đȘđ”đ đđ¶đđ°đŒđ¶đ» đ¶đ đđ”đČ đđŁđĄđź đŁđČđżđłđČđ°đđčđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ đđđđČđ
In a world of abundance, đđ¶đđ°đŒđ¶đ» đżđČđ±đČđłđ¶đ»đČđ đđ”đČ đșđČđźđ»đ¶đ»đŽ đŒđł đđ°đźđżđ°đ¶đđ.
đđđ đ°đ”đ©đŠđł đąđŽđŽđŠđ”đŽ have a potentially unlimited supply, but đ°đŻđđș đđȘđ”đ€đ°đȘđŻ is absolutely scarce and đ±đŠđłđ§đŠđ€đ”đđș limited.
But arenât precious metals supposed to be scarce? And what about real estate?
Letâs explore đČđđČđżđ đźđđđČđ đ°đčđźđđ below, and examine just how scarce they đłđŠđąđđđș areâŠđ

đȘđ”đ đđ¶đźđ đđđżđżđČđ»đ°đ¶đČđ đđżđČ đĄđŒđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ
Fiat currencies are government-issued money đŻđźđ°đžđČđ± đŒđ»đčđ đŻđ đœđżđŒđșđ¶đđČđ đłđżđŒđș đđ”đČ đ¶đđđđČđż, 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§đđŠđčđȘđŁđȘđđȘđ”đș and the đŁđđ¶đłđłđŠđ„ đđȘđŻđŠđŽ between present and future money, contributing to its abundance.
Ownership of fiat is conditional and đ°đźđ» đŻđČ đżđČđđŒđžđČđ± đźđ đźđ»đ đđ¶đșđČ by issuing authorities. This uncertainty, coupled with fiat's ability to manifest đŻđŠđšđąđ”đȘđ·đŠ balances through debt creation, further highlights its fundamental lack of scarcity.

đȘđ”đ đŠđđŒđ°đžđ đđżđČ đĄđŒđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ
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 đȘđŻđ©đŠđłđŠđŻđ”đđș đąđŁđ¶đŻđ„đąđŻđ”.
Stock issuance is controlled by company executives and boards, đ»đŒđ đź đœđżđČđ±đČđđČđżđșđ¶đ»đČđ± đșđźđđ”đČđșđźđđ¶đ°đźđč đźđčđŽđŒđżđ¶đđ”đș. 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 đžđȘđ”đ©đ°đ¶đ” đą đ§đȘđčđŠđ„ đđȘđźđȘđ”.

đȘđ”đ đđŒđ»đ±đ đđżđČ đĄđŒđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ
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. đđŽđŽđ¶đŠđłđŽ đ€đąđŻ đ€đ°đŻđ”đȘđŻđ¶đąđđđș đ€đłđŠđąđ”đŠ đŻđŠđž đŁđ°đŻđ„đŽ đ”đ° đ§đȘđŻđąđŻđ€đŠ đ„đŠđŁđ” đ°đł đ§đ¶đŻđ„ đ±đłđ°đ«đŠđ€đ”đŽ, making them abundant, not scarce.
The issuance of bonds is đčđ¶đșđ¶đđČđ± đŒđ»đčđ đŻđ đđ”đČ đ¶đđđđČđż'đ đ°đżđČđ±đ¶đđđŒđżđđ”đ¶đ»đČđđ đźđ»đ± đșđźđżđžđČđ đ±đČđșđźđ»đ±, not by a fixed supply. Governments, in particular, issue bonds regularly to finance budget deficits, making the total volume of bonds in the market đŠđ·đŠđł-đŠđčđ±đąđŻđ„đȘđŻđš.
In essence, the bond market's đȘđŻđ©đŠđłđŠđŻđ” đ€đąđ±đąđ€đȘđ”đș đ§đ°đł đšđłđ°đžđ”đ© and the đ€đ°đŻđ”đȘđŻđ¶đ°đ¶đŽ đȘđŻđ”đłđ°đ„đ¶đ€đ”đȘđ°đŻ đ°đ§ đŻđŠđž đȘđŽđŽđ¶đąđŻđ€đŠđŽ underscore its lack of scarcity.

đȘđ”đ đ„đČđźđč đđđđźđđČ đđ đĄđŒđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ
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, đżđČđźđč đČđđđźđđČ đ¶đ đ»đŒđ đźđŻđđŒđčđđđČđčđ đđ°đźđżđ°đČ 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, đ”đ©đȘđŽ đŽđ€đąđłđ€đȘđ”đș đȘđŽ đłđŠđđąđ”đȘđ·đŠ đąđŻđ„ đŽđ¶đŁđ«đŠđ€đ” đ”đ° đ€đ©đąđŻđšđŠ đžđȘđ”đ© đ”đŠđ€đ©đŻđ°đđ°đšđȘđ€đąđ đąđ„đ·đąđŻđ€đŠđźđŠđŻđ”đŽ, 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, đđ”đČ đđđœđœđčđ đŒđł đčđźđ»đ± đźđ»đ± đ”đźđŻđ¶đđźđŻđčđČ đčđŒđ°đźđđ¶đŒđ»đ đđ¶đčđč đČđ
đœđźđ»đ±, reducing the constraints of Earth-bound real estate scarcity.

đȘđ”đ đđŒđčđčđČđ°đđ¶đŻđčđČđ đđżđČ đĄđŒđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ
Collectibles encompass items like rare artifacts, art, and jewelry, valued for their uniqueness and desirability. While some may appear scarce, đđ”đČđ¶đż đđ°đźđżđ°đ¶đđ đ¶đđ»'đ đźđŻđđŒđčđđđČ. Technological advancements and changing tastes can affect their rarity and value.
Furthermore, collectibles' perceived scarcity đȘđŽ đ°đ§đ”đŠđŻ đŽđ¶đŁđ«đŠđ€đ” đ”đ° đźđąđłđŹđŠđ” đ„đșđŻđąđźđȘđ€đŽ. 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 đŒđ»đČ đșđđđ đđżđđđ đđ”đČ đ¶đđđđČđżâđ đ°đčđźđ¶đșđ đđŒ đđ°đźđżđ°đ¶đđ, 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.

đȘđ”đ đđŒđșđșđŒđ±đ¶đđ¶đČđ đđżđČ đĄđŒđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ
Commodities are raw materials or agricultural products that can be bought and sold. While they might đŽđŠđŠđź 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 đ·đȘđłđ”đ¶đąđđđș đđȘđźđȘđ”đđŠđŽđŽ.
While commodities are currently limited by their available amounts on Earth, as well as the costs of extraction and production, đđČđ°đ”đ»đŒđčđŒđŽđ¶đ°đźđč đźđ±đđźđ»đ°đČđșđČđ»đđ đźđ»đ± đđœđźđ°đČ đČđ
đœđčđŒđżđźđđ¶đŒđ» đ”đźđđČ đđ”đČ đœđŒđđČđ»đđ¶đźđč đđŒ đđ¶đŽđ»đ¶đłđ¶đ°đźđ»đđčđ đ¶đ»đ°đżđČđźđđČ đđ”đČđ¶đż đđđœđœđčđ, challenging the traditional notion of scarcity.

đȘđ”đ đđżđđœđđŒđ°đđżđżđČđ»đ°đ¶đČđ đđżđČ đĄđŒđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ
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 đąđŻđșđ”đ©đȘđŻđš đŁđ¶đ” đąđŁđŽđ°đđ¶đ”đŠđđș đŽđ€đąđłđ€đŠ.
New cryptocurrencies can be created relatively easily. This means that even if their protocols make them have a limited supply, đŠđ·đŠđłđș đŻđŠđž đ±đłđ°đ«đŠđ€đ” đ„đȘđđ¶đ”đŠđŽ đ”đ©đŠ đ·đąđđ¶đŠ đ°đ§ đąđđ đ”đ©đŠ đ°đ”đ©đŠđłđŽ, 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, đđ”đČ đœđżđŒđđŒđ°đŒđč đ°đźđ» đŻđČ đźđčđđČđżđČđ± đŻđ đ°đČđ»đđżđźđč đźđđđ”đŒđżđ¶đđ¶đČđ, as has been seen with Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies.

đȘđ”đ đđ¶đđ°đŒđ¶đ» đđ đ§đżđđčđ đŠđ°đźđżđ°đČ
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, đłđŠđšđąđłđ„đđŠđŽđŽ đ°đ§ đ”đŠđ€đ©đŻđ°đđ°đšđȘđ€đąđ đąđ„đ·đąđŻđ€đŠđźđŠđŻđ”đŽ đ°đł đ©đ¶đźđąđŻđȘđ”đș'đŽ đšđłđ°đžđ”đ©.
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 đąđ±đ±đłđ°đąđ€đ© 21 million, đŻđđ đ»đČđđČđż đœđźđđ đ¶đ, đŒđż đČđđČđ» đżđČđźđ°đ” đ¶đ.
#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°đŻđđș đđȘđ”đ€đ°đȘđŻ đźđąđȘđŻđ”đąđȘđŻđŽ đȘđ”đŽ đȘđŽđŽđ¶đąđŻđ€đŠ đŽđ€đ©đŠđ„đ¶đđŠ, 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.

đđŒđ»đ°đčđđđ¶đŒđ»
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 đ”đȘđźđŠ, 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, đ¶đ đșđźđ đđđżđ» đŒđđ đđ”đźđ đČđđČđ» đđ¶đșđČ đ¶đđđČđčđł đ¶đ đ»đŒđ đŻđČ đźđ đđ°đźđżđ°đČ đźđ đđ¶đđ°đŒđ¶đ».

Some other things that arenât scarce are đđ¶đžđČđ€, đŠđ”đźđżđČđđ, and đđŒđŒđžđșđźđżđžđđ.
And if thereâs anything youâd like to add to this, please leave it in the đđŒđșđșđČđ»đđâŹïž