Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, has made an attempt to distance himself from the crypto boom and Bitcoin adoption in particular. While speaking to CNBC’s Squawk Box, Gates pointed out that he has not invested in Bitcoin (BTC) and does not want to make any forecast on price trend.
Gates said “I don’t own Bitcoin, I’m not short Bitcoin, so I’ve taken a neutral view. Bitcoin can go up and down just based on the mania or whatever the views are. I don’t have a way of predicting how that will progress.”
Nevertheless, Gates seems to highlight his point of view that digital currency is being used outside developing countries “tax avoidance or illegal activity.” He also revealed that his philanthropy work via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation transfers “money into a more digital form,” with “total visibility of who’s doing what.”
"I don't own #Bitcoin. I'm not short Bitcoin," says @BillGates. "I do think moving money into a more digital form and getting transaction costs down, that's something the Gates Foundation does in developing countries." pic.twitter.com/DDe5X196ax
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) February 18, 2021
The statement made by Gates reflects his earlier opinion issued three years back in Reddit AMA. At that time, Gates was cynical about the anonymity offered by cryptos and linked them with drug dealers. The former CEO of Microsoft even came to the extent of blaming the technology for “deaths in a fairly direct way.”
Even though Gates no longer serves the board of Microsoft, his opinion on cryptos and Bitcoin in particular mirrors that of tech industry. Notably, Microsoft president Brad Smith has stated that the firm has no intention to invest in Bitcoin.
