Recently, Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC’s Mad Money, says he might invest 1% of his net worth in Bitcoin (BTC). The famed investor drew comparisons between BTC and gold and cited the importance of hedging against inflation.
During a podcast with Anthony Pompliano, Cramer said he would “take a shot at that with 1%.”
Since the lead up to Bitcoin’s 2017 bull run, CNBC, Bloomberg and institutional analysts have been extremely critical of the digital asset. Most claimed that cryptocurrencies were ponzi schemes, scams, or unsustainable, but this narrative began to shift in April 2019 when the digital asset recovered from lows in the sub-$4k range.
Most investors view safe-haven assets like gold as the go-to hedge against inflation, but they do not invest in these assets expecting immense returns.
Speaking with Pompliano, Cramer said he is drawn to Bitcoin by its demonstrated ability to rise in value while also acting as an inflation hedge. He said:
“I mean people talk about like crypto gets hacked or whatever, you know what's really bad? It's when your kids can't find your gold. And that is, by the way, not unusual. So this is why I am fixated on needing to own crypto, because I fear a massive amount of inflation, and I don't have [any]. Gold will do okay, the houses will do okay, those will keep me running in place. The idea of actually making money, well holy cow, I'll take a shot at that with 1%.”
It is not just Cramer who is considering opening a long position in Bitcoin. Billionaire investors like Paul Tudor Jones, and even multi-billion dollar public companies are beginning to invest in Bitcoin.
On Sept. 16, MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor said the firm now holds 38,250 BTC. Based on the current price of Bitcoin ($10,800) the stake is worth $413.1 million. Saylor said:
“On September 14, 2020, MicroStrategy completed its acquisition of 16,796 additional bitcoins at an aggregate purchase price of $175 million. To date, we have purchased a total of 38,250 bitcoins at an aggregate purchase price of $425 million, inclusive of fees and expenses.”
Major firms and high-profile investors are increasingly investing in Bitcoin because it acts as an inflation hedge and also has portability. The digital asset has also seen large returns over time, buoyed by the exponential improvement in the infrastructure and ecosystem surrounding Bitcoin.
Bitcoin/USD 1-month chart. Source: TradingView.com
Some investors argue that Bitcoin has all of the characteristics of gold as it is portable and has a fixed supply. In fact, billionaire investor and Gemini exchange co-founder Tyler Winklevoss believes BTC does a better job of being gold than the precious metal itself. Winklevoss said:
“As it turns out, bitcoin is better at being gold than gold — and not just incrementally, but by an order of magnitude or 10X better.”
Cramer says gold is dangerous, wants crypto exposure
During the interview, Cramer specifically expressed concerns about the storage of gold. According to him, gold is dangerous for kids to hold, which makes Bitcoin more attractive. Cramer said:
“They [my kids] will never understand gold. And the reason they will never understand gold is they think gold is dangerous. It's dangerous because it can be stolen, it's dangerous because they don't want to take it out of the bank, it's dangerous because they may forget where it is.”