The financial world is watching to see if Greg Abel, who will take over from Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway next year, will signal a greater acceptance of Bitcoin.
Given Buffett’s long-standing belief that Bitcoin lacks intrinsic value and his overall negative stance on crypto, some are optimistic that Greg Abel, despite his silence on the matter so far, might hold a different perspective as he takes over.
A Change in Leadership
Shortly after announcing his retirement, Warren Buffett designated Greg Abel, the current Vice Chairman of Non-Insurance Operations, as the future CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
This news quickly sparked questions about whether the multinational conglomerate holding company might change its view of Bitcoin as an investment.
Some speculate that Abel might adopt a different perspective with the upcoming leadership transition at Berkshire Hathaway in 2026. However, this remains purely speculative, given that no concrete information about his stance on Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies is available.
Should Abel maintain a similar perspective to his predecessor, a favorable stance on Bitcoin from Berkshire Hathaway remains highly unlikely.
Buffett’s Historical Stance on Bitcoin
Buffett, the 94-year-old multi-billion-dollar investor who has spearheaded Berkshire Hathaway for over half a century, has maintained a consistently skeptical stance on cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin.
In a May 2018 interview with CNBC, Buffett explicitly stated that he does not like investing in Bitcoin. During the occasion, he referred to the asset as “probably rat poison squared.”
“In terms of cryptocurrencies, generally, I can say with almost certainty that they will come to a bad ending,” Buffett told CNBC in 2018. “We don’t own any, we’re not short any, we’ll never have a position in them.”
If Abel holds a similar perspective on cryptocurrencies as Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway’s official stance toward Bitcoin may remain negative.
“While Buffett was famously negative about the crypto markets, Greg Abel has shown no strong opinion on the asset class. Nonetheless, it is likely that he will continue Buffett’s legacy, focusing on tangible, cash-generating businesses. A pivot would require a clear signal from the new CEO, which we have yet to see,” Juan Pellicer, Head of Research at Sentora, told BeInCrypto.
Despite this, other investment managers at the company have shown a greater openness to cryptocurrencies.
Berkshire Hathaway’s Previous Dabble in Crypto
Last year, news broke that Berkshire Hathaway had invested in Nu Holdings. This Brazilian digital banking firm operates its own cryptocurrency platform and is active in the crypto market.
According to Nu, Buffett’s company first invested $500 million in a Series G funding round in 2021, followed by an additional $250 million.
The US SEC later revealed that Berkshire Hathaway significantly increased its ownership in Nu, rising from 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 0.4% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024.
If Abel oversees an increase in similar investments, the future CEO of Berkshire Hathaway might start to see some value in cryptocurrencies, and more specifically in Bitcoin.
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Camila Grigera Naón