Bitwise Exec Says Fiat Is Dead

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan has come up with a provocative decree: the traditional fiat monetary system is “dead”.

This bold claim arrives as institutional data suggests Bitcoin is aggressively cannibalizing gold’s historical role as the world’s premier “debasement trade”.

The great rotation

According to a May 7 report from JPMorgan analysts led by Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, investors are increasingly favoring Bitcoin over gold to protect against weakening fiat currencies. Following the recent conflict in Iran, Bitcoin ETFs have seen inflows for a third consecutive month, while gold ETFs have struggled to recover from significant outflows that began in March.

The debasement trade is moving from the yellow metal to digital gold, according to JPMorgan. This trend is bolstered not just by retail ETF buyers, but also by institutional players pushing CME bitcoin futures and offshore perpetual futures to new highs.

“Teenage” store of value

Hougan has consistently argued that the asset is simply in a necessary, albeit “uncomfortable,” evolutionary phase.

The exec describes Bitcoin’s journey as a transition from 100% speculation in 2009 to a projected 0% speculation by 2050, when he believes it will be a standard holding for every central bank.

He has previously likened Bitcoin’s current volatility to a “teenage state,” arguing that it is impossible to create a mature digital store of value without passing through this high-growth period.

In March, Hougan noted that Bitcoin currently sits at only 4% of gold’s market size. He stated that if the prevailing critiques of the asset did not exist, Bitcoin would already be valued at approximately $750,000 per coin.

The Bitwise executive’s “fiat is dead” sentiment echoes earlier warnings from other financial titans. In late January, Hougan pointed to Ray Dalio’s assessment that the fiat monetary system is nearing its end.