Perhaps the most famous value investor of all time, Warren Buffett is strongly against Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, saying, “You can’t value Bitcoin because it’s not a value-producing asset.” Buffett and his holding company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. have been well-known for their investments in stable and profitable companies.
Buffett believes in investments that create value, instead of relying on investor sentiment. “If you buy something like Bitcoin or some cryptocurrency, you don’t really have anything that has produced anything. You’re just hoping the next guy pays more.”
This strategy has been profitable for decades, allowing Berkshire Hathaway to become one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world. Investors around the globe look to Buffett and his companies for investment advice and recommendations.
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However, Buffett’s strong anti-crypto stance may change after reviewing the firm’s performance in 2023. The top performing investment in 2023 for Berkshire Hathaway was a Brazilian fintech Nu Holdings Ltd.. The company owns Nubank, a neobank that offers credit cards and banking as well as crypto trading for users. It offers 15 different tokens, as well as its own utility token called Nucoin.
The company went public in December 2021 but had received backing from Buffett and Berkshire during series G funding when Berkshire invested $500 million in the company. Buffett later increased his stake by another $500 million for a total of $1 billion invested in early 2022.
The investment has paid extremely well, as Brazil has had a very open and accepting stance on crypto. In 2023, the price of Nu Holdings appreciated by 93%. These huge gains made Nu Holdings the most profitable investment in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio for 2023. This investment is especially surprising given the strong performance of stocks in other sectors, such as technology.
Buffett has not sold his investment in Nu Holdings, potentially implying that he is bullish on the stock for the months or years to come.
Considering Buffett’s hesitancy to invest in crypto directly, this could be an eye-opener for the legendary investor. As the company looks back on 2023, the strong performance of its crypto-related investment could cause it to look into other crypto stocks or even cryptocurrencies themselves.
While cryptocurrency and digital tokens don’t adhere to Buffett’s main investment theses, it is impossible to argue with the gains they can provide investors. For example, Bitcoin appreciated more than 150% in 2023, beating every investment in Buffett’s portfolio.
As crypto becomes more pervasive and part of mainstream investing, it will be interesting to see whether Buffett and Berkshire will give in and further their investments into crypto stocks or even major tokens like Bitcoin.
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TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
