March 18, 2026

Capitalizations Index – B ∞/21M

Warren Buffett: Bitcoin is Gambling, a Game, Not an Investment

bitcoin News
Warren Buffett: bitcoin is Gambling, a Game, Not an Investment
Warren buffett: bitcoin is gambling, a game, not an investment

The Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, world renowned investor and head of Berkshire Hathaway, was asked about his views on cryptocurrency, especially that of bitcoin. While not as dour and hateful as his Vice Chairman of just two months ago, Mr. Buffett is not convinced bitcoin is anything more than gambling, a game.

Also read: Bitcoin Markets Steady for Another Gox Dump, 16,000 Coins Moved by Trustee

Oracle of Omaha Doesn’t Believe bitcoin is an Investment

Ahead of the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting, a near religious experience for legacy, mainstream investors, Warren Buffett was once again asked about his views on cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin.

Warren buffett: bitcoin is gambling, a game, not an investmentMr. Munger (L) and Mr. Buffett

“You aren’t investing when you do that,” Mr. Buffett, 87, told Yahoo! Finance recently, referencing the world’s most popular decentralized currency. “You’re speculating. There’s nothing wrong with it. If you wanna gamble somebody else will come along and pay more money tomorrow, that’s one kind of game. That is not investing.”

Mr. Buffett is actually quite reasonable compared with his longtime partner, Charlie Munger. Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice Chairman told an assembled Los Angeles audience in mid-February, “I never considered for one second having anything to do with [bitcoin], I detested it the minute it had been raised. The more popular it got, the more I hated it. It’s just disgusting that people have been taken in by this.” He’d go on to compare bitcoin to a “noxious poison.”

Don’t Really Have Anything that has Produced Anything

Traditional finance’s most famous investor is a tad more muted about crypto, but no less skeptical. “There’s two kinds of items that people buy and think they’re investing,” Mr. Buffett continued. “One really is investing and the other isn’t.”

Warren buffett: bitcoin is gambling, a game, not an investment

With revenues at nearly a quarter trillion (yes, trillion) USD, Berkshire Hathaway has a lot of influence, especially in popular retail investing. As of this writing a single share of its Class A stock runs a cool $295,995 per, a price more the glassy-eyed of the bitcoin ecosystem say it too will reach one day. Mr. Buffett’s personal fortune hovers around $80 billion (yes, billion). He famously does not invest in what he doesn’t understand. Crypto would seem to fall into that category.

“If you buy something like a farm, an apartment house, or an interest in a business,” he insisted, “You can do that on a private basis. And it’s a perfectly satisfactory investment. You look at the investment itself to deliver the return to you. Now, if you buy something like bitcoin or some cryptocurrency, you don’t really have anything that has produced anything. You’re just hoping the next guy pays more.”

What do you think about Mr. Buffett’s comments? Let us know in the comments below.

Images via Pixabay, Berkshire Hathaway. 

Looking for a bitcoin Cash Block Explorer? Check out bitcoin.com’s BCH Block Explorer today to find transactions, blocks, and other important blockchain data. 

The post Warren Buffett: Bitcoin is Gambling, a Game, Not an Investment appeared first on Bitcoin News.

Previous Article

Outraged Pro-BTC Community Alleges Bitcoin.com Is Misleading Buyers Into Buying BCH

Next Article

FlipNpick Cryptocurrency ICO Review & Basic Project Info

You might be interested in …

“Crypto-Shekel” May Be in the Cards for Israeli Lawmakers

Three government officials in Israel’s Ministry of Finance have confirmed they are considering issuing a state-sponsored cryptocurrency, the Shekel, to reduce the number of cash transactions within the middle eastern country.


The Push for a Regulated Digital Currency

The Bank of Israel is looking into the possibility of a state-sponsored digital currency, according to a few government officials that agreed to comment with the requirement of anonymity. The aim with this initiative is to reduce the country’s cash transactions, which are often viewed as being used for increased tax evasion and money laundering.

The Ministry of Finance is looking to include a clause in a piece of legislation due for approval in January that would help create the legal framework for a Israeli cryptocurrency. The clause will detail the proposal and give the Ministry the ability to start testing how this new currency would work and be distributed.

State-Sponsored Crypto Is All the Rage

Israel joins the growing list of countries that are adopting crypto and other blockchain technologies. Earlier this year, Bitcoin was declared legal tender in Japan, allowing businesses to accept the controversial currency just as it would accept fiat currencies. Japanese and South Korean banks are also testing how cryptocurrencies can be implemented to streamline cross-border payments between the two countries.

Japan is also set to launch their own currency in the coming year. With the support of many financial and regulatory bodies, they plan to launch their currency with the proposed name “J-coin” before the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo. Sweden is also following the crypto-path, looking to launch an e-kronor in the future. They cite the fact that there is decreased cash usage in the Norwegian nation and that the country’s banks and businesses prefer non-cash payments. In fact, 900 of Sweden’s 1,600 banks no longer hold cash reserves or accept cash deposits.

Japanese Retail Investors Dominate Bitcoin Trading

Blockchain technology, which is essentially a public account that anyone can access to verify transactions, has huge implications for anyone trying stop financial fraud. It makes sense for governments to embrace the new technology, but we’ll have to wait and see how it will work at that level.

What do you think about state-sponsored cryptocurrencies? Do you think they’ll have a place in the market? Let us know in the comments below!


Images courtesy of Pixabay.

The post “Crypto-Shekel” May Be in the Cards for Israeli Lawmakers appeared first on Bitcoinist.com.