Gold-backed crypto is up this year investors seek alternatives to a volatile stock market (2024)

Cryptocurrencies backed by gold are an increasingly popular alternative for traders seeking to escape increasing market instability and the looming threat of stagflation.

The two top gold-backed cryptocurrencies, PAX Gold and Tether Gold, together surpassed $1 billion in market capitalization this week—a 60% increase from the same period last year, CoinDesk reported, citing a report from Arcane Research, which tracks cryptocurrencies. Both cryptocurrencies reached highs Tuesday before retreating after stocks rebounded.

On Tuesday, PAX Gold reached $2,071, its highest price in the last three months. Tether Gold jumped to $2,076, its highest point in a year.

On Wednesday stock indexes including the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq gained, as gold-backed crypto tokens fell in price. PAX tumbled 2% to $1,993 while Tether Gold fell about 3% to $1,992, both in line with the price of physical gold.

Since Jan. 1 both tokens are up more than 8%.

Gold-backed cryptocurrencies like PAX Gold and Tether Gold are digital tokens whose ownership is recorded on the blockchain, similar to popular crypto tokens like Ether and Bitcoin. Each PAX and Tether token represents one troy fine ounce of gold. Because the tokens are tied to a physical asset, they are supposedly less prone to large price fluctuations that can affect other cryptocurrencies.

Buying gold through gold-backed cryptocurrencies is publicized as a liquid way to invest in an asset that tracks gold prices without having to buy a physical gold bar from a dealer. It’s more like buying an exchange-traded fund, or ETF, that replicates the price of gold, except with gold-backed tokens, investors can redeem them for physical gold rather than just cash, as is the case with ETFs.

When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the price of both PAX and Tether jumped, according to CoinMarketCap. PAX increased 7% to $2,043 in the first 12 hours of the war while Tether jumped 3% to $1,978.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has destabilized markets, sending the prices of commodities like oil skyrocketing. As stock prices whipsaw, some traders have increased their holdings of alternative assets like gold to hedge their bets. Some have worried that the U.S. may once again be headed for stagflation, an economic phenomenon defined by increased inflation and stagnant economic growth.

The last time the U.S. experienced stagflation was in the 1970s.

Never miss a story: Follow your favorite topics and authors to get a personalized email with the journalism that matters most to you.

Gold-backed crypto is up this year investors seek alternatives to a volatile stock market (2024)

FAQs

What is a volatile market do you think stocks or cryptocurrency are more volatile? ›

Volatile: When you hold a broad basket of stocks through index funds, stocks are less volatile than cryptocurrencies. Individual stocks can be more volatile, but typically less so than cryptocurrencies.

Can cryptocurrencies be an extremely volatile investment? ›

Bitcoin's price fluctuates because it is influenced by supply and demand, investor and user sentiments, government regulations, and media hype. All of these factors work together to create price volatility.

Will there be a gold backed cryptocurrency? ›

Answer: Multiple cryptocurrencies are backed by gold, including Tether Gold, DigixGlobal, Paxos Gold, Goldcoin, Perth Mint Gold, and Meth Gold. We also have others backed by fiats like US Dollar including Tether, USD Coin, Dai, TrueUSD, Paxos Standard, Binance USD, Gemini Dollar, and Palladium Coin.

Is crypto more volatile than gold? ›

Bitcoin has historically been more volatile than gold

Like many assets, gold prices go up and down, but not as much as bitcoin. Since launching, bitcoin prices have been 4-5 times more volatile than gold's.

Is Bitcoin more volatile than the stock market? ›

Cryptocurrencies, known for their wild gyrations, are actually pretty stable these days, as Bitcoin hovers at its $20,000 resistance level, making it less volatile than stocks.

Is a volatile market good or bad? ›

Volatility is not always a bad thing, as it can sometimes provide entry points from which investors can take advantage. Downward market volatility offers investors who believe markets will perform well in the long run to buy additional stocks in companies that they like at lower prices.

What is the most volatile crypto to buy? ›

Dogecoin (DOGE) is one of the most volatile cryptocurrencies that presents traders with opportunities to capitalize on price fluctuations.

What is the most volatile crypto today? ›

Coin RankCoin NameVolatility(%)
1Tether (USDT)0.0677610558693
2Bitcoin (BTC)0.41875190924688
3Ethereum (ETH)0.41135926907462
4Bitcoin Cash / BCC (BCH)0.72444458847742
96 more rows

How do you beat crypto volatility? ›

Invest in stablecoins

Another option for avoiding crypto volatility and protecting yourself during a market dip is to convert some of your (potentially volatile) crypto holdings for stable-value assets. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency linked to a fiat (stable) currency, such as the US dollar - or even gold.

What is the best gold backed crypto coins? ›

In conclusion, gold-backed cryptocurrencies offer a stable investment option by combining gold's stability with digital asset benefits. Our top 3 recommendations - Pax Gold (PAXG), Tether Gold (XAUT), and Perth Mint Gold Token (PMGT) - provide transparency, security, and credibility.

Is dollar backed by gold what is Bitcoin backed by? ›

So, what is bitcoin backed by? Nothing. Sound money, like gold, isn't “backed.” Only money that lacks inherent monetary properties must be backed by another money that maintains those properties.

What currency is still backed by gold? ›

As of 2022, none of the world's countries use the gold standard. However, several countries used it in the past. The gold standard was a monetary system in which the value of a country's currency, such as the United States dollar or the British pound, was tied to the value of a specific amount of gold.

Which crypto is equivalent to gold? ›

PAXG offers investors a cost-effective way to own investment-grade physical gold with all the benefits of the blockchain. Each Pax Gold (PAXG) token is backed by one fine troy ounce of gold, stored in LBMA vaults in London.

Which is better invest in gold or crypto? ›

Is Bitcoin a Better Investment Than Gold? Which is better depends upon your risk tolerance, investing strategy, how much capital you have to use, and how much you can tolerate losing. Bitcoin is much more volatile than gold, making it a riskier investment than gold.

Is it better to buy gold or crypto? ›

Gold's proven longevity and appeal as an inflation hedge provides a safer investment choice than crypto. As a relatively new market, Bitcoin is still light on regulation and the future of the market is still unclear, unlike Gold.

Is the Dow Jones more volatile than crypto? ›

The Dow Jones stock index of United States' biggest companies has become more volatile than the most volatile asset so far, bitcoin. According to a chart from the Bespoke Investment Group, which provides bespoke research on investments, bitcoin is now less risky than the top stocks.

Is the Dow Jones now officially more volatile than Bitcoin? ›

In particular, as of October 7, the Dow Jones index that tracks the 30 largest industrial stocks was more volatile than Bitcoin, data shared ZeroHedge indicates. Bitcoin's latest achievement highlights the asset's maturing nature considering it has been classified among the most volatile investments.

Is the S&P 500 more volatile than Bitcoin? ›

We found that bitcoin has exhibited lower volatility than 112 stocks of the S&P 500 in a 90 day period and 145 stocks YTD.

Should I retire when the market is down? ›

A Vanguard study estimates that if you enter retirement during a bear market with a balanced portfolio (half stocks, half bonds) and rely on that portfolio for 100% of your income, making withdrawals when stocks are down could increase the chance you outlive your money by 31% and reduce your income stream by 11%.

What to buy when market is volatile? ›

Money that you'll need soon or that you can't afford to lose shouldn't be in the stock market—it's best invested in relatively stable assets, such as money market funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), or Treasury bills.

Should I take retirement out of stock market? ›

If you're retired, don't take withdrawals from your stock funds in a bear market unless you have no other choice. You won't have income to cover your losses. And if your stock fund is down 15 percent and you withdraw 4 percent, your account will be down 19 percent.

Which cryptocurrency has the greatest potential? ›

The 12 Cryptocurrencies With the Most Potential for 10x Growth
  • Love Hate Inu (LHINU) – Best Vote-to-Earn Meme Crypto With the Most Potential in 2023.
  • DeeLance (DLANCE) – High Potential Crypto Reshaping Web 3.0 Recruitment.
  • Ecoterra (ECOTERRA) – Eco-Friendly Crypto Project Likely to Blow up.
May 2, 2023

What is the best crypto that will explode? ›

The Most Likely Crypto to Explode Next
  • AiDoge (AI) – New project leveraging AI to create memes from text prompts. ...
  • Spongebob (SPONGE) – New meme cryptocurrency, which has exploded by over 600% in the last 24 hours. ...
  • Love Hate Inu (LHINU) – Vote-to-earn platform rewards users for voting 'love' or 'hate' on viral issues.

What hours is crypto most volatile? ›

The volatility of Bitcoin makes it possible to earn a large amount of money very quickly. According to experienced analysts, trading is best between midnight and 1 p.m. during the UTC zone. During this time, you are advised to open intraday transactions.

Which crypto has fallen the most? ›

Bitcoin lost over 60% of its value in 2022—here's how much 6 other popular cryptocurrencies lost
  • Terra: -100%
  • Solana: -93%
  • AMP: -93%
  • Cardano: -80%
  • Ether: -67%
  • Bitcoin: -63%
  • Dogecoin: -55%
Dec 23, 2022

Which crypto will explode in future? ›

Bitcoin (BTC) Although BTC has seen quite a downfall last year, being the largest crypto at present, experts are assuming BTC still holds the major potential to offer significant returns by the end of 2023.

What is the most risky cryptocurrency? ›

The top high-risk, high-reward cryptocurrency choices with low prices are Love Hate Inu, DeeLance, Ecoterra, Tamadoge, and Shiba Inu, with the first three being the cheapest, thanks to a fraction of a cent price.

How long should you hold crypto? ›

Cryptocurrency investing can be a wild ride. To give yourself the best chance of success, it's important to think not just about buying but also when to sell crypto. When investing in stocks, a good rule is to buy and hold for at least five years.

How do you make money on high volatility? ›

Derivative contracts can be used to build strategies to profit from volatility. Straddle and strangle options positions, volatility index options, and futures can be used to make a profit from volatility.

Will crypto become less volatile? ›

As more people start holding on to their Bitcoin for longer periods of time, the demand for Bitcoin will become more stable, resulting in less price volatility. In addition, the Bitcoin market is maturing. The world's first cryptocurrency is no longer just a niche investment alternative for a few tech-savvy investors.

What are the best crypto coins to hold forever? ›

5 Best Long-Term Cryptocurrencies
  • Bitcoin (BTC)
  • Ethereum (ETH)
  • Cardano (ADA)
  • Polkadot (DOT)
  • Chainlink (LINK)
Apr 3, 2023

Which gold coin is the purest? ›

24 karat gold coins contain 99.99% fine gold and are considered the purest form of gold. At the same time, 22k gold coins include 91.67% of gold, 5% silver, 2% copper, and 1.3% zinc.

Which gold coin is worth investing in? ›

Canadian Gold Maple Leaf

Struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is considered one of the purest gold bullion coins. Every coin has 0.9999 millesimal fine gold. In other words, the Gold Maple coins have next to zero impurities. These rare coins are also visually-rich.

Is the US dollar actually backed by gold? ›

Fiat standard

Today, like the currency of most nations, the dollar is fiat money, unbacked by any physical asset. A holder of a federal reserve note has no right to demand an asset such as gold or silver from the government in exchange for a note.

What is the US dollar backed by if it is not backed by gold? ›

In contrast to commodity-based money like gold coins or paper bills redeemable for precious metals, fiat money is backed entirely by the full faith and trust in the government that issued it.

How much of the US dollar is backed by gold? ›

The United States dollar is not backed by gold or any other precious metal. In the years that followed the establishment of the dollar as the United States official form of currency, the dollar experienced many evolutions.

What year did the US dollar stop being backed by gold? ›

In 1971, President Nixon stopped the convertibility of the U.S. dollar to gold.

When did the US drop gold backed currency? ›

Upon taking office in March 1933, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt departed from the gold standard. By the end of 1932, the gold standard had been abandoned as a global monetary system.

What states have gold backed currency? ›

As of right now, only three states have their own Goldbacks: Utah, Nevada, and New Hampshire with Wyoming being the next state to have their own Goldback series.

How to buy gold backed currency? ›

Check CoinMarketCap to see where you can buy Gold Secured Currency and with which currencies. For each cryptocurrency, CoinMarketCap provides a list of purchasing options (also known as market pairs). Go to CoinMarketCap and search for Gold Secured Currency. Tap on the button labeled “Market” near the price chart.

Can gold be replaced by Bitcoin? ›

Can Bitcoin Replace Gold? The simple answer to this is "not yet." Bitcoin is a faith-based currency that has not yet stood the test of time. It is used as currency only in some settings and by certain people, meaning that it is not widely accepted yet.

Why crypto is better than gold? ›

The potential for expansion is another benefit that makes cryptocurrencies a superior safe-haven asset than gold. The precious metal has been a safe-haven asset for many years, but it has limited growth potential.

What investment is better than gold? ›

The real estate can be an attractive long-term investment option where the property value increases over time. Real estate provides better returns than gold without much volatility. Additionally, when the market improves, so does the value of your property.

Why is gold not the best investment? ›

While gold can help add balance and security for some investors, there are also risks to watch out for. Potential performance lag over time: While gold might outpace other assets during specific periods, it might not hold up as well to long-term price appreciation.

Is gold a good investment when inflation is high? ›

Many investors consider gold to be the ultimate safe-haven hedge against inflation. It's been a store of value for thousands of years, and it has real-world uses in jewelry and electronics, which provides tangible value. And unlike fiat currencies, there is a relatively limited supply of gold.

Why is Bitcoin not acting like gold? ›

Bitcoin is neither an effective store hold of wealth or a medium of exchange so it is not an effective currency. It has a volatility to it that has no relation to practically anything [...] it's a very, very poor alternative to gold.”

Is it smart to invest in gold? ›

Gold is considered a hedge against inflation

Gold and other precious metals have long been considered a smart way to fight inflation. That's because it tends to hold its value and preserve your purchasing power over the long haul, despite fluctuations in the dollar.

Is stock market highly volatile? ›

Most of the time, the stock market is fairly calm, interspersed with briefer periods of above-average market volatility. Stock prices aren't generally bouncing around constantly—there are long periods of not much excitement, followed by short periods with big moves up or down.

Why is stock market more volatile? ›

With so much money essentially sitting on the sidelines, prices are more sensitive to what trading does happen. “As a result, shocks to flows and investor demand have an outsize effect on prices, leading to volatile markets.”

What is a very volatile market? ›

In statistical terms, volatility is the standard deviation of a market or security's annualised returns over a given period - essentially the rate at which its price increases or decreases. If the price fluctuates rapidly in a short period, hitting new highs and lows, it is said to have high volatility.

Which markets are more volatile? ›

Commodities are typically more volatile than currency and equity markets due to the lower levels of liquidity or trading volume than other asset classes, as well as the constant exposure to weather events and other production issues that might affect supply and demand.

What is the most volatile stock in the world? ›

Top Volatile Stocks 2022
  • Sun Pharma.
  • Suzlon Energy Ltd.
  • Garden Silk Mills.
  • Madhucon Projects Limited.
  • KM Sugar Mills.
  • 3i Infotech Ltd.
  • GVK Power & Infrastructures Ltd.
  • Jubilant Industries.
Apr 27, 2023

How volatile is the stock market right now? ›

The index's 250-day rolling standard deviation recently touched 1.5%, up from below 1% at the start of 2022, before markets began anticipating interest-rate increases by the Fed, according to DataTrek, a financial markets research shop. This level of volatility is fairly high in historical terms.

What is the most volatile market to trade? ›

The sector with the most volatility in the 2010s (the period between Dec. 31, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2019) was the energy sector, which was impacted by the wide fluctuations in oil prices.

Why is volatile stock market bad? ›

A highly volatile security hits new highs and lows quickly, moves erratically, and has rapid increases and dramatic falls. Because people tend to experience the pain of loss more acutely than the joy of gain, a volatile stock that moves up as often as it does down may still seem like an unnecessarily risky proposition.

Is Charles Schwab too big to fail? ›

Holding more than $7 trillion of client assets, Schwab is also certainly too big to fail. That said, having to replace lower-cost deposits with higher-cost funding is likely going to be painful for the company's earnings in the near term.

Is everyone losing money in the stock market right now? ›

Is Everyone Losing Money In The Stock Market Now? No, not everyone is losing money in the stock market. However, there are a lot of people who are making money in the stock market right now. The reason is that the stock market is still an excellent place to invest your money.

Which country has most volatile stock market? ›

Stock price volatility, percent, 2021 - Country rankings:
CountriesStock price volatility, 2021Global rank
Venezuela60.531
Argentina47.052
Bermuda34.863
Brazil33.794
83 more rows

What is the most volatile investment? ›

The highest risk investments are cryptocurrency, individual stocks, private companies, peer-to-peer lending, hedge funds and private equity funds. High-risk, volatile investments may bring high rewards, or they may bring high loss.

Which US stock is most volatile? ›

US stocks with the greatest volatility
SymbolVolatility 1DPrice
MMICS D116.00%1.49 USD
GDC D104.41%6.33 USD
KBNT D90.88%0.5100 USD
ELOX D72.47%8.32 USD
28 more rows

What time is the US market most volatile? ›

Trading When the Market Opens

Trading during the first one to two hours that the stock market is open on any day is all that many traders need. The first hour tends to be the most volatile, providing the most opportunity (and potentially the most risk).

What month is the market most volatile? ›

What is true is that October traditionally has been the most volatile month for stocks. According to research from LPL Financial, there are more 1% or larger swings in October in the S&P 500 than any other month in history dating back to 1950.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 5523

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.