Bitcoin Poised to Dethrone Gold as Reserve Asset

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao predicts that Bitcoin may surpass gold's market capitalization in the next bull market.

Zhao made this statement at the 'Bitcoin Asia 2026' conference, where he emphasized that the narrowing gap between Bitcoin and gold's market caps is not just about price increases. Instead, it reflects a fundamental shift in how investors perceive reserve assets.

The co-founder of Binance noted that the transition from gold to Bitcoin will be slow due to deeply ingrained systems centered around gold for valuation, reserves, and transactions. He also highlighted the need for continued improvements in price stability and security for Bitcoin to threaten gold's position.

Zhao pointed out that infrastructure development and regulatory clarity are essential for establishing Bitcoin as a national reserve asset. As Bitcoin grows in this capacity, there is interest in technologies enhancing its practicality, such as the Layer 2 network Bitcoin Hyper (HYPER), which combines Bitcoin's security with Solana's ultra-fast processing technology.