The number of billionaires that have invested in crypto increased last year, and that trend could continue into 2022 as fears over fiat intensify.
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Previously anti-crypto investors are increasingly turning to Bitcoin and its brethren as a hedge against fiat currency inflation concerns.
One example is Hungarian-born billionaire Thomas Peterffy who, in a Jan. 1 Bloomberg report, said that it would be prudent to have 2-3% of one’s portfolio in crypto assets just in case fiat “goes to hell”. He is reportedly worth $25 billion.
Peterffy’s firm, Interactive Brokers Group Inc., announced that it would be offering crypto trading to its clients in mid-2020 following increased demand for the asset class. The company currently offers Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash, but will be expanding that selection by another 5-10 coins this month.
Peterffy, who holds an undisclosed amount of crypto himself, said that it is possible that digital assets could reap “extraordinary returns” even if some could also go to zero according to Bloomberg. “I think it can go to zero, and I think it can go to a million dollars,” he added before stating “I have no idea.”
In early December, the billionaire predicted that Bitcoin could spike as high as $100,000 before markets begin to retreat.
Related: Tom Peterffy Believes Bitcoin Could Wreck Might Go to $100K Before Crashing
Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio is another renowned billionaire that revealed his portfolio contained some Bitcoin and Ethereum last year. This revelation came just a few months after he questioned crypto’s properties as a store of value.
He has now changed that stance and views crypto asset investments as “alternative money” in a world where “cash is trash’’ with inflation eroding purchasing power.
In late December, Dalio commented that he was impressed at how crypto as lasted, before stating “Cash, which most investors think is the safest investment is, I think, the worst investment.”
Billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones also bought Bitcoin last year, labeling the move as a hedge against inflation.
Pandemic-induced stimulus packages have caused economic turmoil across the globe, the fallout from which could linger for decades. In the United States, inflation is at a 4 decade high of 6.8%. This has resulted in a surge in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as the costs of daily goods continue to increase.
The billionaires are already seeing the danger signs with fiat currencies and central bank manipulation, and they are increasingly turning to crypto assets. The year 2022 could see more wealthy investors join their ranks if the trend continues.
