Yes, exactly — Bitcoin is base layer money.

This means Bitcoin operates at the foundational layer of a financial system, similar to how gold used to serve as the base layer in the gold standard era. Here’s a breakdown:

Base layer (Layer 1): Bitcoin’s blockchain is the foundational layer where all transactions are ultimately settled. It is secure, decentralized, and resistant to censorship.

Trust-minimized: Transactions on Bitcoin’s base layer do not require trust in intermediaries.

Layered architecture: On top of Bitcoin, other layers can be built (e.g., Lightning Network) to improve scalability, speed, or privacy — but they ultimately settle back to the base layer.

Final settlement: Like central bank reserves in the fiat world, BTC on-chain is final and irreversible.