Why Bitcoin Could Hit $150,000 Soon. Plus ‘Code Is Law’ Film - Ep. 931
Why Bitcoin Could Hit $150,000 Soon. Plus ‘Code Is Law’ Film - Ep. 931
197 days agoUnchainedLaura Shin
Podcast1 hr 15 min
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

The highest conviction investment is Bitcoin (BTC), which is viewed as the "future of money" and is expected to reach $150,000 within approximately six months. For precious metals, Silver (XAG) is positioned as the potential second-best performer with a price target of $100 to $150. The primary strategy for most investors is to simply buy and hold these sound money assets to protect against currency devaluation. Conversely, the general stock market is considered extremely overvalued, and investors are advised to be cautious with equities like the "MAG 7". Bonds are seen as a guaranteed way to lose purchasing power in the current high-inflation environment and should be avoided.

Detailed Analysis

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • The speaker, Lawrence Lippard, is extremely bullish on Bitcoin, calling it the "fastest horse in a currency crisis" and the "future of money."
  • He believes Bitcoin is a "sounder form of money than gold" due to its mathematically fixed and unchangeable supply of 21 million coins. He states, "that's why it's going up forever, Laura."
  • The current price is described as "incredibly cheap versus gold," and he believes Bitcoin is on the verge of a major price increase, stating it's "about to launch."
  • He sees Bitcoin's adoption curve as a key driver of its value. As more people and institutions adopt it, its price will rise against a fixed supply.
  • Price Prediction: Lippard expects Bitcoin to reach $150,000 within approximately six months and potentially $200,000 to $400,000 within the next 18 months.

Takeaways

  • Lippard's core thesis is that as fiat currencies like the US dollar are devalued through money printing, investors will flock to "sound money" assets. He believes Bitcoin is the best of these assets.
  • He suggests that Bitcoin often lags gold's initial move when monetary debasement becomes apparent, but then "comes racing by it" with much greater performance. He believes we are in that lag period now.
  • For new investors, he would "strongly encourage them to put it into Bitcoin" over other assets.
  • He cautions against being overly greedy by using leverage. For most investors ("nine out of 10"), he believes the best strategy is to simply buy and hold ("hodl") Bitcoin, as its natural growth rate is already enormous.

Gold (XAU)

  • Lippard is a long-time gold investor and still considers it a valid form of sound money, but he believes it is "inferior by comparison to Bitcoin."
  • He notes that gold is a good option for investors who want protection from currency debasement but cannot tolerate the high volatility of Bitcoin.
  • Historically, he has observed that gold tends to "smell out the monetary debasement before Bitcoin does," meaning its price often rises first in response to money printing fears.
  • He has not sold any of his personal gold holdings, but his portfolio is now weighted approximately 70% Bitcoin and 30% gold due to Bitcoin's superior performance.

Takeaways

  • Gold is a reliable store of value and a good hedge against inflation and a falling dollar.
  • While he believes Bitcoin will ultimately "demonetize" gold over decades and offers much higher potential returns ("more alpha"), gold remains a solid, less volatile choice for wealth preservation.

Silver (XAG)

  • Silver is listed as one of Lippard's "three favorite buckets" for savings, alongside gold and Bitcoin.
  • He believes silver is poised to be the second-best performer in the current environment, just behind Bitcoin.
  • This is because he feels its price has been held down for a long time and is now coming out of a "long suppression period."
  • Price Prediction: He stated he could see silver going to $100 or $150 "really easily."

Takeaways

  • Lippard is very bullish on silver, suggesting it may have significant catch-up potential compared to other assets. For investors looking for exposure to precious metals, he sees a particularly strong opportunity in silver right now.

MicroStrategy (MSTR) & Bitcoin Treasury Companies

  • Lippard is an investor in MicroStrategy (MSTR), viewing it and similar companies as a "levered form of bitcoin" or "Bitcoin on steroids."
  • These companies use debt or issue stock to acquire more Bitcoin than they could with their own cash, which can amplify returns for shareholders if Bitcoin's price rises.
  • He believes Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, is running the company well and "doing the right thing."
  • Risk Warning: He cautions that these are higher-risk investments. He warns investors not to get "too levered" and to be wary of companies trading at extremely high premiums to the value of the Bitcoin they hold (he specifically mentioned MetaPlanet trading at a 7x multiple as an example of being too greedy).

Takeaways

  • Investing in companies like MicroStrategy can be a way to get leveraged exposure to Bitcoin within a traditional stock portfolio.
  • However, this leverage also increases risk. If Bitcoin's price falls, these companies could underperform significantly.
  • Lippard advises that for most people, directly owning Bitcoin is a simpler and safer strategy. If you do invest in these companies, be aware of the risks and the premium you are paying over the underlying asset value.

Stocks (General Market)

  • Lippard is bearish on the general stock market, believing we are in an "everything bubble" and that stocks are "extremely overvalued" by historical standards.
  • He specifically points to the "MAG 7" stocks trading at an average price-to-earnings multiple in the 40s, which he calls "nuts."
  • Despite this, he acknowledges that persistent money printing has made the market an "energizer bunny," and he has lost money trying to bet against it.
  • He currently has no exposure to general stocks in his portfolio, preferring to own commodity-related stocks (like gold and silver miners) instead.

Takeaways

  • The speaker sees high risk and low value in the general stock market at current prices.
  • While stocks can offer some protection against inflation (as their nominal prices may rise), he believes they are unlikely to perform well in real, inflation-adjusted terms.
  • He suggests investors should be cautious, as he sees "cracks in the system" that remind him of the period before the 2008 financial crisis.

Bonds

  • Lippard's view on bonds is extremely negative in the current economic environment.
  • He calls them "absolute death in high inflation environments."
  • The reasoning is that when an investor gets their principal back after 10, 20, or 30 years, that money will buy significantly less due to inflation, making it a guaranteed way to lose purchasing power.

Takeaways

  • Bonds are considered a very poor investment for anyone concerned about inflation and the long-term value of the US dollar. The fixed payments and principal return are vulnerable to being eroded by currency debasement.
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Episode Description
This special two-part episode brings together two very different conversations. In part one, investment manager Lawrence Lepard lays out why he believes the fiat monetary system is structurally unsustainable, what role inflation plays in that system, and how Bitcoin could be the exit ramp, not just from fiat, but from war, debt, and economic manipulation. He discusses gold, stocks, silver, the real estate market, and why he’s betting heavily on Bitcoin. In part two, I speak with filmmaker James Craig, director of the new documentary Code Is Law, which traces the evolution of the phrase from a meme into a legal defense for some of the most infamous smart contract exploits in crypto. From the DAO to Indexed Finance, Mango Markets and KyberSwap, the film explores whether exploiting code is legitimate — or just theft with better PR. Thank you to our sponsor, ⁠Binance⁠! Guests: Lawrence Lepard, Investment Manager at Equity Management Associates, LLC James Craig, Founder, Director and Producer at Encrypted Films Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About Unchained
Unchained

Unchained

By Laura Shin

Crypto assets and blockchain technology are about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity to the Internet of Things. In this podcast, host Laura Shin, an independent journalist covering all things crypto, talks with industry pioneers about how crypto assets and blockchains will change the way we earn, spend and invest our money. Tune in to find out how Web 3.0, the decentralized web, will revolutionize our world. Disclosure: I'm a nocoiner.