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Bitcoin: competitor or complement to gold?

Author

Listed:
  • Jamal Bouoiyour

    (IRMAPE-ESC Pau Business School; CATT University of Pau, France)

  • Refk Selmi

    (IRMAPE-ESC Pau Business School; CATT University of Pau, France)

  • Mark E. Wohar

    (University of Nebraska, USA; Loughborough University, UK.)

Abstract

This study seeks to address whether Bitcoin ever match or even replace gold as a safe haven. To this end, we use a dynamic Markov-switching copula model to test the complementarity and substitutability among Bitcoin and gold within two risk scenarios (i.e., low- and high-risk regimes). Our results reveal a positive and strong correlation between gold and Bitcoin returns coinciding with specific economic and political events. Gold and Bitcoin benefit from the same economic conditions. This suggests that gold and Bitcoin are likely to be complementary, rather than in competition with each other. Gold could act as a diversifier for investors in digital assets. But the Bitcoin have a lot to teach gold in terms of the efficient transfer of value.

Suggested Citation

  • Jamal Bouoiyour & Refk Selmi & Mark E. Wohar, 2019. "Bitcoin: competitor or complement to gold?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(1), pages 186-191.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-18-00781
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Selmi, Refk & Mensi, Walid & Hammoudeh, Shawkat & Bouoiyour, Jamal, 2018. "Is Bitcoin a hedge, a safe haven or a diversifier for oil price movements? A comparison with gold," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 787-801.
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    4. Bouoiyour, Jamal & Selmi, Refk & Wohar, Mark E., 2018. "Measuring the response of gold prices to uncertainty: An analysis beyond the mean," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 105-116.
    5. Marie Briere & Kim Oosterlinck & Ariane Szafarz, 2015. "Virtual Currency, Tangible Return: Portfolio Diversification with Bitcoins," Post-Print CEB, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, vol. 16(6), pages 365-373.
    6. Luther, William J. & Salter, Alexander W., 2017. "Bitcoin and the bailout," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 50-56.
    7. Bouri, Elie & Gupta, Rangan & Tiwari, Aviral Kumar & Roubaud, David, 2017. "Does Bitcoin hedge global uncertainty? Evidence from wavelet-based quantile-in-quantile regressions," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 87-95.
    8. Dyhrberg, Anne Haubo, 2016. "Hedging capabilities of bitcoin. Is it the virtual gold?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 139-144.
    9. Andrew J. Patton, 2006. "Modelling Asymmetric Exchange Rate Dependence," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 47(2), pages 527-556, May.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Helmut Stix, 2021. "Ownership and purchase intention of crypto-assets: survey results," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 48(1), pages 65-99, February.
    2. Jamal Bouoiyour & Refk Selmi, 2019. "Beyond the Big Challenges facing Facebook's Libra," Working Papers hal-02309316, HAL.
    3. Jamal Bouoiyour & Refk Selmi, 2019. "How do futures contracts affect Bitcoin prices?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(2), pages 1127-1134.
    4. Zhang, Shuai & Hou, Xinyu & Ba, Shusong, 2021. "What determines interest rates for bitcoin lending?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    5. Aysu Ahmadova & Taghi Guliyev & Khatai Aliyev, 2024. "The Relationship between Bitcoin and Nasdaq, U.S. Dollar Index and Commodities," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(1), pages 281-289, January.
    6. Jamal Bouoiyour & Refk Selmi, 2019. "Should Bitcoin be used to help devastated economies? Evidence from Greece," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(1), pages 513-520.
    7. Prateek Goorha, 2020. "Bitcoinomics 101: principles of the Bitcoin market," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 40(1), pages 163-176.
    8. Selmi, Refk & Bouoiyour, Jamal & Wohar, Mark E., 2022. "“Digital Gold” and geopolitics," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    9. R. K. Jana & Indranil Ghosh & Debojyoti Das, 2021. "A differential evolution-based regression framework for forecasting Bitcoin price," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 306(1), pages 295-320, November.
    10. Aiman Hairudin & Imtiaz Mohammad Sifat & Azhar Mohamad & Yusniliyana Yusof, 2022. "Cryptocurrencies: A survey on acceptance, governance and market dynamics," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(4), pages 4633-4659, October.
    11. Serda Selin Ozturk, 2020. "Dynamic Connectedness between Bitcoin, Gold, and Crude Oil Volatilities and Returns," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-14, November.
    12. Nurkhodzha Akbulaev & Tural Abdulhasanov, 2023. "Analyzing the Connection between Energy Prices and Cryptocurrency throughout the Pandemic Period," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(1), pages 227-234, January.
    13. Jalan, Akanksha & Matkovskyy, Roman & Urquhart, Andrew & Yarovaya, Larisa, 2023. "The role of interpersonal trust in cryptocurrency adoption," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    14. Svetoslav Borisov, 2024. "Bitcoin – Hedge or Speculative Asset: Analysis of Its Role and Nature," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 5, pages 148-170.
    15. Lin, Mei-Yin & An, Che-Lun, 2021. "The relationship between Bitcoin and resource commodity futures: Evidence from NARDL approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    16. Umar, Muhammad & Su, Chi-Wei & Rizvi, Syed Kumail Abbas & Shao, Xue-Feng, 2021. "Bitcoin: A safe haven asset and a winner amid political and economic uncertainties in the US?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    17. Nikolaos A. Kyriazis, 2020. "Is Bitcoin Similar to Gold? An Integrated Overview of Empirical Findings," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, May.
    18. Khaled L. AL-Naif, 2020. "Coronavirus Pandemic Impact on the Nexus Between Gold and Bitcoin Prices," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 11(5), pages 442-449, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bitcoin; gold; testing for complementarity and substitution; Markov-switching copula model.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F3 - International Economics - - International Finance
    • G1 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets

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