Bitcoin, as a decentralized cryptocurrency, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no scheduled downtime. Its blockchain has been running continuously since it launched on January 3, 2009.
The S&P 500, on the other hand, trades during standard U.S. market hours: from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday, not including public holidays and special circumstances.
To calculate the total operating hours for each:
1. **Bitcoin**: From January 3, 2009 to June 1, 2023, there are exactly 5212 days (including the start and end days). Bitcoin is operational all 24 hours of these days, so the total operating hours would be 5212 * 24 = 125,088 hours.
2. **S&P 500**: For simplicity, let's assume 252 trading days per year (which accounts for weekends and holidays). From January 3, 2009 to June 1, 2023, there are approximately 14.4 years (including the start and end days). So, the total trading days would be approximately 14.4 * 252 = 3,628.8 (rounded to the nearest whole number to 3,629). The S&P 500 is open for 6.5 hours per day, so the total hours would be approximately 3,629 * 6.5 = 23,588.5 hours (rounded to the nearest half hour to 23,588 hours).
So, comparing the two, the Bitcoin network has been available for approximately 101,500 more hours than the S&P 500 during this period. This increased availability reflects one of the key features of cryptocurrencies: their ability to be traded at any time, not just during standard market hours.
The balance of power between people and their governments will never be healthy and primed for prosperity until governments are precluded from taking more than their fair share of the value created by people through their own time, effort and intellect. That is the paradigm shift that must be obtained by the generation now coming of age. Anything short of that dooms us to a dystopian future
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