Bitcoin does not participate in the technological career that brings together Solana or Ethereum, according to Larchevêque.
For the former Ledger CEO, Bitcoin must continue to be what he already is.
Eric Larchevêque, co -founder and former executive director of Ledger – French company specialized in safety solutions for cryptoactive – has ruling again on Bitcoin. In a recently published reflection on the social network X, Larchevêque questions the idea that Bitcoin should be replaced by a more modern, rapid or functional version. “One day, Bitcoin will be replaced by a faster and more modern version,” he quotes as a common belief, and then dismiss it.
“This is a common idea, which seems logical if we apply the usual patterns of technological innovation. However, it ignores the very nature of Bitcoin and the radically different vision that embodies.”
Larchevêque, former Ledger CEO.
He French businessman holds that those who invest in Bitcoin – not only financially, but also philosophically – They do not look for a “better” version of the protocol. “We do not want a faster bitcoin. Not a bitcoin capable of processing more transactions per second. Not a bitcoin with additional characteristics such as intelligent contracts. What we value is precisely its stillness,” he explains.
Larchevêque emphasizes that Bitcoin does not compete in the career for technological innovation that characterizes other networks Like Ethereum, Solarium or Cardano. “It is an exciting technological game, but also an elimination game: in 10 years, natural selection will have done its job,” he warns. In contrast, Bitcoin is defined by its resistance to change, its limited emission and its decentralized character.
“Bitcoin is about the freedom to possess. And to preserve that freedom, Bitcoin must continue to be what it is: a decentralized, immutable and extremely resilient system,” he says Larchevêquewho led Ledger between 2014 and 2019 and then assumed as president of the Board of Directors.
Although he acknowledges that Bitcoin could evolve in the face of existential threats – like quantum computing – insists that Any change must be slow, agreed and consistent with foundational values of the protocol. “As long as this cultural stability prevails, Bitcoin will not change. And that is what makes it a project with centuries, still relevant within 100 years,” he concludes.
For larchevêque, imagining a bitcoin 2.0 “it simply makes no sense.” According to him, the historical alignment that allowed the emergence of Bitcoin – generalized indifference, decentralized growth, absence of leadership— It is unrepeatable. And that, he says, makes it a truly irreplaceable asset.
As Cryptonotics reported, Éric Larchevêque lamented in 2023 of the crisis of trust that Ledger was going through thanks to what he considered a bad marketing strategy in the presentation of Ledger Recover. This is an optional function of Ledger Live to recover private keys easily, without using encrypted backups, but requires confidence in third parties and the participation of this company as an uncomfortable intermediary.
This debate has been left behind for Ledger, but not the one raised by the recent retirement of technological support to the Wallet Ledger Nano S, the most used portfolio of the company.
