Morning Minute: Bitcoin vs Gold and the Race to New ATHs

Group 1: Market Performance - Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $126,000 on October 6, while gold hit a new all-time high of $4,070 just two days later, with gold up 52% year-to-date compared to Bitcoin's 32% [2][3] - Gold's market cap stands at over $27 trillion, significantly larger than Bitcoin's $2.6 trillion market cap, indicating that gold is over 10 times the size of Bitcoin [3] Group 2: Drivers of Performance - Bitcoin's recent surge is attributed to $5.3 billion in ETF inflows, with IBIT becoming the top ETF [3] - Gold benefits from safe-haven demand, rate-cut expectations, and significant purchases by central banks, particularly from China and BRICS nations, which have been buying approximately 1,000 tonnes per year [8] Group 3: ETF Activity - Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows reached $1.2 billion on a recent Monday, marking the second-highest inflow day, indicating strong demand from rules-driven buyers [6] - The tightening float of Bitcoin, with exchange balances at multi-year lows, suggests that new ETF demand could have a pronounced impact on prices [6] Group 4: Macro Factors - Softer economic data and rising expectations for rate cuts are contributing to a bullish outlook for Bitcoin, alongside traditional seasonal trends in October [7] - Anticipated Federal Reserve cuts, a weaker dollar, and macro-political anxieties are driving flows into gold, reinforcing its demand [8]