Chart Of The Day: Could Google's Ad Ban Burst The Bitcoin Bubble?

 | Mar 14, 2018 10:02AM ET

Another major investment firm has predicted the demise of Bitcoin. Allianz Global, part of a German financial services company that manages half a trillion euro, said:

"In our view, its intrinsic value must be zero."

Blockchain technology is beside the point, according to Stefan Hofrichter, Head of Global Economics and Strategy. He wrote that “a Bitcoin is a claim on nobody—in contrast to, for instance, sovereign bonds, equities or paper money—and it does not generate any income stream.”

The classic counter argument is that the same could be said about gold. The difference however is that the yellow metal stood the test of time as a store of value since the beginning of recorded human history. Bitcoin, Hofrichter seems to claim, will never have that standing.

Additionally, he points out that the investor view on Bitcoin "ticks all of the boxes" for a bubble, such as thinking that a "new-era" is upon us, which leads to decision made on emotion rather than analysis. This typically leads to a bubble, and "one that is probably just about to burst."

We would point out that Hofrichter maintains the view that Bitcoin is in a bubble even after the cryptocurrency has more than halved its value since its December 17 all-time high, right under $20,000.

h3 Google Bans Crypto Ads/h3

Meanwhile, Google plans to ban all cryptocurrency related ads.

"We don't have a crystal ball to know where the future is going to go with cryptocurrencies, but we've seen enough consumer harm or potential for consumer harm that it's an area that we want to approach with extreme caution," Scott Spencer, Google's Director of Sustainable Ads told CNBC.

One thing is certain: this isn't good for crypto business or morale.