Davos 2025: How Cryptocurrency Divides Investors at Elite Summit

Despite the remarkable surge of Bitcoin surpassing the $100,000 mark and the advent of Donald Trump, who has vowed to champion cryptocurrency policies in the U.S., major global investors have expressed this week that they will remain on the sidelines.

“I am neither a supporter nor a detractor… it has not fulfilled its initial promise of being an alternative to traditional banking,” stated Anne Walsh, the chief investment officer at Guggenheim Partners, a firm based in New York and Chicago.

Walsh revealed that her company, which oversees more than $335 billion in assets, has not yet ventured into the cryptocurrency market.

On the other hand, Nicolai Tangen, the CEO of Norway’s $1.8 trillion sovereign wealth fund—the largest in the world—mentioned that he does not foresee cryptocurrencies becoming part of the investment strategy at Norges Bank Investment Management.

Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $109,071 on the day Trump was inaugurated as president.

The leading cryptocurrency saw its value more than double last year following the U.S. market regulator’s green light for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to its spot price and the anticipated regulatory relaxations with Trump’s return to office.

“The challenging part for investors is determining the true fundamental value of cryptocurrencies,” remarked Saira Malik, CIO and head of equities and fixed income at Nuveen, a Chicago-based asset management firm.

Malik noted that Nuveen, managing assets worth $1.3 trillion, does not hold any direct investments in cryptocurrencies. However, it does invest in companies that might be involved with this digital asset class.

“To thrive in the crypto space, a lot of technological expertise, intellectual capability, and talent are essential for any organization,” commented Melissa Stolfi, the chief operating officer at Los Angeles-based TCW Group.

Stolfi explained that her firm, which manages nearly $200 billion in assets, continues to prioritize strengthening and sustaining its core operations instead of branching out into crypto.