An overview of the Bitcoin versus gold debate
From alchemists to prospectors the search to become wealthy by making, finding, or owning gold has been part of history. In 2021 the latest rush has been for what is being called Millennial gold - Bitcoin, but is this just like iron pyrite, a fool's gold?
There are two questions which we must answer now.
The first is whether we can or should refer to Bitcoin in the same way as gold?
Gold for many years, alongside the Japanese yen or Swiss franc, has been a safe haven asset. Its inverse correlation with risk on assets allows investors to diversify and hedge for periods of stress.
Since 2017 gold has shown a negative correlation with the US dollar, however Bitcoin has swung between a weak correlation which has been negative/ positive/ negative - so clearly, they are not maintaining the same reliable behaviour.
Through 2019 and into 2020 it was widely reported that as markets switch to risk-off and traders sought out safe havens, some institutions started placing small allocations into crypto currencies. The relative size of these allocations was large enough to move the price, which in Bitcoin is always volatile and dramatic, and for limited risk the moves offered traders strong returns. But this does not make BTC a true safe haven.
Historically, other things held constant, correlation data do not back the idea that Bitcoin is millennials gold. A look at weekly correlation of (BTC, Gold) from 2015 up to 2020 show BTC flipping signs 5 times, while correlation (BTC, DXY) was negligible.
However, BTC has maintained a positive and strengthening correlation (daily) with gold after Bitcoin passed the US$30K mark, hitting a high positive of 0.78. Unfortunately, this correlation has been weakening despite BTC topping the US$1 Trillion market value but is worth keeping an eye on.
This leads us to the second question.
Should we refer to Bitcoin in the same way as Gold? Will it be a store of value people should invest in?
This is more difficult to answer. BTC in our view is not a safe haven, but there are other similarities. Bitcoin and gold are both mined, there is a finite supply of each asset and they tend to be a buy and hold investment.
For millennials in the last 12 months their investment has increased 338% and they are up 30% on the year. If BTC is not gold it is certainly pretty 'shinny' and at the moment most people are very happy to have it in their portfolios.
You might say we lack the "courage" of leading investment banks or global CIO's (i.e.: will not attempt to throw a $400K target in your face) however we can say with a clear conscience - despite the nature and volatility of what we are analyzing - that the long-term direction remains positive.
Technical Outlook
Bollinger bands on the daily chart are set up for further bullish momentum, with the RSI indicator now having more room to step into overbought conditions after bottoming at 60 and currently printing a at below the 70 mark.
On the hourly timeframe, MACD and RSI indicators are giving a mixed read, with BTC disregarding bearish divergences so far on the former. An hourly close above $40166 is needed to maintain strong bullish momentum with $41522 (highest hourly close), $43650 (Fibo 3.618 Target) and $46000 (midpoint of two Fibonacci levels) as the next resistance targets.
Takeaway
As central banks start talking about fiscal tapering and the prospect of inflation, cryptocurrencies become even more attractive. You cannot just print more BTC and dilute value, like gold the limited supply should support the long-term price
For many investors Bitcoin is the anthesis of a fiat-currencies which is why they are buying and holding the digital coins. BTC may not be a new safe haven but it is certainly not fool's gold. It is now becoming an asset of choice despite the strength of equity markets as indices keep hitting new highs.
If, and when, cryptocurrencies are adopted by central banks and we see the issuing of Central Bank Digital Currencies, there may be a question as to the role Bitcoin will have, but today BTC is millennial gold.
This article was submitted by Karim Maalouf, Senior Market Analyst.
