Bitcoin’s gains don’t seem ‘so wild’ compared to stocks like Tesla, crypto strategist says

Compared to major market indexes that breached record highs despite the Covid-19 economic fallout, bitcoin appears “less volatile” than before. That’s according to Meltem Demirors, chief strategy officer at CoinShares, which sells investments in digital currencies. “Everything else has become more volatile,” Demirors told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Monday. “As we know, volatility is a relative measure,” she said. “In the current environment, bitcoin is actually less volatile than it has been in the past.”

To illustrate the point, the strategist compared the gains between bitcoin and electric carmaker Tesla’s stock. Tesla’s shares, which were added to the broader S&P 500 index on Monday, have soared more than 676% so far this year. Meanwhile, bitcoin has risen about 220% year-to-date as of midnight EST Tuesday, according to Coin Metrics. “If we look at the astronomical rise in the equities market, bitcoin’s rise actually doesn’t feel so wild,” Demirors said.

Following sharp declines early in 2020, markets across the globe have been powered mostly by unprecedented monetary stimulus introduced by central banks worldwide in a bid to keep the economy running. Beyond investors’ shifting perceptions of volatility, Demirors added that the industry surrounding bitcoin has matured and evolved over the last two years.

Bitcoin’s gains don’t seem ‘so wild’ compared to stocks like Tesla, crypto strategist says, CNBC, Dec 22