Bitwise Invest CIO Matt Hougan Defends Bitcoin with a Comparison to Gold

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-02-23Last updated on 2026-02-23

Abstract

Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise, has defended Bitcoin against criticism that labels it a purely speculative asset. He argues that Bitcoin is an emerging store of value, comparing its current developmental stage to a "teenage" phase, which is a necessary part of its maturation process. Hougan emphasizes that all assets, including gold, undergo a transition from high speculation to established value. His comments were in response to assertions by Tom Essaye, shared by Nate Geraci, that Bitcoin lacks the utility of gold and is not a reliable inflation hedge. Hougan previously drew parallels between Bitcoin and gold, noting that new stores of value typically experience high initial volatility and rapid appreciation before stabilizing. This defense comes amid significant price volatility and declining value in Bitcoin.

Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise, has come out in defense of Bitcoin. His defense comes as a response to ETF Institute Co-Founder Nate Geraci sharing a post by Tom Essaye wherein BTC has been tagged as a speculative asset. Matt earlier drew a parallel between Gold and Bitcoin based on Gold’s history.

Matt Hougan on Bitcoin

Bitwise CIO has published a post on X, calling Bitcoin an emerging store of value. Matt Hougan has defended BTC’s position by saying that one cannot ask bitcoins to mature without emerging from something. Matt has said that every gradient has to be ticked to travel from 100% speculation to 0% speculation.

There is an acknowledgment in his post, underlined by mentioning that it does not fit any box at the moment. But, he has explained that it’s only because the crypto is in the middle, which seems to be uncomfortable and a necessary part of the journey.

In fact, Hougan has termed the current situation as a teenage stage as the other choice to believe that it is impossible to create a digital store of value.

Why Defend BTC?

Matt Hougan came out in defense of BTC after Nate Geraci shared a post by Tom Essaye. Tom urged the community to realize Bitcoin for what it has always been, a speculative asset. The Founder of Sevens Report, in the post, asserted that Bitcoin was neither replacing Gold nor was it digital Gold. Tom based this statement on the belief that BTC does not offer the same utility as Gold.

He added that BTC also does not come as an inflation hedge.

Nate Geraci previously shared that Bloomberg has been asking questions about bitcoin. One major question that he pointed out was related to its utility. Bloomberg asked if BTC is not the best hedge, then what exactly is it for?

Hougan on Bitcoin and Gold

Matt Hougan, back in 2018, published an article emphasizing what the history of Gold teaches about Bitcoin as a store of value. He referred to a scenario from the 1970s when the US Dollar was backed by Gold and the metal’s value was vouchsafed by the faith and credit of the government.

He, in the same post, pointed out that a new store of value paints two features – a rapidly appreciating price initially before slowing down; and, volatility that’s high but declining with time.

Simply put, this is not the first time that BTC has come under the scanner, and it has been defended by someone from the community. Except, this time it has come at a time when the flagship cryptocurrency has lost a lot of value, with a very high volatility of over 10%.

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Related Questions

QWhat is the main argument Matt Hougan uses to defend Bitcoin?

AMatt Hougan defends Bitcoin by comparing it to gold, stating it is an emerging store of value and that it is currently in a necessary 'teenage stage' of development, similar to gold's historical path.

QWho prompted Matt Hougan to come out in defense of Bitcoin, and what was their criticism?

ANate Geraci, co-founder of the ETF Institute, shared a post by Tom Essaye, who criticized Bitcoin by calling it a purely speculative asset that is not replacing gold, not digital gold, and not an inflation hedge.

QAccording to Hougan's 2018 article, what two features does a new store of value typically exhibit?

AAccording to Matt Hougan, a new store of value typically exhibits two features: a rapidly appreciating price initially that later slows down, and high volatility that declines over time.

QHow does Matt Hougan describe Bitcoin's current state in its development as a store of value?

AMatt Hougan describes Bitcoin's current state as an 'emerging store of value' and likens it to a 'teenage stage,' which is an uncomfortable but necessary part of its journey from being purely speculative to a mature asset.

QWhat was one of the questions Bloomberg raised about Bitcoin, as mentioned in the article?

ABloomberg raised the question: if Bitcoin is not the best hedge, then what exactly is it for? This questions its fundamental utility and purpose as an asset.

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