Goldman Sachs says bitcoin will compete with gold as "store of value"

Reuters

Published Jan 05, 2022 12:59

Updated Jan 05, 2022 17:45

LONDON (Reuters) - Bitcoin will take market share away from gold in 2022 as digital assets become more widely adopted, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) analyst Zach Pandl said in a research note to clients.

Citing bitcoin's $700 billion market capitalization, compared to the around $2.6 trillion worth of gold owned as an investment, Goldman Sachs said that the cryptocurrency currently has a 20% share of the "store of value" market.

Bitcoin will "most likely" become a bigger proportion over time, Goldman Sachs said, in a list of 2022 predictions.

In a hypothetical scenario in which bitcoin grabs a 50% share of this market, its price would reach just over $100,000, the note said.

Bitcoin was trading around $46,073 on Wednesday, having struggled to make gains after falling sharply in early December. In November, it had hit an all-time high of $69,000.

"Bitcoin may have applications beyond simply a "store of value" - and digital asset markets are much bigger than Bitcoin - but we think that comparing its market capitalization to gold can help put parameters on plausible outcomes for Bitcoin returns," Pandl wrote.