Billionaire Investors and Analysts Debate Bitcoin's Role as an Inflation Hedge

According to USA Today, during a live YouTube debate organized by ZeroHedge, billionaire investor Anthony Scaramucci of SkyBridge Capital and top analyst Peter Schiff The role of Bitcoin (BTC) and gold as inflation hedges is discussed. They were joined by ShapeSchift CEO Erik Voorhees and New York University economics professor Nouriel Roubini.

The debate was started by Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff, who argued that Bitcoin was originally created as a digital currency but was unable to function effectively due to its slow and expensive nature. Schiff believes that Bitcoin supporters are trying to reposition it as a digital version of gold, but it falls short of gold’s intrinsic value derived from its physical properties. He emphasized gold's tangible utility in industries such as jewelry and electronics, contrasting it with Bitcoin, which he argued lacked practical use and practicality. Schiff asserts that over time, gold retains its intrinsic properties and becomes a true store of value. He also believes that Bitcoin’s perceived value is based solely on speculative demand and does not reflect any inherent usefulness or practical application.

Scaramucci countered Schiff's argument by emphasizing that only 5% of gold's value comes from its manufacturing purposes, with the majority attributed to its acceptance as a store of value. He stressed that Bitcoin, like gold, has a deflationary side due to its fixed supply. Scaramucci viewed Bitcoin as “digital gold,” noting its portability compared to physical gold. He also noted that Bitcoin’s adoption curve will affect its value for decades to come, much like the trajectory of tech stocks that become the standard and contribute to the SP 500 over time.

In other news, cryptocurrencies rebounded on Friday, driven by a rise in Bitcoin (BTC) prices, raising optimism that recent losses may be fading. BTC rose nearly 5%, briefly topping $63,000. The move comes after a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report in April eased concerns that interest rates could rise.