For Hedging, Buy Gold and Oil; For Explosive Growth, Buy AI; Bitcoin, the 'Outdated' Asset, Enters a Bear Market

marsbitPublished on 2026-06-03Last updated on 2026-06-03

Abstract

Bitcoin’s price has recently fallen sharply, hitting a two-month low near $66,000, with Ethereum also dropping to a three-month low. While surface explanations point to ETF outflows, geopolitical tensions, and corporate selling, a deeper issue is emerging: Bitcoin is losing a crucial asset competition. For years, Bitcoin thrived in a low-rate environment where investors sought alternatives amid inflation fears and dissatisfaction with traditional options. Now, the market landscape has shifted, leaving Bitcoin stuck in an "awkward middle ground," facing challenges on three fronts: 1. **As an inflation hedge, gold is winning.** Investors worried about persistent inflation are turning to tangible assets like gold, energy stocks, and commodity producers, which offer more direct pricing power and physical backing. 2. **For growth exposure, AI is winning.** Those seeking high growth now favor AI-related companies with actual revenues and profits, an area where Bitcoin's lack of cash flow puts it at a disadvantage. 3. **Within crypto, infrastructure and stablecoins are winning.** Even investors wanting crypto exposure have alternatives like exchanges, stablecoin issuers, and tokenization firms, whose performance is directly tied to real-world adoption and offers clearer operational leverage. The recent market reaction to inflation warnings highlights this shift. Instead of boosting Bitcoin as "digital gold," such news now drives flows toward traditional inflation-sensitive ass...

Author: Wall Street News

Bitcoin has continued to fall recently. It once dropped to $66,123 during the session, hitting a two-month low, and is currently trading at $66,620; Ethereum fell to $1,837 in the same period, a three-month low, and is currently at $1,855.

There are various explanations circulating in the market: ETF outflows, heightened geopolitical tensions, unexpected selling by Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy). According to analysis by Bloomberg analyst Sid Verma, these explanations are all correct, but may only be symptoms. The real problem is deeper—Bitcoin is losing an asset competition.

For a long time, interest rates were near zero, leaving cash idle meant depreciation; stock valuations were too high; AI was still just a concept; and gold's gains were limited. Analysis points out that Bitcoin's competitors back then weren't specific assets, but rather "investor dissatisfaction"—fear of inflation, dissatisfaction with existing options.

But now, the market has changed.

Three Fronts, Bitcoin Losing on All

The analyst describes Bitcoin's situation bluntly: it's now stuck in an "awkward middle ground," being attacked from three sides.

Hedging inflation? Gold wins. Investors worried about inflation are now more inclined to buy gold, energy stocks, and commodity producers, rather than Bitcoin. These assets have physical backing, pricing power, and a more straightforward logic.

Chasing growth? AI wins. Investors seeking high growth can now buy AI beneficiary companies with real revenues and real profits. Bitcoin doesn't generate cash flow and has no advantage in this race.

Gaining crypto exposure? Stablecoins and infrastructure win. Even investors who want crypto exposure don't necessarily have to buy Bitcoin. They can buy exchanges, stablecoin businesses, payment networks, tokenized finance companies—these assets are directly linked to the actual adoption rate of the crypto industry, have operating leverage, and their logic is clearer.

In one sentence: Bitcoin is neither the best safe-haven asset, nor the best growth asset, nor the only crypto asset anymore.

Inflation Has Arrived, but Bitcoin Hasn't Risen

A detail is quite telling.

Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack warned this week that inflation risks may be becoming "more persistent." A few years ago, such a statement would almost certainly have been interpreted by the market as bullish for Bitcoin—high inflation, fiat currency depreciation, buy Bitcoin as a hedge.

But this time, the market didn't react that way.

Investors' response to inflation has changed now—they are more inclined to buy assets with direct exposure to energy, commodities, and pricing power. Bitcoin's "digital gold" narrative is being eroded by real gold and energy stocks.

ETF Outflows and Strategy Selling

Back to the direct triggers of this recent decline.

ETF outflows, Strategy selling—these events themselves are real. But Bloomberg's analysis suggests that treating them as the "cause" is a misreading—they are more like "symptoms," reflecting the same underlying reality: capital has more options, and investors' demands on Bitcoin are also higher.

Investors are becoming more selective: they don't just want "crypto exposure," they want to know what return this exposure brings, why Bitcoin and not something else.

The logic of Bitcoin's bear market is no longer "it's a scam," "it's a bubble," or "it's a failed technology." The new bear market logic is—scarcity alone is no longer enough.

Related Questions

QAccording to the article, what are the three areas where Bitcoin is described as losing ground?

ABitcoin is described as losing ground in three areas: 1) Hedging against inflation (gold wins), 2) Pursuing growth (AI wins), and 3) Gaining crypto exposure (stablecoins and infrastructure win). It is caught in an 'awkward middle ground,' being neither the best safe-haven asset, the best growth asset, nor the only crypto asset.

QWhat key change in investor behavior does the article highlight in response to inflation fears, and what assets are now preferred?

AThe article highlights that investors are no longer automatically buying Bitcoin to hedge against inflation. Instead, they are now more inclined to purchase assets with direct exposure to energy, commodities, and pricing power, such as gold, energy stocks, and commodity producers, as these assets are seen as having more straightforward logic and tangible backing.

QWhat is the new bear market logic for Bitcoin, as presented in the article, compared to the old logic?

AThe new bear market logic for Bitcoin is that 'scarcity itself is no longer enough.' This contrasts with the old logic which focused on criticisms like Bitcoin being a 'scam,' a 'bubble,' or a 'failed technology.' The new argument is that investors now have better, more logical alternatives for different investment goals.

QHow does the article interpret the recent events of ETF outflows and Strategy (MicroStrategy) selling Bitcoin?

AThe article interprets the recent ETF outflows and Strategy's Bitcoin sales not as the root 'cause' of the price decline, but rather as 'symptoms.' These events reflect an underlying reality where capital has more places to go and investors are becoming more discerning, demanding clearer value propositions from their investments, including Bitcoin.

QAccording to the analyst's view in the article, what was Bitcoin's primary 'competitor' during the period of near-zero interest rates, and how has that changed?

ADuring the period of near-zero interest rates, Bitcoin's primary competitor was described as 'investor dissatisfaction'—the fear of inflation and discontent with existing investment options like cash and overvalued stocks. This has now changed, as investors have tangible alternatives: gold/commodities for hedging, AI stocks for growth, and other crypto infrastructure for crypto exposure.

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363 Total ViewsPublished 2025.05.13Updated 2025.05.13

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