UPDATED 00:21 EDT / MAY 08 2018

EMERGING TECH

As Bill Gates and Warren Buffett trash it, bitcoin teases $10,000

The price of bitcoin teased $10,000 in trading Monday in what might be the start of a new bull run following a spate of both good and bad news surrounding the cryptocurrency.

At the top of the list, Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates told CNBC that bitcoin was a crazy investment and that he’d short it if he could. “As an asset class, you’re not producing anything and so you shouldn’t expect it to go up. It’s kind of a pure ‘greater fool theory’ type of investment,” Gates noted.

Famed fund manager Warren Buffett added his two bitcoins’ worth as well, also telling CNBC in a separate interview that bitcoin is “probably rat poison squared.”

“In terms of cryptocurrencies, generally, I can say with almost certainty that they will come to a bad ending,” he added. “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.”

But the news wasn’t all bad for bitcoin. Following the news May 2 that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was launching a bitcoin desk, the New York Times reported Monday that the Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, is working on an online trading platform that would allow large investors to buy and hold bitcoin.

The news wasn’t officially confirmed by the company, but the Times referenced emails and documents, as well as “four people briefed on the effort who asked to remain anonymous because the plans were still confidential.”

The report added that the plan has “not been finalized and the project could still fall apart,” but the mere fact that it is even being considered adds to growing mainstream acceptance of bitcoin as an asset class that has a legitimate purpose for investment.

Bitcoin peaked at a $9,900 late Sunday before the price settled back to $9,409.67 as of 12:15 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

Photo: fortunelivemedia/Flickr

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