![nsmblog24 (1).jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmeYQKrpwMQTnV7n8SfDvd4e57Y11ceWXyBsCWLjRafe98/nsmblog24%20(1).jpg)

*TL;DR– It’s put up or shut up time for those unwilling to educate themselves, but comfortable enough to make predictions.*

Maybe I am getting grouchy in my older age, but I am increasingly getting frustrated with the people who say to me “oh, Bitcoin is a bubble.”

“It’s going to pop.”

“It’s a fraud.”

The reason I am frustrated with them is NOT because the market is super hot and may be due for a correction. That is certainly a possibility.

The REASON I am frustrated with them is they haven’t invested much time in understanding Bitcoin at all.

Maybe they have read a few articles. Good for them, but it does not make them an expert. Those of us in the industry recognize that there are plenty of reasons why Bitcoin itself could fail. I am the first to admit it and have done so many times on this blog and elsewhere.

At the same time, I can name a TON of ridiculously smart people like [Naval Ravikant](http://www.twitter.com/naval), [Vitalik Buterin](http://www.twitter.com/vitalikbuterin), [Fred Wilson](http://www.twitter.com/avc), [Fred Ehrsam](http://www.twitter.com/fehrsam), [Tuur Demeester](https://twitter.com/TuurDemeester), [John Light](https://twitter.com/lightcoin?lang=en), and [Nick Szabo](https://twitter.com/NickSzabo4) who have studied the technology inside and out and believe it could work at scale.

All of them, however, are humble enough to admit there are pitfalls.

The naysayers, however, are somehow 100% confident that they know it WON’T work.

How is that even possible?

So, from now on, I’m just going to take a [page out of the Winklevoss’s playbook](http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/12/15/bitcoin-battle-winklevoss-twins-vs-jpmorgan-ceo-jamie-dimon.html) and challenge them (as the Winklevoss’ challenged Jamie Dimon) to “put their money where their mouth is.”

There is a Bitcoin futures market now.

If you are so confident that Bitcoin will fail, short it.

Or, better yet, go do the research until you can knowledgeably explain why it won’t work.