難道加密貨幣并非“老鼠藥”?
這句話曾經(jīng)是沃倫·巴菲特的名言,作為知名的投資者,巴菲特因其先于市場預(yù)知行情的能力而被譽(yù)為“奧馬哈圣賢”(sage of Omaha)。如今,他的資金動(dòng)向卻未能與其言行保持一致。
具體來說,他的公司伯克希爾-哈撒韋(Berkshire Hathaway)斥資10億美元,入股一家專注于加密貨幣的數(shù)字銀行。
上周,伯克希爾-哈撒韋在向美國證券交易委員會(huì)(SEC)提交的報(bào)備文件中公開了其在加密貨幣領(lǐng)域的投資。該文件顯示,巴菲特的公司已經(jīng)購買了Nubank 10億美元的股份。這是一家位于巴西的數(shù)字銀行,而且其規(guī)模在拉美業(yè)界位列第一。
Nubank是一家所謂的新型銀行,它的經(jīng)營并不受傳統(tǒng)銀行系統(tǒng)規(guī)定的約束。與大多數(shù)銀行不一樣的是,Nubank對加密貨幣持歡迎態(tài)度,甚至提供比特幣交易所交易基金(Bitcoin ETF)等產(chǎn)品。
過去,伯克希爾的這位董事長兼首席執(zhí)行官曾經(jīng)不客氣地將加密貨幣稱之為“老鼠藥”以及一種“完全沒有獨(dú)特價(jià)值”的低產(chǎn)出資產(chǎn)。
巴菲特的長期合作伙伴、伯克希爾-哈撒韋的副董事長查理·芒格也經(jīng)常毫不掩飾地發(fā)表其對加密貨幣的強(qiáng)烈看法。芒格最近稱,他希望加密貨幣“從未出現(xiàn)過”,而且他甚至還指出,他不希望任何加密貨幣交易員與其家族聯(lián)姻。
芒格尤為討厭比特幣這一交易最為頻繁的加密貨幣,并將其稱之為“惡心的東西,而且與文明利益相違背?!泵⒏裨?jīng)支持中國禁止交易比特幣的禁令,并呼吁美國采取類似的措施。
他曾經(jīng)表示:“中國人做出了正確的決定,也就是直接禁止加密貨幣交易?!?/p>
不過,即便伯克希爾-哈撒韋的所有者們對加密貨幣以及加密貨幣市場不屑一顧,但其最近對Nubank的投資并非是該公司第一次涉足這一市場。
2021年夏天,也就是Nubank在2021年12月上市前的數(shù)個(gè)月,伯克希爾已經(jīng)購買了其5億美元的股份。當(dāng)時(shí),Nubank宣布,這筆投資是這家金融科技銀行收到的最大一筆投資。
在2021年加大對加密貨幣領(lǐng)域投資的同時(shí),伯克希爾也放棄了其他一些更為傳統(tǒng)的金融資產(chǎn)。在公布了10億美元Nubank投資的同一份SEC報(bào)備文件中,伯克希爾稱其出售了自己持有的30億美元Visa和萬事達(dá)卡(Mastercard)股份。
盡管巴菲特和芒格個(gè)人并不喜歡加密貨幣,但這兩位投資界的超級明星可能在Nubank這類數(shù)字金融服務(wù)提供商那里看到了別樣的機(jī)遇。
即將涌現(xiàn)的拉美數(shù)字銀行將迎來激烈的競爭,該地區(qū)很大一部分人口未能獲得足夠的傳統(tǒng)銀行和金融系統(tǒng)服務(wù),因此對當(dāng)前金融系統(tǒng)基本上并不滿意,而這一大規(guī)模的潛在消費(fèi)市場正是Nubank這類公司的目標(biāo)。
Nubank的聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人克里斯蒂娜·瓊奎在2021年6月向《財(cái)富》雜志透露:“[拉美]地區(qū)存在著眾多的機(jī)會(huì)??紤]到龐大的人口、糟糕的客戶體驗(yàn)以及高居不下的費(fèi)用等綜合因素,這些機(jī)會(huì)可謂是無與倫比。從全世界來看,就金融公司所能獲得的絕佳機(jī)會(huì)而言,沒有哪個(gè)地方比拉美更好。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
難道加密貨幣并非“老鼠藥”?
這句話曾經(jīng)是沃倫·巴菲特的名言,作為知名的投資者,巴菲特因其先于市場預(yù)知行情的能力而被譽(yù)為“奧馬哈圣賢”(sage of Omaha)。如今,他的資金動(dòng)向卻未能與其言行保持一致。
具體來說,他的公司伯克希爾-哈撒韋(Berkshire Hathaway)斥資10億美元,入股一家專注于加密貨幣的數(shù)字銀行。
上周,伯克希爾-哈撒韋在向美國證券交易委員會(huì)(SEC)提交的報(bào)備文件中公開了其在加密貨幣領(lǐng)域的投資。該文件顯示,巴菲特的公司已經(jīng)購買了Nubank 10億美元的股份。這是一家位于巴西的數(shù)字銀行,而且其規(guī)模在拉美業(yè)界位列第一。
Nubank是一家所謂的新型銀行,它的經(jīng)營并不受傳統(tǒng)銀行系統(tǒng)規(guī)定的約束。與大多數(shù)銀行不一樣的是,Nubank對加密貨幣持歡迎態(tài)度,甚至提供比特幣交易所交易基金(Bitcoin ETF)等產(chǎn)品。
過去,伯克希爾的這位董事長兼首席執(zhí)行官曾經(jīng)不客氣地將加密貨幣稱之為“老鼠藥”以及一種“完全沒有獨(dú)特價(jià)值”的低產(chǎn)出資產(chǎn)。
巴菲特的長期合作伙伴、伯克希爾-哈撒韋的副董事長查理·芒格也經(jīng)常毫不掩飾地發(fā)表其對加密貨幣的強(qiáng)烈看法。芒格最近稱,他希望加密貨幣“從未出現(xiàn)過”,而且他甚至還指出,他不希望任何加密貨幣交易員與其家族聯(lián)姻。
芒格尤為討厭比特幣這一交易最為頻繁的加密貨幣,并將其稱之為“惡心的東西,而且與文明利益相違背?!泵⒏裨?jīng)支持中國禁止交易比特幣的禁令,并呼吁美國采取類似的措施。
他曾經(jīng)表示:“中國人做出了正確的決定,也就是直接禁止加密貨幣交易?!?/p>
不過,即便伯克希爾-哈撒韋的所有者們對加密貨幣以及加密貨幣市場不屑一顧,但其最近對Nubank的投資并非是該公司第一次涉足這一市場。
2021年夏天,也就是Nubank在2021年12月上市前的數(shù)個(gè)月,伯克希爾已經(jīng)購買了其5億美元的股份。當(dāng)時(shí),Nubank宣布,這筆投資是這家金融科技銀行收到的最大一筆投資。
在2021年加大對加密貨幣領(lǐng)域投資的同時(shí),伯克希爾也放棄了其他一些更為傳統(tǒng)的金融資產(chǎn)。在公布了10億美元Nubank投資的同一份SEC報(bào)備文件中,伯克希爾稱其出售了自己持有的30億美元Visa和萬事達(dá)卡(Mastercard)股份。
盡管巴菲特和芒格個(gè)人并不喜歡加密貨幣,但這兩位投資界的超級明星可能在Nubank這類數(shù)字金融服務(wù)提供商那里看到了別樣的機(jī)遇。
即將涌現(xiàn)的拉美數(shù)字銀行將迎來激烈的競爭,該地區(qū)很大一部分人口未能獲得足夠的傳統(tǒng)銀行和金融系統(tǒng)服務(wù),因此對當(dāng)前金融系統(tǒng)基本上并不滿意,而這一大規(guī)模的潛在消費(fèi)市場正是Nubank這類公司的目標(biāo)。
Nubank的聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人克里斯蒂娜·瓊奎在2021年6月向《財(cái)富》雜志透露:“[拉美]地區(qū)存在著眾多的機(jī)會(huì)。考慮到龐大的人口、糟糕的客戶體驗(yàn)以及高居不下的費(fèi)用等綜合因素,這些機(jī)會(huì)可謂是無與倫比。從全世界來看,就金融公司所能獲得的絕佳機(jī)會(huì)而言,沒有哪個(gè)地方比拉美更好?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
Maybe cryptocurrency isn’t “rat poison” after all?
Those were once the words of Warren Buffett, the famous investor called the “sage of Omaha” for knowing things before the rest of the market. Now his money is saying otherwise.
Specifically, his company Berkshire Hathaway has bought $1 billion worth of stock in a digital bank that focuses on crypto.
Berkshire Hathaway made its crypto investment public with a SEC filing earlier last week. It revealed that Buffett’s company had purchased $1 billion in shares of Nubank, a digital bank based in Brazil, and the largest of its kind in Latin America.
Nubank is a so-called neobank, a type of bank that operates outside of the rules of the traditional banking system. Unlike most banks, Nubank welcomes cryptocurrency and even offers products such as Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Berkshire’s chairman and CEO has not refrained in the past from calling cryptocurrency “rat poison” and an unproductive asset that “has no unique value at all.”
Charlie Munger, Buffett’s longtime partner and vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, has also hardly been one to shy away from voicing his strong opinions on cryptocurrency. Munger recently stated that he wished cryptocurrency had “never been invented,” and he has even indicated that he would not want any crypto trader marrying into his family.
Munger has a particular distaste for Bitcoin, the most popularly traded cryptocurrency, once calling it “disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization.” Munger has supported China’s decision to ban Bitcoin trading in the country and has called on the U.S. to take similar measures.
“The Chinese made the correct decision, which is just to simply ban them,” he once said.
But even though its owners have expressed their personal disdain for cryptocurrencies and the crypto market, Berkshire Hathaway’s latest investment in Nubank is not the first time the conglomerate has dabbled in this market.
Berkshire already bought a $500 million stake in Nubank last summer, months before the company went public in December 2021. At the time, Nubank announced that this had been the largest single investment the fintech bank had ever received.
As Berkshire was upping its investments into the crypto sphere last year, the company also dropped some of its other, more traditional financial assets. In the same SEC filing that showed the $1 billion investment in Nubank, Berkshire revealed that it had dropped over $3 billion in its shares of Visa and Mastercard.
While Buffett and Munger may have a personal distaste for cryptocurrency, the superstar investment pair may be seeing an entirely different kind of opportunity in digital financial service providers like Nubank.
There is huge competition among up-and-coming digital banks in Latin America, where a large portion of the population feels underserved by the traditional banking and financial system. Companies like Nubank are looking to tap into a massive potential consumer market of people largely dissatisfied with the existing system.
“There is so much opportunity in the [Latin America] region. The combination of a great population, horrible customer experiences, and very high fees, it is unmatched,” Nubank cofounder Cristina Junqueira told Fortune last June. “Worldwide there is no place that is better suited in terms of having a great opportunity for fintech companies to tackle.”