Quick Comparison: Bitcoin vs Gold
| Feature | Bitcoin | Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Ticker | BTC | XAU |
| Age | 15 years | 5,000+ years |
| Supply Limit | 21 million | ~200,000 tons mined |
| Storage | Digital wallet | Physical/Vaults |
| Divisibility | 8 decimals | Limited |
| Portability | Instant transfer | Expensive to move |
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is being called "digital gold" for good reason. Like gold, it's scarce, durable, and nobody can print more of it. Unlike gold, you can send $1 billion across the world in 10 minutes for a few dollars. Try doing that with physical metal.
In just 15 years, BTC went from $0 to $100K+ per coin. It's the best-performing asset of the last decade, outpacing gold, stocks, and real estate by orders of magnitude. Critics say it's too volatile — believers say we're still early.
What is Gold?
Gold has been money for 5,000 years. Empires rise and fall, currencies come and go, but gold keeps its value. Central banks hold 35,000+ tons of it, and in times of crisis, people still reach for the shiny yellow metal.
The case for gold is stability. It doesn't 10x in a year, but it also doesn't crash 80%. For conservative investors who want wealth preservation without volatility, gold is the time-tested choice. Just don't expect moonshots.
Key Differences
- Age: Gold has 5,000 years of history, Bitcoin has 15
- Volatility: BTC can move 10% in a day, gold moves 1-2%
- Returns: Bitcoin up 10,000%+ since 2010, gold up ~100%
- Portability: BTC is digital, gold requires physical security
- Seizure Risk: BTC can be hidden with a seed phrase, gold can be confiscated
- Institutional Adoption: Gold is in every central bank, BTC is just starting
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Bitcoin if: You're younger, have higher risk tolerance, and believe in digital scarcity. BTC offers asymmetric upside — the risk of loss is 1x, but the potential gain is 10x+.
Choose Gold if: You want stability, you're near retirement, or you need an asset with thousands of years of proven value. Gold won't make you rich, but it probably won't make you poor either.
Track Both with Strykr
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