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Warren Buffett Calls Bitcoin ‘Rat Poison,’ Ignores Real-World Utility

Warren buffett calls bitcoin ‘rat poison,’ ignores real-world utility

Warren Buffett Calls Bitcoin ‘Rat Poison,’ Ignores Real-World Utility

Adam James · May 7, 2018 · 1:30 pm

Warren Buffett has once again delivered a bearish and quote-worthy statement in regards to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, calling bitcoin “rat poison squared” – but is he still missing the point?


In case you didn’t already know, investing legend Warren Buffett doesn’t like bitcoin.

According to CNBC‘s Becky Quick, The Oracle of Omaha once again expressed his negative views on the dominant cryptocurrency by market capitalization, stating that bitcoin is “probably rat poison squared” while presiding at the Berkshire Hathaway 2018 annual shareholder meeting.

Meanwhile, Charlie Munger, Berkshire’s vice chairman, made the claim that trading in cryptocurrencies is “just dementia.”

Of course, Buffett’s incredibly bearish sentiment is already well-documented. He previously stated in a much-quoted interview with CNBC:

In terms of cryptocurrencies, generally, I can say with almost certainty that they will come to a bad ending. If I could buy a five-year put on every one of the cryptocurrencies, I’d be glad to do it but I would never short a dime’s worth.

However, Buffett – who serves as the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway – hasn’t exactly outperformed with his predictions over the last ten years.

A Fundamental Lack of Understanding

Naturally, not everyone in the investment world shares Buffett’s opinion. eToro Senior Analyst Mati Greenspan, for example, has noted that bitcoin and many cryptocurrencies have real-world use cases – some of which fundamentally change the way finance is conducted. In a recent email, Greenspan noted:

In South Korea, they’ve now figured out how to deal with metal coins. It seems the metal used to make some of their currency was actually more valuable than the minted coin itself, leading to mass smelting. So now they’re looking to go crypto.

See, some people might see bitcoin as rat poison or a ‘purely speculative asset’ but some see it as the only alternative to what they currently have. A trustless line of defense for when trust erodes.

Of course, providing “a trustless line of defense for when trust erodes” is one of the very foundations upon which bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been built. Some, like Buffett, still don’t understand that.

Old man yelling at bitcoin

But then again, maybe they don’t want to.

Still, not everyone disagrees with Buffett’s comparison – though not for the same reasons:

What do you think of Warren Buffett calling bitcoin “rat poison squared?” Do you think he’s incapable of thinking outside of his own box? Let us know in the comments below.


Images courtesy of Twitter/@BeckyQuick, Twitter/@APompliano, Twitter/@badgerbitcoin, DepositPhoto

bitcoinbitcoin criticsCharlie MungerMati Greenspanwarren buffett Show comments

Published at Mon, 07 May 2018 17:30:37 +0000

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Ether Price Analysis: Double Bottom Fake-out Leaves Bulls Trapped

Ether Price Analysis

After what seemed like a reversal from the strong bear market for the entire crypto-market, many bullish investors found themselves initially taking profit from what appeared to be another Double Bottom Reversal. However, when it came time to re-test the neckline, the ETH-USD market decided to continue its move down. So why did the Double Bottom Reversal, outlined in a previous BTC-USD analysis, not yield the results during yesterday’s rally?

ETHUSD_Fake_DB_jpeg.jpgFigure 1:  ETH-USD, 1-hr Candles, GDAX, Fake Double Bottom

In the article referenced above, several criteria outline the price projections one can expect from a Double Bottom Reversal pattern. One of the most crucial aspect of a Double Bottom Reversal is the volume supported on the two lower peaks of the pattern. In the figure shown above, the left example of the Double Bottom pattern is support with obvious spikes in volume where the market attempted to make a new low. However, in our case, we see a pattern that looks like a Double Bottom, but lacks the required volume to really send the reversal pattern in a significant bullish rally.

So, now that we’ve failed to reverse this bear trend once again, where does this leave us in the grand scheme of things?  To put this market into perspective, it is often useful to zoom out and view it on a high timescale:

ETHUSD_macro_bear_jpeg.jpgFigure 2:  ETH-USD, 12-hr Candles, Gemini, Macro Bear Trend

One of the most notable things about this bear trend is the failure to make a new high, time and time again. Each failure to make a new high has been coupled with an increase in overall market volume, which acts an initial indicator that the market still has more bearish pressure on it. Next, if we move on to the MACD (an indicator of market momentum), we can see two things:

  1. The current bearish period is showing no sign of divergence — each relative low made in the market is coupled with a low on the MACD histogram.

  2. Most important, the macro bear trend shows maintained downward momentum by the way the signal line / moving average have made a new low (see the orange, dashed line).

At the time of this article, the market is finding major support and resistance levels along the Fibonacci Retracement values of the macro Bear trend (see pink notation in the image above). The fake Double Bottom Reversal propelled the market back up enough to test the 23 percent retracement value before ultimately pivoting with relative ease. On the macro scale, the next major line of support lies at our previous low: $175. It will be a hard-fought battle as this is a line of historic interest within the lifetime of the market.

As the market proceeds its march toward the bottom, the various lines of the Fibonacci Retracements will play a key role for entering and exiting positions. Most commonly, before progressing to the next Fibonacci Retracement line, the market will make a test of the resisting line above it before continuing the downward trend. The figure below outlines the recurring theme of this macro bear trend’s Fibonacci Retracement tests:

ETHUSD_ABCDE.jpgFigure 3:  ETH-USD, 6-hr Candles, Gemini, Fibonacci Retracement Trend

It’s entirely possible that the market won’t make it back down to to the 0 percent Fibonacci Retracement values, but, given the downward momentum outlined on several market indicators, it seems far more likely than not. With the massive Head and Shoulders (outlined earlier this week) on the BTC-USD markets looming in the background and testing key support levels, one can only speculate just how far the crypto-market will continue its downward move.

Summary:

  1. A fake Double Bottom Reversal formed on the smaller timescales, trapping many people in a bullish position.

  2. On a macro scale, the ETH-USD is maintaining its downward momentum and continues to test Fibonacci Retracement values.

Trading and investing in digital assets like bitcoin and ether is highly speculative and comes with many risks. This analysis is for informational purposes and should not be considered investment advice. Statements and financial information on bitcoin Magazine and BTCMedia related sites do not necessarily reflect the opinion of BTCMedia and should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation to buy, sell or hold. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

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