Cathie Wood: “Bitcoin is far superior to gold” … but gold leads year-to-date returns

Cathie Wood, founder of Ark Invest, has reaffirmed her long-term bullish view of bitcoin (BTC), calling it a structurally superior asset to gold.

According to cryptocurrency-focused outlet The Crypto Basic on the 24th, Wood said in a recent Bloomberg interview that bitcoin can serve as a hedge against both inflation and deflation, adding that it has a “structural advantage over gold.”

Wood explained that while demand for gold has already entered a mature phase, bitcoin adoption by institutions and individual investors is still in its early stages. She noted in particular that younger generations show a clear preference for digital assets over physical gold.

Even so, gold is ahead on returns so far this year. Bitcoin was trading around $63,269 as of the day, down 27.7% from the start of the year. By contrast, gold was at $5,180 per troy ounce, up 19% over the same period.

Despite the price pullback, Ark Invest is increasing its exposure to crypto-related assets. Disclosures show Ark bought 212,314 shares of Bitmine on the 12th for about $4.2 million. The same day, it also purchased 74,323 shares of Bullish (about $2.4 million) and 174,767 shares of Robinhood (about $12.4 million). Ark also holds ETFs tied to Block, Circle and Coinbase.

The outlet said the moves reflect a strategy focused on the long-term growth of the digital-asset ecosystem rather than short-term price fluctuations. While gold is outperforming in returns this year, analysts say Ark views bitcoin as a core asset in a broader shift in the financial paradigm.