Adding his sonorous voice to the chorus of renowned investors talking about bitcoin recently, hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller stated on a CNBC interview this week that he believed bitcoin could perform better than gold.
“I own many, many more times gold than I own bitcoin, but frankly if the gold bet works, the bitcoin bet will probably work better because it’s thinner and more illiquid and has a lot more beta to it.“
This is worth diving into a bit, because the statement is good news for the industry, but it is not the bullish affirmation that it initially seems.
This is not Druckenmiller saying that bitcoin has a better value proposition than gold, or that it has a harder cap or that decentralization is the way to go.
No, this is Druckenmiller saying that bitcoin has more upside because of its market inefficiencies. Let that sink in: The very characteristics that many investors have cited as barriers to investment are what a renowned investor believes will award bitcoin a better performance.
Source
https://www.coindesk.com/druckenmiller-bitcoin-what-he-really-saidThe premise that "this is Druckenmiller saying that bitcoin has more upside because of its market inefficiencies" is completely a bogus one from an author who isn't well enough informed to write on the topic intelligently. I don't see him saying there are market inefficiencies. Don't waste your time on the original article.
1. A "thin market" is not a market inefficiency, it is just a lack of supply at a particular price. That is how markets work. Eventually, say at $7,000,000/bitcoin, there will be an equalization of supply and demand.
2. Ditto for being "illiquid". Bitcoin's bid/ask spread is similar (or better) than gold's.
3. A high beta does not indicate an inefficient market, it is merely related to volatility.
In short, the premise is wrong as is the conclusion.