Ray Dalio, the billionaire hedge fund legend, doesn’t see digital currencies like Bitcoin (BTC) succeeding the best way different individuals do. He expects authorities to clamp down on cryptocurrencies after they see “materials” development.

The every day chart of Bitcoin relationship again to January 1, 2020. Supply: TradingView

In the meantime, BTC has vastly outperformed Bridgewater year-to-date. Barry Silbert, the CEO of Grayscale, a cryptocurrency funding agency with over $9 billion in belongings beneath administration, said:

“YTD returns: Bridgewater Pure Alpha II Fund: -18% Bitcoin: +115%.”

Bitcoin and Bridgewater can’t be straight in contrast, after all. The previous is a decentralized, digital forex with a market cap of $291 billion. The latter is a hedge fund that manages $148 billion in assets under management as of September 2020.

Nonetheless, the distinction in efficiency exhibits Bitcoin has much more risk-reward potential, notably as its market capitalization right this moment is just 2.36% of gold.

Different billionaire traders present an urge for food for Bitcoin

In the end, Dalio’s skepticism in direction of digital currencies comes all the way down to the regulatory menace towards cryptocurrencies.

If cryptocurrencies see materials development, Dalio stated governments would doubtless ramp up their efforts to limit them, although he didn’t specify at which BTC value threshold governments will begin taking direct motion. He additionally said:

“I don’t assume digital currencies will reach the best way individuals hope they’d.”

Dalio’s skepticism has additionally been shared by authorities officers. U.S. President Donald Trump launched a press release concerning Bitcoin in July 2019. On the time, he wrote on Twitter:

“Not a fan of Bitcoin and different Cryptocurrencies, which aren’t cash, and whose worth is extremely risky and primarily based on skinny air.”

Nonetheless, former U.S. President Barack Obama described Bitcoin as a “Swiss checking account,” alluding to the truth that nation-states will not be capable to absolutely ban one thing that is not solely world but in addition one thing that may be simply secured by people. 

Throughout a keynote on the South by Southwest pageant in 2016, referring to cryptocurrencies, former president Barak Obama said:

“Everyone is strolling round with a Swiss checking account of their pocket.”

At its core, Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer software program protocol. Governments may transfer towards proscribing the usage of cryptocurrencies by outlawing on and off-ramps into cryptocurrencies. However that might merely make anti-money laundering (AML) initiatives much less sensible as customers will merely go underground or transfer to friendlier jurisdictions.

Moreover, when cryptocurrencies transfer to the gray market and other people begin buying and selling crypto belongings in a peer-to-peer method, it will get tougher to crack down on illicit exercise.

As such, a robust argument will be made that it’s not in the perfect curiosity of governments to outright ban Bitcoin.

Furthermore, extra billionaires have began to point out help for Bitcoin in current months. As Cointelegraph reported, the frenzy round Bitcoin amongst establishments and sensible cash comes from the properties that make it an environment friendly, however maybe extra importantly, unconfiscatable retailer of worth.

Bitcoin is liquid, decentralized, simple to commerce, switch and retailer securely. These traits permit it to function as a sensible safe-haven asset and a hedge towards inflation with a low barrier to entry.

As DeFi developer Julien Bouteloup noted, Dalio provided skepticism in direction of Bitcoin up to now. In 2017, earlier than BTC hit an all-time excessive at round $20,000, Dalio described BTC as a bubble.

For now, Dalio shouldn’t be satisfied

Throughout his interview with Yahoo Finance, Dalio additionally emphasised that he wouldn’t desire Bitcoin over gold.

But, all through 2020, regardless of Bitcoin’s abrupt 60% crash in March, BTC additionally massively outperformed gold.

The value of Bitcoin and gold year-to-date. Supply: TradingView.com

Yr-to-date, gold has seen beneficial properties of round 23%. In the identical interval, BTC recorded a 119% acquire, rising from $7,165 to over $15,700.