Have you ever wondered why gold is always kept in vaults?

Recently, Snowden made a remark that doesn't seem remarkable at first glance, but upon reflection, it's quite interesting: "Gold, simply put, is #隐私保护话题升温 that can't flow through the internet." This tech figure, known for privacy, pinpointed the fundamental difference between two types of assets — it's not just about form, but a redefinition of "value" in this digital age.

What's the difference? Simply put:

**Gold is confined by its physical form**

Want to move a million dollars worth of gold? Insurance, armed escort, waiting, transaction fees... every step taxes its "heaviness." From London to Singapore, physical transportation alone consumes time and costs.

**While Bitcoin exists in the code world**

It can be divided into one hundred million parts, crossing the globe in ten minutes, with almost zero transaction costs. The entire network is maintained by tens of thousands of nodes, without needing an "authority" to verify its authenticity — this is crucial.

This isn't just about convenience; it's a transfer of power. Bitcoin is the first scarce asset generated purely by code, inheriting gold's anti-inflation properties but shedding all physical shackles.

**The real significant change is already happening**

1. Institutions are quietly entering — from corporate financial statements to sovereign funds, $BTC is being incorporated into "digital asset allocation."

2. The ecosystem is accelerating its differentiation — second-layer solutions like Lightning Network and Stacks are building true value transfer networks, faster, cheaper, and more programmable.

3. A new generation's intuitive understanding — for digital natives, private keys = sovereignty, smartphones = vaults, which is much more natural than understanding gold bars and safes.

So, what will happen? Will gold continue to dominate the traditional asset pantheon, or will assets like $BTC and $ETH completely rewrite the landscape of value transfer? This silent power shift is rapidly unfolding where you can't see.