there are 12 million millionaires in the world, and 1500 billionaires. there are only 21 million bitcoins, and I imagine most of those people dont have any.
That 21 million will never stand as the asymptotic limit (actually it isn't asymptotic because the finite limit of divisibility is 1 Satoshi), because there is no way the world's billionaires will hand power to Risto et al (of course not!). That is pure fantasy like a overgrown, naive children playing a board game. There are multiple ways it can be increased.
- Off chain is the only way Bitcoin will go mainstream. Coins will be created just as the private banks did with gold certificates in the 1800s with gold on deposit.
- It is impossible that altcoins won't proliferate because Bitcoin can't offer every feature.
- One pool controls 50+% of the hash power, even one ASIC miner controls 10%. Government control of that pool (and a few miners) can force more coins to be created. This won't be done now, instead later when the lockdown is more ubiquitous and you have no way to avoid this control.
they wouldn't have to hand over power, not the first ones. many will have a keen eye for investments, and will trickle capital into it.
in time, this will prove binary. some will be left behind. Thats not a naive fantasy, in fact it's a back stabbing game some billionaires might like to play.
Of coarse I dont mean there is a shortage of bitcoin, but if everyone wanted just one of those coins, the price would be millions per coin easy.