Banks are likely âafraidâ of bitcoin and blockchain, a wealth advisor said today.
Speaking with CNBC, Rainer Michael Preiss, executive director for Singapore-based Taurus Wealth Advisors, made his argument in the wake of comments from JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon, who declared bitcoin âa fraudâ earlier this month and predicted that it would âblow upâ.
Preiss, according to the publication, said:
âOf course, if you run a very large U.S. bank, most probably you are afraid of blockchain and bitcoin.â
As for why investors are interested in the cryptocurrency, Preiss suggested that it had to do with fears around the US Federal Reserve and concerns about the integrity of its balance sheet after years of supporting global markets.
âThe concerns are about the fractional reserve banking system, and the balance sheet of the Federal Reserve at $4.5 trillion, where the Fed officially refuses an audit,â he told CNBC. âOn the other hand, on the bitcoin blockchain, you have an audit everyday because itâs open-sourced.â
Pressâ supportive comments stand in sharp contrast with Dimonâs, who predicted in 2015 that bitcoin would fail. Others, in recent days, have cast a critical eye on the overall cryptocurrency market, with Ray Dalio, founder of the worldâs largest hedge fund, remarking earlier this week that âbitcoin is a bubble.â
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