Former PayPal president David Marcus argues that while Bitcoin is a great store of value, gold is more practical.
In a recent commentary, Marcus highlighted the “digital gold” thesis, suggesting that Bitcoin brings additional features compared to gold. His comparison has reignited debate among financial enthusiasts about which asset will ultimately prevail.
Important points
- Former PayPal president David Marcus said Bitcoin is better than gold as a store of value.
- The main benefits cited are Bitcoin’s 12-word seed phrase, which secures and provides access to vast wealth.
- Marcus predicts Bitcoin will reach gold’s market cap $BTC It could fetch between $1.1 million and $1.5 million.
- Critics disagree with bold price predictions.
Bitcoin maintains its dominance over gold
David Marcus argues that Bitcoin’s design gives it a distinct advantage over gold in today’s financial system. He points out that while gold remains a traditional store of value, its physical form limits its portability and efficiency. In contrast, Bitcoin enables fast and seamless transactions in the digital economy.
Additionally, he highlighted Bitcoin’s ability to secure and transfer vast wealth using a simple 12-word seed phrase, calling it a remarkable breakthrough. This structure allows users to store and move value without involving physical assets or intermediaries.
Bitcoin price potential
Based on this view, he outlines Bitcoin’s upside potential by mentioning gold’s market capitalization. He estimates that if Bitcoin reaches parity with gold, its price could range from $1.1 million to $1.5 million per coin. $BTC. He declined to give a timeline, but stressed that such an assessment is ultimately inevitable.
Meanwhile, Marcus’ bold predictions have sparked widespread debate, with market participants questioning whether Bitcoin can realistically reach the $1.5 million level in its lifetime. Proponents argue that the mathematics of long-term scarcity alone supports this assessment, citing Bitcoin’s fixed supply as a strong structural factor.
Additionally, some say Marcus’ background lends weight to the thesis, suggesting that when the architects of legacy payment systems speak with conviction, Bitcoin’s repricing moves beyond speculation.
But critics pushed back, citing a lack of detail behind the predictions. They argue that while it is easy to declare a price target, the real challenge lies in outlining a reliable introduction curve, supportive macro conditions, and clear deadlines. Without these factors, they warn, such forecasts risk sounding more like hallucinations than disciplined risk analysis.
Gold outperforms Bitcoin year-to-date
Meanwhile, gold continues its strong rally. This rally, which began last year, has seen gold prices repeat all-time highs in recent days. Gold is currently trading around $5,266, up 21.7% year-to-date and 92.18% over the past year.
Conversely, Bitcoin has recorded a modest increase of 1.73% since the beginning of the year. As a result, despite Marcus’ long-term optimism, some large crypto investors are taking advantage of gold’s momentum by buying tokenized gold on crypto platforms such as HyperLiquid.
As previously reported, one investor put about $1.5 million into USDC to acquire tokenized gold (XAUT).
