More people are investing in Bitcoin after an avalanche of coronavirus stimulus shocked the cryptocurrency back to life last year. But as the price of Bitcoin foams higher — sweeping up everything from Elon Musk to the country’s oldest bank to the Oakland A’s — questions have been reignited over whether the digital asset truly has a place in the world of mainstream investing.
Bitcoin evangelists and recent converts, having shaken off the cryptocurrency’s 2018 crash, say this time is different. They see room for ample returns, wider institutional interest, wider access to funds, options and futures. They talk about Bitcoin becoming part of more IRAs, 401(k)s and estate plans.
“We’re going to see a whole new industry emerge, a whole new banking system emerge, around how to deal with this new type of investment,” said Bill Barhydt, a Bitcoin investor and CEO of the cryptocurrency investment app Abra.