđ˛đŽđš đđđđŽđđ˛ đđ đĄđźđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛
Real estate encompasses land and any structures on it, including buildings and natural resources. While often perceived as scarce due to its fixed geographical nature, đżđ˛đŽđš đ˛đđđŽđđ˛ đśđ đťđźđ đŽđŻđđźđšđđđ˛đšđ đđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛ when considering the long-term perspective and human innovation, including the eventual colonization of other planets.
On Earth, scarcity of desirable locations drives up real estate values. However, đľđŠđŞđ´ đ´đ¤đ˘đłđ¤đŞđľđş đŞđ´ đłđŚđđ˘đľđŞđˇđŚ đ˘đŻđĽ đ´đśđŁđŤđŚđ¤đľ đľđ° đ¤đŠđ˘đŻđ¨đŚ đ¸đŞđľđŠ đľđŚđ¤đŠđŻđ°đđ°đ¨đŞđ¤đ˘đ đ˘đĽđˇđ˘đŻđ¤đŚđŽđŚđŻđľđ´, such as the ability to reclaim land from the sea, or create habitable environments in previously uninhabitable areas.
Real estateâs scarcity is further challenged by the potential for space colonization. As humanity explores and settles on other planets or moons, đđľđ˛ đđđ˝đ˝đšđ đźđł đšđŽđťđą đŽđťđą đľđŽđŻđśđđŽđŻđšđ˛ đšđźđ°đŽđđśđźđťđ đđśđšđš đ˛đ
đ˝đŽđťđą, reducing the constraints of Earth-bound real estate scarcity.

đŞđľđ đđźđšđšđ˛đ°đđśđŻđšđ˛đ đđżđ˛ đĄđźđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛
Collectibles encompass items like rare artifacts, art, and jewelry, valued for their uniqueness and desirability. While some may appear scarce, đđľđ˛đśđż đđ°đŽđżđ°đśđđ đśđđť'đ đŽđŻđđźđšđđđ˛. Technological advancements and changing tastes can affect their rarity and value.
Furthermore, collectibles' perceived scarcity đŞđ´ đ°đ§đľđŚđŻ đ´đśđŁđŤđŚđ¤đľ đľđ° đŽđ˘đłđŹđŚđľ đĽđşđŻđ˘đŽđŞđ¤đ´. For instance, as more collectors enter the market, previously overlooked items can become sought after, creating new categories of collectibles.
Some collectibles, may in fact be scarce, but they are issued by a central authority, so đźđťđ˛ đşđđđ đđżđđđ đđľđ˛ đśđđđđ˛đżâđ đ°đšđŽđśđşđ đđź đđ°đŽđżđ°đśđđ, and their promise that they will never increase the supply in the future. This reliance on a promise make them hardly any scarcer than fiat currencies.

đŞđľđ đđźđşđşđźđąđśđđśđ˛đ đđżđ˛ đĄđźđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛
Commodities are raw materials or agricultural products that can be bought and sold. While they might đ´đŚđŚđŽ scarce, technological innovations, such as more efficient mining techniques and the potential for atomic transmutation, could make it possible to create or mine commodities faster and more efficiently.
The discovery of commodities on meteors and distant planets could reduce their scarcity even further. With the vastness of space, and ever-improving methods to one day access the commodities found there, their potential supply is đˇđŞđłđľđśđ˘đđđş đđŞđŽđŞđľđđŚđ´đ´.
While commodities are currently limited by their available amounts on Earth, as well as the costs of extraction and production, đđ˛đ°đľđťđźđšđźđ´đśđ°đŽđš đŽđąđđŽđťđ°đ˛đşđ˛đťđđ đŽđťđą đđ˝đŽđ°đ˛ đ˛đ
đ˝đšđźđżđŽđđśđźđť đľđŽđđ˛ đđľđ˛ đ˝đźđđ˛đťđđśđŽđš đđź đđśđ´đťđśđłđśđ°đŽđťđđšđ đśđťđ°đżđ˛đŽđđ˛ đđľđ˛đśđż đđđ˝đ˝đšđ, challenging the traditional notion of scarcity.

đŞđľđ đđżđđ˝đđźđ°đđżđżđ˛đťđ°đśđ˛đ đđżđ˛ đĄđźđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛
Cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, its forks, altcoins, and NFTs, are digital currencies that are secured using cryptography. However, any perceived scarcity in the âcryptoâ space (i.e. everything besides Bitcoin) is actually đ˘đŻđşđľđŠđŞđŻđ¨ đŁđśđľ đ˘đŁđ´đ°đđśđľđŚđđş đ´đ¤đ˘đłđ¤đŚ.
New cryptocurrencies can be created relatively easily. This means that even if their protocols make them have a limited supply, đŚđˇđŚđłđş đŻđŚđ¸ đąđłđ°đŤđŚđ¤đľ đĽđŞđđśđľđŚđ´ đľđŠđŚ đˇđ˘đđśđŚ đ°đ§ đ˘đđ đľđŠđŚ đ°đľđŠđŚđłđ´, effectively making them abundant.
Additionally, every cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin has a central leader or group that can change or update their system as they see fit. So even if a cryptocurrencyâs protocol says it has a limited supply, đđľđ˛ đ˝đżđźđđźđ°đźđš đ°đŽđť đŻđ˛ đŽđšđđ˛đżđ˛đą đŻđ đ°đ˛đťđđżđŽđš đŽđđđľđźđżđśđđśđ˛đ, as has been seen with Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies.

đŞđľđ đđśđđ°đźđśđť đđ đ§đżđđšđ đŚđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛
Bitcoin's scarcity is foundational to its value, with an eventual supply of just under 21 million coins. Bitcoin is run by users around the world, who are incentivized to never increase its supply. This immutable supply limit ensures bitcoin remains scarce, đłđŚđ¨đ˘đłđĽđđŚđ´đ´ đ°đ§ đľđŚđ¤đŠđŻđ°đđ°đ¨đŞđ¤đ˘đ đ˘đĽđˇđ˘đŻđ¤đŚđŽđŚđŻđľđ´ đ°đł đŠđśđŽđ˘đŻđŞđľđş'đ´ đ¨đłđ°đ¸đľđŠ.
The mining process, or guessing a particular large number in order to add transactions to Bitcoinâs ledger, the timechain, is how new bitcoin are issued. However, the rate of the issuance of new coins decreases over time through "halving" events, causing the supply to đ˘đąđąđłđ°đ˘đ¤đŠ 21 million, đŻđđ đťđ˛đđ˛đż đ˝đŽđđ đśđ, đźđż đ˛đđ˛đť đżđ˛đŽđ°đľ đśđ.
#Bitcoin was designed to mirror the scarcity of traditional assets like gold. However, while Bitcoin and commodities are mined more in response to price increases, đ°đŻđđş đđŞđľđ¤đ°đŞđŻ đŽđ˘đŞđŻđľđ˘đŞđŻđ´ đŞđľđ´ đŞđ´đ´đśđ˘đŻđ¤đŚ đ´đ¤đŠđŚđĽđśđđŚ, regardless of how many miners start hashing, thanks to the difficulty adjustment. This makes Bitcoin truly scarce, no matter what any individuals choose to do.

đđźđťđ°đšđđđśđźđť
As you can see, Bitcoin is the only completely and permanently scarce asset. The only other thing that might be as scarce as Bitcoin is your đľđŞđŽđŚ, but you can never know how much you have left. And with technology assisting you in using your time more efficiently, and extending your lifetime by many years, đśđ đşđŽđ đđđżđť đźđđ đđľđŽđ đ˛đđ˛đť đđśđşđ˛ đśđđđ˛đšđł đśđ đťđźđ đŻđ˛ đŽđ đđ°đŽđżđ°đ˛ đŽđ đđśđđ°đźđśđť.

Some other things that arenât scarce are đđśđ¸đ˛đ¤, đŚđľđŽđżđ˛đđ, and đđźđźđ¸đşđŽđżđ¸đđ.
And if thereâs anything youâd like to add to this, please leave it in the đđźđşđşđ˛đťđđâŹď¸