Bank of England governor says investors should only buy crypto if 'prepared to lose all your money'

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has a blunt message for those investing in crypto: "Buy them only if you're prepared to lose all your money."

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Bailey said he sees no intrinsic value in crypto. "I'm afraid they have no intrinsic value," he said. "And it doesn't mean to say that people don't put a value on them because they can have extrinsic value. But they have no intrinsic value."

THE SCOOP

Keep up with the latest news, trends, charts and views on crypto and DeFi with a new biweekly newsletter from The Block's Frank Chaparro

By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Bailey also doesn't like the words crypto and currency together. He said he wants to use a "more neutral" phrase, "crypto assets."

Bailey has since long been a crypto critic. Last year, he made similar remarks: "If you want to buy bitcoin, be prepared to lose all your money… [bitcoin] has no intrinsic value." Earlier this year, he said crypto isn't suitable for payments.

Meanwhile, The Bank of England is exploring its own digital currency. Last month, the central bank, together with HM Treasury, created a joint task force to assess the possibility of launching a digital pound. If approved and issued, the U.K.'s digital currency would exist alongside cash and bank deposits rather than replacing them.

About Author

Yogita Khatri is a senior reporter at The Block, covering all things crypto. As one of the earliest team members, Yogita has played a pivotal role in breaking numerous stories, exclusives and scoops. With nearly 3,000 articles under her belt, Yogita holds the records as The Block's most-published and most-read author of all time. Prior to joining The Block, Yogita worked at crypto publication CoinDesk and The Economic Times, where she wrote on personal finance. To contact her, email: [email protected]. For her latest work, follow her on X @Yogita_Khatri5.