Outside Source
Vocal Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff has argued that embracing Bitcoin as a nation would weaken America’s economy.
Schiff’s comments, shared Monday on the social media platform X, were a pointed critique of Trump’s vision of making the U.S. a global leader in cryptocurrency.
Economic Risks
In the post, Schiff suggested that due to Trump’s support for crypto, Wall Street was significantly misallocating capital toward Bitcoin and associated ventures.
“Becoming a Bitcoin superpower makes America weaker,” the economist contended, in what appeared to be a jab at Trump’s iconic “Make America Great Again” slogan.
The President-elect has made no secret of his support for crypto, especially Bitcoin, and his election win has pushed the asset’s price to new all-time highs. Anticipation for clearer regulations and an end to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) punitive stance on crypto has also encouraged more institutional players to enter the sector.
MicroStrategy has been at the forefront of this Bitcoin acquisition spree, having amassed more than 386,000 coins valued at approximately $35 billion.
However, Schiff believes this redirecting of funds to Bitcoin is “value-destroying.” He recently predicted a “bloodbath” for MicroStrategy’s stock, calling it the most overvalued asset on the MSCI World Index.
Additionally, the Echelon Wealth co-founder suggested that Bitcoin was not a store of value as many of its proponents claim, but rather, holding it was a wager on its price rising as the fear of missing out (FOMO) pushed more people to buy it.
Community Blowback
Schiff’s remarks were met with backlash from the crypto community. One user questioned his understanding of the concept of monetary premium, while another derided him for having spent the last 15 years criticizing BTC and urged him to “move on.”
Elsewhere, digital asset influencer Neil Jacobs dismissed his opinion as one of the “dumbest posts ever.” Other users accused Schiff of trolling or seeking engagement, with some telling him to embrace Bitcoin’s growth instead of resisting it.
The 61-year-old’s latest remarks follow earlier warnings about the economic risks of the U.S. establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve. He has previously argued that an initial government purchase would likely drive the cryptocurrency’s prices to unprecedented levels, creating substantial wealth for early adopters.
According to him, this surge could prompt investors to sell off their holdings, leaving the government with devalued Bitcoin reserves.
Schiff warned that to counteract this effect, the government might print more money to sustain its crypto acquisitions. He believes that this could trigger hyperinflation and significantly weaken the dollar.
He also expressed doubt that a BTC reserve would ever materialize, citing the coin’s inconsistent performance compared to gold, whose market cap continues to grow steadily.
This article first appeared at CryptoPotato
