Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates said he had a “neutral view” on bitcoin, but did support the digitization of money as a way to reduce transaction costs.
Gates said in an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box that he has a neutral view on bitcoin. He revealed that he does not own any bitcoin and does not short the crypto asset.
Gates, who recently published a book on preventing global climate change, has been leading the Gates Foundation with his wife Melinda since leaving Microsoft. He explained that the Foundation is working to create greater transparency with money and curb costs, rather than to protect anonymity.
Gates noted that the price volatility of bitcoin is driven by ‘mania’ in the markets and that it would be difficult to predict the rate of the crypto-asset.
The tech billionaire’s recent comments represent an evolution of bitcoin. In May 2018, Gates famously said he would shorten bitcoin if there was an easy way to do so, saying he quickly sold the BTC he received for a birthday present.
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