NYU Finance Professor Describes Bitcoin’s Successes and Remaining Obstacles

Professor Damodaran points out that

“The success part of a cryptocurrency is what they’ve done in the market…Bitcoin has soared and markets have treated it very well.”

Today the market capitalization of Bitcoin is around $53 billion. While that is relatively small in comparison to the market capitalization of companies like Amazon or Apple, Professor Damodaran says that this is a respectable number considering Bitcoin's humble origins.

The professor cites characteristics of Bitcoin:

Decentralized verification

Complete and open records

Almost incorruptible

Professor Damodaran makes important conclusions as to why cryptocurrency is not being widely accepted for transactions:

Inertia: Cryptocurrencies are still new and it takes time for people to change their financial habits. It took almost twenty years for debit and credit cards to become widely accepted.

Volatility: Attractive for traders, not so attractive for a medium of exchange.

Competition: With hundreds of cryptocurrencies available, there is competition and confusion.