Kevin O'Leary: Bitcoin has "graduated" to a permanent asset in institutional portfolios

Source: Yellow Original Title: Exclusive: Kevin O’Leary Says Bitcoin Has “Graduated” to a Permanent Portfolio Asset Despite Always-Critics Like Peter Schiff

Original Link: Canadian entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary states that the debate over whether Bitcoin has intrinsic value has already been settled for institutional investors.

In an interview, he argued that 16-17 years of non-zero performance and the ability to generate returns have placed BTC in the same category as other long-term portfolio components, regardless of what skeptics like Peter Schiff continue to claim.

Bitcoin critics “are just noise,” says O’Leary

O’Leary dismissed the idea that opponents like Schiff still define the asset’s long-term trajectory.

“There are people who will never own it,” he said, pointing out that some investors still believe quantum computing could break the chain. “But that, for me, is not the signal, it’s just noise.”

He emphasized that portfolio construction, not ideology, determines how institutions will treat digital assets.

If critics insist that Bitcoin will go to zero, O’Leary says the solution is simple diversification.

“Even if it goes to zero, it doesn’t eliminate you.”

His own position in BTC is below 5%, similar to the long-standing allocations he uses for gold.

Why institutions will continue buying BTC despite skeptics

O’Leary argues that 17 years of data matter much more than personal beliefs. “It was never zero,” he said.

Instead, Bitcoin now resembles an early-stage commodity with a sufficiently long track record for institutional analysis.

He expects that once regulation is finalized, allocators will treat BTC and ETH like any other portfolio component, evaluated by liquidity, volatility bands, and growth potential.

O’Leary added that wrapped BTC and ETH already offer modest returns, which in some cases make them more attractive than gold.

He also mentioned that his broader crypto infrastructure portfolio, including exchanges and electric companies, is currently outperforming Bitcoin itself due to growth linked to AI in data center demand.

Diversification, not maximalism

O’Leary rejected both the “zero value” stance and the idea that investors should bet everything. His main point: institutions only care about diversification that complies with regulations.

“Your mantra is capital preservation with returns,” he said. “There are only a few things you can do without taking excessive risk.”

When asked if he would debate Schiff directly, O’Leary didn’t rule it out but said the conversation would ultimately be about portfolio theory, not ideology. “People should listen to him,” he said about Schiff. “But so far, he’s been wrong.”

He added that listening to critics is part of the process; that’s why he limits BTC and ETH to single-digit weights.

But he emphasized that, for institutions, the question is no longer whether Bitcoin is real, but where it fits.