I increasingly believe the United States faces a profound choice: Embrace bitcoin, or vainly attempt to thwart it. I fear they (we) will choose the latter, which will only push bitcoin to other corners of the world, including our global rivals, where it will continue to thrive and grow. Ultimately, this will undermine US hegemony. Like inventions such as gunpowder, the printing press, the steam engine, and aviation — the choice is ultimately not if, but *when* a nation acknowledges the leap forward. The technology now exists. We deny its power to our own detriment.