Bitcoin does share some aspects with a pyramid scheme. Bitcoin owners have incentive to recruit into the Bitcoin network. Bitcoins aren't really good for anything until merchants willing to accept Bitcoins also join the system. And the gain of the early adopters does come from what the later joiners bring, in the form of their goods and services that they exchange for Bitcoins.
I guess where Bitcoin diverges from a pyramid is that there's no chain reaction of recruiting. Once a user spends a Bitcoin, it's done; he doesn't stand to continually gain further from what the Bitcoin recipient continues to do or from anyone else the recipient brings into the system.
I guess where Bitcoin diverges from a pyramid is that there's no chain reaction of recruiting. Once a user spends a Bitcoin, it's done; he doesn't stand to continually gain further from what the Bitcoin recipient continues to do or from anyone else the recipient brings into the system.