Michael Saylor, the Executive Chairman of Strategy and founder of MicroStrategy, shared a thread on X linking the evolution of digital credit to a series of historical milestones. He wrote that the Dutch East India Company pioneered early forms of credit by issuing tradable shares, a practice that laid groundwork for modern financial instruments. He continued that subsequent developments such as paper money, central banking, and electronic payment systems each added a layer to the credit ecosystem. According to Saylor, the final foundation is Bitcoin, which he claims completes the story by providing a decentralized, permission‑less form of digital credit that does not rely on traditional intermediaries. This perspective matters because Saylor is a prominent Bitcoin advocate and his framing influences how investors view the long‑term narrative of digital assets as the culmination of centuries of financial innovation.

“Digital credit took four centuries to make possible. From the Dutch East India Company to Bitcoin, this is the story of the ten foundations that brought us here. $STRC”

— Michael Saylor (@saylor) on X · X ↗

Michael Saylor is not affiliated with COINMAG. The quote comes from a public post on X; the context was written by the COINMAG newsroom.