Diehards: Bitcoin (BTC), Crypto Slump Is Just A Bump
Since Bitcoin (BTC)’s first day on the block, if you will, there have been a number of diehard decentralists that have seen immense value in the world’s first blockchain network. And while much has changed since the launch of the project, originally headed by pseudonymous coder Satoshi Nakamoto, with the crypto industry seeing sweeping market cycles, zealous believers in this decade-old innovation haven’t faltered in their belief.
In a testament to this undying belief, at the Bloomberg Crypto Summit on Friday, a number of crypto-centric panelists and presenters doubled-down on their affection towards cryptocurrencies and related technologies. Speaking on-stage, James Bevan, chief investment officer at CCLA Investment Management, a long-term return-focused consortium, touched on crypto’s recent collapse, which skeptics say is a precursor to a Bitcoin “death spiral.”
Bevan, who once lauded Bitcoin (BTC) as pertinent in the future of global transactions, said the following:
“I don’t regard this as an existential crisis, I just regard it as a bump in the road and institutional investors have had plenty of bumps in the road in conventional currencies and transaction systems.”
Speaking with the Independent U.K., Angel Versetti, CEO of Ambrosus, echoed this sentiment that this is far from the end for cryptocurrencies. In an interview, the blockchain startup chief claimed that while many lambast cryptocurrencies for being in a Dotcom-esque bubble, this is far from the case. In fact, Versetti noted that he “doesn’t believe [that] we are, or were, anywhere close to a bubble with cryptocurrency.” The CEO of the blockchain upstart then added that the arrival of hotshot institutional players, who he dubbed “bankers” and “financiers,” indicates that the industry’s first bonafide bubble is still on the horizon, rather than in the present.
Attributing a figure to his call for an eventual bubble, the Ambrosus chief exclaimed that an eventual $15 to $20 trillion U.S. dollar market capitalization for all crypto assets is within the realm of possibility.
“I Can See A Huge [Stablecoin] Expansion”
After Bevan made his comments, other industry insiders also discussed stablecoins, a growing subset of cryptocurrencies that are aimed at more conservative investors — namely, institutions.
In recent months, a number of stablecoins have hit the market, with even Coinbase and Circle joining the fray. Keeping in mind that these new cryptocurrencies often are lauded as better than Tether (USDT), coupled with the recent downturn in Bitcoin, stablecoins recently saw an influx of buying pressure, as traders sought solace.
As noted by CoinDesk’s market analysis team, three USDT competitors, TrueUSD, USD Coin, and the Paxos Standard, recently entered the crypto Top 30, finding themselves around a ~$190 million market capitalization.
There’s about to be four #stablecoins in the world’s 25 largest #cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
Tether $USDT is already #5, but TrueUSD $TUSD is now #25 with USD Coin $USDC and Paxos Standard $PAX right behind. pic.twitter.com/SsKKtrCNo2
— CoinDesk Markets (@CoinDeskMarkets) December 7, 2018
And interestingly, Lewis Fellas, the chief investment officer a British crypto fund Bletchley Park, believes that this growing stablecoin dominance is only slated to continue moving forward, despite the fears regarding Tether and Bitfinex. Fellas explained that there are purportedly 120 stablecoin-centric projects, but this subindustry is still in the “early innings of the proliferation.” The CIO added that he sees “huge expansion” potential, presumably referencing the institutional penchant for this form of cryptocurrency, which is just like a digitized dollar with blockchain values.
The conference attendees also touched on regulation in Bitcoin markets, claiming that it will become a growing facet of this industry henceforth. Although some lauded regulation as a good thing for crypto entrepreneurs, Ryan Radloff, CEO at CoinShares, exclaimed that government intervention could pose challenges, especially if there are discrepancies between crypto-friendly nations, many of which are economically small, and Western powerhouses.
Yet, Marieke Flament, the global chief of marketing at Boston-based Circle, claimed that it is necessary for larger countries to lay a path for cryptocurrency regulation, instead of leaving nations to play a never-ending waiting game.
Title Image Courtesy of JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash
