logo
Gold Or Bitcoin? 3 Firms Make Holding Bitcoin Easier Than Ever

Gold Or Bitcoin? 3 Firms Make Holding Bitcoin Easier Than Ever

Forbes20-04-2025

Bitcoin or Gold? (Photo by Romain Costaseca / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP)
As tariff talks continue, geopolitical tensions escalate, and the global economy wavers, investors are gravitating towards store-of-value investments.
Gold, the traditional go-to during times of crisis, just breached a record $3,300 per ounce. The surge is driven by a weakening dollar and renewed U.S.-China trade friction. In 2025, a growing number of investors, from hedge funds to retirees, are beginning to question whether gold remains the best store of value.
Increasingly, the answer is Bitcoin.
Once dismissed as a speculative plaything, Bitcoin has matured into a borderless, digital alternative to gold that offers both finite scarcity and functionality. It's divisible, portable, and most crucially, a currency.
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban agrees, 'It's easier to buy and sell,' he said. 'You can fractionalize it, you can buy things, you can transfer it internationally. And so I think it has more value than gold.'
On March 7th, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced that national banks can now participate in particular crypto activities, including custody, without needing prior regulatory approval.
The OCC rolled back previous guidance from the Biden era that required banks to seek permission and demonstrate risk controls before engaging in crypto. Acting Comptroller Rodney Hood emphasized that banks must still manage risks appropriately, but the move is intended to ease regulatory burdens and create consistency.
Bitcoin can also be held on centralized exchanges, but past failures like FTX have shown the risks of trusting third parties with your assets.
For those who value direct, tangible control over their assets, much like holding physical gold bars, there are several options for maintaining full custody of their Bitcoin.
Unchained, Casa, and Onramp are among the growing number of companies in 'cold storage' Bitcoin custody. They make investing in Bitcoin easier, safer, and more rewarding by offering trusted, secure platforms that help minimize risk.
Bitcoin's decentralized nature is its strength, but it also puts responsibility entirely on the individual.
Unchained offers a solution to that challenge by providing multisignature vaults that blend personal control with institutional-grade security. These vaults require multiple keys to move funds, dramatically reducing the risk of theft, accidental loss, or single-point failure.
Unchained distinguishes itself with its Concierge Onboarding program, which guides users step by step through the self-custody process.
Designed to support everyone from first-time investors to businesses managing Bitcoin on their balance sheets, the service has proven valuable to older investors seeking long-term wealth preservation, many of whom previously turned to gold.
Another company offering a straightforward and intuitive way to secure funds through multisig is Casa.
Their platform is tailored for investors who want to hold Bitcoin but avoid complex hardware wallets or opaque solutions. Casa streamlines Bitcoin custody for everyday users. It's designed to be accessible for all ages, from Zoomers to Boomers, making Bitcoin custody simple for anyone.
Unlike some fintech platforms that lump Bitcoin in with other cryptocurrencies, Onramp focuses solely on Bitcoin.
Their transparent approach appeals to advisors and institutions who want to offer Bitcoin exposure without hearing a sales pitch for other digital assets.
Onramp works directly with financial advisors and RIAs, offering tools to integrate Bitcoin into long-term portfolio strategies.
They also prioritize education, helping advisors explain Bitcoin's role as a hedge against inflation, its function as a store of value, and its technological advantages over gold.
While you decide on whether to invest in Bitcoin or gold, consider this.
Unlike gold, Bitcoin can be bought instantly, stored digitally, and sent globally. It's programmable money, backed by a growing ecosystem of infrastructure that supports everything from everyday purchases to intergenerational wealth transfers.
It's especially appealing to younger generations who prioritize autonomy, accessibility, and ease of use. This forward-looking approach increases Bitcoin's value in the long term.
Gold, while still valuable, is frozen in time.
It doesn't offer rewards, and you can't use it to book a flight or buy groceries. Bitcoin, in contrast, is as adaptable as the internet, able to weather global instability and still function as a real currency.
Investors must no longer ask, 'Is Bitcoin as good as gold?' They must ask, 'Why settle for gold when you can have Bitcoin?'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Chanos Hits Back Strategy's Saylor, Calling Him a ‘Salesman'
Chanos Hits Back Strategy's Saylor, Calling Him a ‘Salesman'

Bloomberg

time36 minutes ago

  • Bloomberg

Chanos Hits Back Strategy's Saylor, Calling Him a ‘Salesman'

Famed short-seller Jim Chanos denounced Strategy's Michael Saylor for using a misleading model to value his crypto-treasury firm and reemphasized his recommendation to short its shares and buy Bitcoin instead. 'Michael Saylor is a wonderful salesman,' Chanos said during a Bloomberg TV interview on Wednesday. While the executive chairman of Strategy argued his business should not be valued just on the basis of its Bitcoin holdings, Chanos called that 'financial gibberish.'

Shaquille O'Neal to pay $1.8 million to settle FTX investor lawsuit
Shaquille O'Neal to pay $1.8 million to settle FTX investor lawsuit

CNBC

timean hour ago

  • CNBC

Shaquille O'Neal to pay $1.8 million to settle FTX investor lawsuit

Shaquille O'Neal has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle claims that he misled investors by promoting the now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX. The retired NBA superstar, who once urged fans to trust the platform, will resolve the allegations without admitting wrongdoing — but the deal marks one of the first high-profile settlements in the legal reckoning over FTX's collapse. The proposed settlement, filed in Florida federal court, would end a class action lawsuit accusing O'Neal of presenting FTX as a trustworthy and legitimate investment tool — particularly at live events and in social media content — while allegedly helping drive adoption of unregistered securities. The class includes anyone who deposited money into FTX or held its proprietary token, FTT, between May 2019 and late 2022. If the overseeing judge approves the deal, O'Neal's $1.8 million payout will cover all legal fees, notice and administration costs, and payouts to eligible investors. The arrangement also includes a sweeping release from future liability, and a provision barring him from seeking reimbursement from the FTX bankruptcy estate. In short: the check he's writing is final — and all-inclusive. "We are pleased to have this matter behind us," counsel for O'Neal said in a statement. Unlike other celebrity defendants and former FTX endorsers — including Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, and Steph Curry — whose cases were largely dismissed, O'Neal remained entangled after a lengthy effort to serve him legal papers. Front Office Sports reported in February that O'Neal inked a $15 million deal to remain with TNT's "Inside the NBA." O'Neal told CNBC in 2022 that, regarding FTX, he "was just a paid spokesperson for a commercial." O'Neal was named in a class-action lawsuit alleging that FTX's spokespeople "either controlled, promoted, assisted in [or] actively participated" in a plot to "aggressively market" the company. In earlier interviews with CNBC Make It, O'Neal said he was actively avoiding cryptocurrency. "I don't understand it, so I will probably stay away from it until I get a full understanding of what it is," he said at the time, adding: "From my experience, it is too good to be true."

Musk regrets some of his Trump criticisms, says they 'went too far'
Musk regrets some of his Trump criticisms, says they 'went too far'

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Musk regrets some of his Trump criticisms, says they 'went too far'

Musk regrets some of his Trump criticisms, says they 'went too far' Elon Musk, the world's richest person and Donald Trump's former advisor, says he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president (Kevin Dietsch) (Kevin Dietsch/GETTY IMAGESvia AFP) Elon Musk, the world's richest person and Donald Trump's former advisor, said Wednesday he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president, after the pair's public falling-out last week. "I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far," Musk wrote on his social media platform X, in a message that was received favorably by the White House. Musk's expression of regret came just days after Trump threatened the tech billionaire with "serious consequences" if he sought to punish Republicans who vote for a controversial spending bill. Their blistering break-up -- largely carried out on social media before a riveted public since Thursday last week -- was ignited by Musk's harsh criticism of Trump's so-called "big, beautiful" spending bill, which is currently before Congress. ADVERTISEMENT Some lawmakers who were against the bill had called on Musk -- one of the Republican Party's biggest financial backers in last year's presidential election -- to fund primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the legislation. "He'll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that," Trump, who also branded Musk "disrespectful," told NBC News on Saturday, without specifying what those consequences would be. Trump also said he had "no" desire to repair his relationship with the South African-born Tesla and SpaceX chief, and that he has "no intention of speaking to him." But after Musk's expression of regret, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump was "appreciative," adding that "no efforts" had been made on a threat by Trump to end some of Musk's government contracts. "The president acknowledged the statement that Elon put out this morning, and he is appreciative of it," Leavitt said. ADVERTISEMENT According to the New York Times, Musk's message followed a phone call to Trump late on Monday night. Vice President JD Vance and Chief of Staff Susan Wiles had also been working with Musk on how to broker a truce with Trump, the report said. - 'Wish him well' - In his post on Wednesday, Musk did not specify which of his criticisms of Trump had gone "too far." The former allies had seemed to have cut ties amicably about two weeks ago, with Trump giving Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But their relationship cracked within days, with Musk describing the spending bill as an "abomination" that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump's second term in office. Trump hit back at Musk's comments in an Oval Office diatribe and from there the row detonated, leaving Washington stunned. ADVERTISEMENT Trump later said on his Truth Social platform that cutting billions of dollars in subsidies and contracts to Musk's companies would be the "easiest way" to save the US government money. US media have put the value of the contracts at $18 billion. With real political and economic risks to their falling out, both already appeared to inch back from the brink on Friday, with Trump telling reporters "I just wish him well," and Musk responding on X: "Likewise." Trump had spoken to NBC on Saturday after Musk deleted one of the explosive allegations he had made during their fallout, linking the president with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sex trafficking. bur-arp/aha

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store