Billionaire investor Jeremy Grantham, co-founder of GMO, doubled down on his criticism of cryptocurrencies, calling Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) a speculative asset with no intrinsic utility and predicting it will gradually lose relevance over time.
A “Useless Speculative Mechanism”
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box on June 27, Grantham dismissed Bitcoin as an unreliable store of value despite its strong long-term price appreciation.
“I think it’s a useless speculative mechanism,” Grantham said.
Asked whether he believes Bitcoin ultimately goes to zero, Grantham replied that while it may not completely disappear, it will slowly fade away.
“Years and years, decades and decades, it will dwindle away. I suspect not with a bang, but a whimper.”
“It’s not a stable form of value. It just halved in a strong economy. So you can’t depend on it in that way.”
Grantham contrasted Bitcoin with gold, noting the precious metal has delivered gains over the same period despite pulling back from recent highs.
“Nothing There“
The veteran investor also questioned Bitcoin’s practical utility, arguing it is rarely used for everyday commerce.
“People don’t use it to make serious trades. They don’t use it to buy their dinner and pay at the supermarket. So, what the hell does it do?”
He further claimed cryptocurrencies primarily facilitate illicit financial activity. “What it does is allows crooks to move money around without leaving a trace.”
While acknowledging that blockchain technology is “real” and has genuine applications, Grantham said investors should distinguish the technology from cryptocurrencies themselves. “It will transform the way things are done.”
He added that Bitcoin generates no cash flow or underlying economic value.
“It pays no dividend. It doesn’t represent an asset you can put your fingers on. There is nothing there. It is just an idea that it will go up in price.”
Image: Shutterstock
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