Bitcoin’s liquidity profile may become more visible as larger institutions move into the market, according to SALT Lending CEO and co-founder Shawn Owen.
In an article published by Bitcoin Magazine, Owen said on BMTV that Bitcoin showed resilience while gold and other long-duration assets sold off. He tied that to what he described as some of Bitcoin’s most basic strengths.
“It is easier to buy Bitcoin than gold,” Owen said. He added that the gap becomes clearer when mobility matters. “It’s easier to move Bitcoin out of, say, somewhere where you need to leave quickly because there’s unrest in the area than gold,” he said. “It’s far more portable and divisible and easy to use than real estate.”
How the article framed Bitcoin’s liquidity advantage
The piece said gold, real estate and Bitcoin can all function as long-term stores of value, but the way people access and move that value differs sharply across the three assets.
Physical gold requires storage and transportation. Real estate is tied to a specific place and usually takes time to buy or sell. Bitcoin, by contrast, can be transferred globally and split into smaller units without those physical limits.
Those characteristics can also give holders more room when they need liquidity. Rather than selling Bitcoin to obtain dollars, they may be able to use it as collateral and borrow against it while keeping exposure to the asset itself.
The article said that model becomes more relevant if Owen’s longer-term view on Bitcoin adoption proves correct.
Owen says institutional FOMO is starting to show up
Owen argued that the experience familiar to many retail Bitcoin holders — learning about Bitcoin and wishing they had entered earlier — may eventually be repeated by much larger entities.
“Every human goes through this experience where you learn about Bitcoin and wish you’d been earlier,” Owen said. “I think that will be true of sovereigns and banks and institutions of all sizes.”
He said banks have taken much longer to enter the market, but he believes that is changing as more of the hurdles around Bitcoin have been addressed. “Banks have been slow, but are now getting in after all the boxes have been checked,” he said. “FOMO is real.”
The article also said Owen does not expect adoption or price appreciation to unfold in a straight line. As Bitcoin matures and more capital enters the market, he expects some reduction in the volatility seen in earlier years. Even so, he said that does not alter his longer-term view.
“Adoption depends on the time horizon we’re talking about,” Owen said. “Dampening of volatility, and we will continue to see that, but that doesn’t mean over the next decade we won’t see serious adoption and increase in price.”
“Never sell your bitcoin” and the case for borrowing against BTC
Owen used that long-term view to explain how he thinks holders should approach their Bitcoin. “I have always said never sell your bitcoin,” he said. “Long term we will continue to see prices increasing significantly in comparison to fiat currencies.”
Under that approach, selling Bitcoin to cover a major purchase, a business expense or another liquidity need means giving up future exposure to the portion that is sold.
Bitcoin-backed lending offers another route, the article said. SALT allows eligible borrowers to post Bitcoin as collateral and access cash without selling the underlying BTC. Once the loan is repaid, the collateral is returned to the borrower.
The article said that structure fits Owen’s broader thesis. If Bitcoin keeps getting easier to access and sees wider adoption by banks, institutions and potentially sovereigns, long-term holders may become less willing to sell simply because they need liquidity. They may instead keep their Bitcoin position while drawing on the value stored in it.
It added that, as adoption expands, the discussion may shift from how to acquire Bitcoin to how holders can use accumulated wealth without necessarily selling the asset.
Sponsorship disclosure and disclaimer
The article disclosed that SALT Lending is the Official Liquidity Sponsor of BMTV and included a link to SALT’s borrowing offer page tied to BMTV.
Its disclaimer said SALT Lending is a paid sponsor of BMTV and serves as BMTV’s Official Liquidity Sponsor. It also said the article is sponsored content and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Bitcoin Magazine. The information was described as promotional material rather than financial advice, and readers were encouraged to do their own research before making investment decisions related to Bitcoin or other financial products mentioned in the piece.
The article first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and was written by Josh Plischke.