Wouldn't a USD-holder wanting CNY or EUR exposure simply exchange their USD for CNY or EUR? Why would they go via BTC?
Yep...U are absolutely correct.
Only in circumstances where their are barriers to exchanging currencies i.e. CNY - USD, is Bitcoin useful as a means of Capital Flight....
But ya know what....with the negative interest rates around the world, and the Fed actually raising their rates ever so slightly, which will result in the US stock market retreating, which generally means stocks around the globe go into retreat, and then of course with the huge problems China is facing....
....I suspect we are going to have a strong USD policy going forward, aiding and abetting the global economic recession, and offering itself and US government bonds as thee go to safe haven asset. This will be good for Bitcoin. With that said, all the Chinese government have to do one day is turn around and say, "
right, too much CNY going into BTC and coming out as USD" BTC is banned!" Then Bitcoin would be well and truly fkd.
Bitcoin = ultimate gravy train asset. We all seen blistering gains in the past and all suspect that there will be blistering gains in the future. But I think all but the most naive realise what a tightrope walk Bitcoin as an investment is, and speaking for myself, I fully expect one day for Bitcoin to implode, and for something else, something better designed, something which has learned from Bitcoin's shortfalls, and most likely something created by The Man, for The Man, to move into it's space.
I expect one day, to wake up to some wikileak document indicating that Bitcoin was an NSA pilot project all along.