Bitcoin has evolved far beyond its roots as a tool for financial independence — and that’s not a bad thing, says Pierre Rochard, CEO of The Bitcoin Bond Company.

Speaking with Scott Melker on TheStreet Roundtable, Rochard argued that the adoption of Bitcoin by governments and institutions should be seen as a sign of success, not betrayal.

“Seeing governments adopt Bitcoin and seeing corporations adopt Bitcoin… indicates that we have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams,” he said. “Others have framed it as some kind of failure, but the bottom line is that they are not changing Bitcoin. Bitcoin is changing them.”

For early adopters who joined the space to opt out of the system, it may seem like a contradiction. But Rochard believes Bitcoin is doing exactly what it was designed to do — reduce reliance on “trusted third parties” and empower people to control their own money.

“We are moving the ball further down the field, away from the past conversation of ‘Will governments ban Bitcoin?’… to now, ‘How are governments going to most effectively adopt Bitcoin?’” he said. “That’s great for individuals as well.”

Rochard also pointed out that not everyone is ready to become a sovereign individual overnight — and that’s OK.

“There are a lot of people in society who are just not ready… for whatever reason,” he said. “But if governments and corporations provide an easy off-ramp from the world of dollar inflation into Bitcoin… that’s the way we gain adoption.”

Ultimately, he sees government and institutional adoption not as the end of Bitcoin’s mission, but the beginning of a much broader movement.

“Let’s get them started on that path,” he said. “Long-term, they’re going down the funnel toward being a sovereign individual.”