Bloomberg strategist mike mcglone warns bitcoin could lose 50% against gold due to a '5-year curse', with the xbt/xau ratio returning to its 2019 levels. this suggests a significant re-evaluation of bitcoin's 'digital gold' narrative.
Mike mcglone is a senior strategist at bloomberg, known for his macro analysis. his thesis is based on historical performance, liquidity-driven hype unwinding, and correlation with traditional assets like equities.
The analysis suggests a potential 50% crash for bitcoin vs. gold, with dollar targets of a $50,000 baseline retrace and a possible overshoot to $10,000 if risk assets deflate, especially if equity market volatility increases.
The '5-year curse' references a multi-year trend. predictions for bitcoin failing to break $100,000 in 2025 and a weak bounce into early 2026 indicate a long-term bearish outlook on this specific thesis.
Cover image via www.freepik.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available. Read U.TODAY on Google News According to Mike McGlone , Bloomberg's senior strategist, Bitcoin’s golden decade may be fading into metallic mediocrity. Represented by the XBT/XAU chart, the Bitcoin-to-gold ratio just dropped to 20.18 — almost exactly where it was five years ago. Advertisement After reaching 40 in late 2024, the benchmark has been cut in half, reviving fears of a complete return to the 10 zone, which was last seen during crypto’s darkest consolidation phase. McGlone has been sounding this alarm for months. His core thesis is that Bitcoin had massive overperformance after 2020 due to liquidity-driven hype, and that excess is now bleeding out. HOT Stories Cardano Founder Attacks Ripple CEO. Key Reason Why Bitcoin Price Dump Raises Eyebrows SHIB Price Teases 22% Breakout, Ripple Scores Major EU License Win, XRP Rockets 428% in Capital Allocation, Strategy Makes Biggest BTC Purchase in Months — Top Weekly Crypto News Brandt Issues Extremely Bearish Altcoin Warning Source: Mike McGlone In this case, the "5-Year Curse" is a warning to macro allocators who are still clinging to the digital gold narrative because the value has remained the same for five years. For McGlone, the next most likely thing to happen is a return to 10 — or another 50% crash for Bitcoin vs. gold. Advertisement You Might Also Like Mon, 01/19/2026 - 05:30 Bitcoin Price Dump Raises Eyebrows By Alex Dovbnya This is not an abstract theory in dollar terms either. He notes that Bitcoin's yearly chart shows a failure to break $100,000 in 2025, a rollover below the 200-day moving average, and a weak bounce into early 2026. These factors align with a potential breakdown. He views this as a setup for a full mean reversion, with $50,000 as the baseline retrace and $10,000 as a possible overshoot, particularly if risk assets deflate post-inflation. Advertisement Key trigger? Equities Over the past decade, Bitcoin’s alpha has correlated with a rising S&P 500 and suppressed volatility. However, the volatility index has remained low since late 2022, and McGlone warns that an increase in equity risk could cause a major decline in the beta of speculative cryptocurrencies. The real takeaway is that Bitcoin’s chart against gold is no longer bullish, but symmetrical. In this context, symmetry may mean another 50% drop before the bleeding stops. #Bitcoin #Bitcoin News #Bloomberg #Gold