BlackRock's head of digital assets criticizes claims that Bitcoin is a risky asset

during an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box," Robert Mitchnick, head of digital assets at BlackRock, pointed out that the cryptocurrency industry has always promoted Bitcoin as a risky asset, but in reality, Bitcoin is a token that is "global, scarce, non-sovereign, and decentralized." Mitchnick said, "The recent market conditions seem to be a self-fulfilling phenomenon, actually caused by some research and comments within the industry that tend to portray Bitcoin as a risky asset." He believes that the claim that a severe economic recession in the United States could affect the price of Bitcoin is "baseless." Mitchnick said, "Tariffs may not necessarily be bad news for Bitcoin. As for economic concerns, I am not sure if we will fall into a recession, but a recession could actually become an important catalyst for Bitcoin." Mitchnick also mentioned that despite concerns that macroeconomic uncertainty could affect cryptocurrencies, the price of Bitcoin has risen by about 15% since early November last year. "Clearly, 2024 is a rather extraordinary and historically significant year," he said, "Fundamentally, we believe this is the long-term trend. That's why people see Bitcoin as digital gold."