Predicted Control Over Bitcoin's Infrastructure by 2035 for Apple, Google, and Various Countries, According to Michael Saylor
In a recent comment, Michael Saylor, the executive chairman of MicroStrategy, has suggested a future where the retail usage of Bitcoin migrates towards a layered infrastructure, while direct on-chain activity becomes the domain of "mega" institutions.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at an impressive $117,363. Saylor, a well-known Bitcoin advocate, predicts that early adopters who maintain their positions could potentially become "insanely rich" as institutional settlement gains primacy.
Saylor envisions a stratified Bitcoin ecosystem. The base layer, he believes, will be used predominantly by large banks, major technology corporations, and sovereign entities like nations and central banks to settle very large-value transactions. A layer 2 scaling solution like the Lightning Network will handle much higher-frequency transactions, potentially connecting millions of websites or apps through fast, efficient off-chain payments.
Above this, various layer 3 custodial or semi-open platforms will serve billions of end-user transactions. These could include exchanges, fintech companies, payment providers like Visa, Microsoft, Apple Pay, Coinbase, and Cash App, allowing everyday users to interact indirectly with Bitcoin without broadcasting base-layer transactions themselves.
This structure reflects Saylor’s long-held view that Bitcoin will mature less as a retail speculative asset and more as a neutral, high-value settlement layer serving the institutional financial and technology sectors. He foresees the base layer losing the direct touch of retail users, who instead will rely on layered services while institutional actors handle the large-scale movement and settlement of Bitcoin at the protocol’s foundational level.
In summary, Saylor predicts that Bitcoin's base layer future will be shaped by the dominance of large banks, leading tech companies, and sovereign actors. The base layer will act as an institutional-grade settlement rail, moving billions of dollars in Bitcoin. A layered scaling approach with off-chain and custodial services will handle retail and high-frequency activities. This vision positions Bitcoin as a backbone for global capital and payment systems rather than a direct consumer payment network.
Saylor's forecast assumes that Bitcoin should be treated as "digital capital" rather than day-to-day currency, with corporations and governments leveraging it as a long-term reserve asset and settlement medium. Fiat-denominated instruments are expected to continue functioning for pricing and transactional liquidity at higher layers in Saylor's vision.
It is important to note that Saylor did not specify a timeline for these changes. However, he believes this evolution is the logical consequence of Bitcoin's consolidation as a neutral, high-value settlement layer beneath a dense fabric of scaling and custodial services.
References: [1] https://www.coindesk.com/.../michael-saylor-says-bitcoin-will-become-institutional-grade-settlement-rail [2] https://www.cnbc.com/.../microstrategys-saylor-says-bitcoin-will-dominate-the-global-payments-system [4] https://www.bloomberg.com/.../michael-saylor-says-bitcoin-will-become-a-global-reserve-currency
As Michael Saylor predicts, technology will play a significant role in the future of Bitcoin, with layers like the Lightning Network and custodial platforms being used for handling retail and high-frequency transactions. In this vision, Bitcoin will not only be traded but also used as a neutral, high-value settlement layer, especially by institutions in the finance sector.
