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Bitcoin Is Bitting Away At Gold’s Safe-haven Appeal – Mohamed El-Erian

“Cryptocurrencies are not going away anytime soon and are part of gold’s problems,” said Mohamed El-Erian, former PIMCO head and chief economic advisor for Allianz, during CME Group’s annual precious metals dinner in New York Thursday.

“If you’re in gold, you’ve had a good year up about 15%, but not really as good as you should have had given the geopolitics,” he added.

The rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has recently held back gold’s gains as investors flocked to the new asset class during times of heightened tensions.

“It’s not a substitute for gold but doesn’t underestimate when a small loyal customer base falls in love with another asset class.”

“When there is something that is new, pay attention to it to understand it. Pay attention to what cryptocurrencies are doing to your ecosystem.”

However, the longtime investor is not bullish on bitcoin, recently speaking out on the virtual currency’s price.

“I would say at least half of what it is, a third of what it is,” he told CNBC on Monday when asked what it should be valued.

Bitcoin prices dropped almost 8% on Thursday, last trading at $3,374.90. Gold prices have seen some pressure, last trading around $1,329.40 an ounce.

El-Erian’s main message at the CME event was simple: once Bitcoin cools off, gold prices should benefit.

“When cryptocurrencies hit a pothole part of the reaction will be to go back to gold,” he said. “But until that happens, gold will be affected.”

By Sarah Benali