Fact Check

Osmium is a precious metal that has interesting parallels to Bitcoin. However, osmium has the advantage of being a real physical commodity. In addition, the fluctuations in the value of the precious metal are significantly lower than those of Bitcoin. Let's compare the facts:

The comparison between osmium and Bitcoin is based on the following similarities:

Similarities:

• Limited quantity available.
• Can be purchased on the internet.
• Unforgeable.
• Both offer the speculative chance of high price gains.

But there are also striking differences:

• Osmium has an inherent value because it is a physical metal that is actually being crystallized and is physically located in one's own safe.
• There can be no "second osmium", because metals cannot be invented, programmed or created just like that.
• No matter what the future will bring, no matter how markets develop, no matter how society develops, physical osmium will not disappear; it will remain and it will not age.

The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is indeed the most similar to osmium, at least in terms of the amount available. Both the number of Bitcoins and the amount of osmium available in the world have a finite limit. Bitcoins will have a maximum quantity of 21 million at the end of the creation process. Osmium only exists in a quantity of nine cubic metres on Earth, of which two cubic metres are considered recoverable. This corresponds to only 44 tonnes.