10 takeaways from Bitcoin Investor Week

Author: Anthony Pompliano, Founder and CEO of Professional Capital Management; Translated by: Shaw Jinse Finance

Last week, I hosted Bitcoin Investor Week in New York City. Thousands of investors attended, listened to presentations from over 45 speakers, and made new friends through various side events and fun hours. Discussions covered a wide range of topics, from exploring the reasons for the recent decline in Bitcoin prices to assessing the possibility of deflation and interpreting the integration of artificial intelligence and Bitcoin.

Here are my main takeaways from this event: This isn't the first time Bitcoin investors have experienced this – many have held Bitcoin before and have weathered multiple drops of 50% or more, so the market didn't show significant panic throughout. Several media figures also pointed this out to me. This lack of panic makes me think that the current bear market is likely to be shallower and shorter than historical bear markets. Institutional investors have arrived – previous Bitcoin conferences have been filled with predictions of institutional investors joining the fray. This year's discussion focused on the progress made by institutional investors in the Bitcoin space, including the successful launch of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the inclusion of Bitcoin on the balance sheets of numerous listed companies, the accelerated adoption of digital lending, the rapid growth of stablecoins, current tokenization initiatives, and the requirement for all traditional financial institutions to develop Bitcoin or cryptocurrency strategies. Bitcoin and Artificial Intelligence are Colliding—It's almost impossible to talk to a professional investor or entrepreneur without mentioning these two technologies. Clearly, Bitcoin and artificial intelligence represent the future of finance. There has been much speculation about how AI agents will conduct transactions or store value, and Bitcoin and stablecoins have naturally become popular answers. Deflation is a Major Risk—I personally believe that deflationary pressures from tariffs, deportations, artificial intelligence, and robotics are eroding the US economy. I asked many speakers and attendees if they agreed with my view, and the majority responded in the same way. Despite some lingering concerns about economic data and continued government money printing, there seems to be a general consensus that high inflation is not a problem in the short term. Financial advisors are holding or increasing their Bitcoin holdings—Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan explains that a recent survey showed 99% of financial advisors holding clients' Bitcoin assets are "holding" or "increasing" their Bitcoin holdings based on the recent price decline. This data indicates that the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) channel is confident in Bitcoin's long-term return potential, thus strengthening client fund stickiness. Institutions holding Bitcoin ETFs haven't sold—BlackRock's Robert Mitchnick explains that most institutions holding Bitcoin ETFs have maintained their positions during the Bitcoin price decline. He believes BlackRock's client demand remains strong and that there is still significant room for growth in ETF allocations. Stablecoins Won't Disappear—Several speakers pointed out that the growth of stablecoins is remarkable, but more importantly, stablecoins are increasingly being integrated into the strategies of traditional institutions. Stablecoins appear to be the third crypto product, after Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchanges, to truly find a product-market fit. No one dares to assert that Bitcoin has bottomed out—Although the price of Bitcoin may have fallen by 50%, few people agree when I ask them if they think the market has bottomed out. People remain cautious, seemingly because the painful lessons of past bear markets have forced them to prepare for even larger price drops. All eyes are on the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR)—The general consensus on the SBR is that while its establishment is welcome, the relatively small amount of Bitcoin purchased by governments is disappointing. If the market needs a new catalyst to drive an upward trend, then buying more Bitcoin for SBR might be a simple way to end the bear market. This momentum is unstoppable—not a single person I met at the conference believed the US government could balance its budget, stop printing money, or reduce the national debt. The prevailing view is that assets that benefit from currency devaluation (Bitcoin/gold/real estate, etc.) will perform exceptionally well over the next decade, especially given the current government's efforts to keep the economy hot and stimulate growth.