Bitcoin will remain as a standard: Chess world champion Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov is an ardent believer of cryptocurrencies. Here's what the former world champion has to say

By Shashank Bhardwaj

Garry Kasparov is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players in history. In recent times, he's also become a favorite among the crypto community.

Speaking at a Coindesk interview, Kasparov said, “I believe that cryptocurrencies – with Bitcoin as a standard – offer a protection against this onslaught of the government, because you’re protected by math. You’re protected by the limited number of any code behind the respective currency. Cryptocurrencies, and all the products related to cryptocurrencies, are absolutely vital for the future development of our world.”

Known for his impressive dominance of chess, former world champion Garry Kasparov reigned for 21 years from 1984 to 2005. A world-renowned humanitarian and chess mentor, he has beaten not only history's greatest minds but also machines. From an international chess champion to becoming a leading champion of cryptocurrencies, Kasparov’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable.

“If you followed my career and read about my early interest in computers and technology, you should not be surprised that I was very excited when I recognised the value of cryptocurrencies and NFTs,” Kasparov answered on being asked about how he got into the crypto space. “This goes all the way back to the 1980s; I always tried to be at the cutting edge. It started with chess. But I also saw an opportunity to use computers and new tools to advance individual freedoms. It’s my belief that technology should help people fight back against the power of the state.

In December 2021, Kasparov launched a collection of 32 NFTs in collaboration with 1Kind, a luxury marketplace that hosts exclusive NFTs and experiences from the world's most remarkable people. The collection focuses on Kasparov's "rise to chess fame, as told through remarkable NFTs."

“I don’t pretend to be a great expert in NFTs, but I’m not aware of anything similar that exists. It’s a collection of 30-plus NFTs that are related to special events in my life and special people in my life. This is a story that connects you to very personal moments”, he said.

The collection includes NFTs that represent various stages of his life, spanning from the 1985 match that made him the youngest world chess champion to the epic battle against IBM's artificial intelligence-powered ‘Deep Blue’ machine. "Modern technology has always been a part of my life," Gary remarked during the launch of his NFT collection. “That’s why I’ve decided to share my legacy on the blockchain.”

“I think Bitcoin will remain as a standard,” he answered when asked about the future of Bitcoin. “But of course, it cannot stay alone. So that’s why you have more coins coming in. It’s a natural process. Now we have thousands and thousands of coins. It’s like the dot-com bubble; 99.9% will be gone. But those that survive will become the Googles of the world. I’m not here to judge which one, but there will be few that will survive.”

Shashank is founder at yMedia. He ventured into crypto in 2013 and is an ETH maximalist.

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