Bitcoin Is the Only Asset That Matters… Everything Else Is Garbage? w/ Charles Menke
Summary
- Charles Menke sold his Ethereum for Bitcoin, citing fundamental flaws in Ethereum's code and its reliance on Layer 2 databases that defeat the purpose of being on-chain.
- Bitcoin is viewed as a 10 to 20-year hold and a superior hedge against inflation and hostile political regimes compared to gold, due to its transportability and lower inflation rate post-halving.
- Bitcoin miners with secured land and power infrastructure (like IREN and CLSK) are positioned to capitalize heavily on the AI and AGI data center boom.
- MicroStrategy (MSTR) offers unique advantages over spot Bitcoin, including traditional financial options, international tax benefits, and occasional discounts to its Net Asset Value (NAV).
- A key long-term risk to Bitcoin is quantum computing potentially breaking the Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) used in early wallets, such as Satoshi Nakamoto's original wallet.
Trade Ideas
I am hyper bearish on ETH. It has pivoted a thousand times. If you look at the code base, it's a labyrinth of code. Ethereum's reliance on Layer 2 and Layer 3 solutions effectively reverts transactions to centralized databases, stripping away the core benefits of being on-chain. While it currently retains developer liquidity, its technical foundation is flawed compared to purpose-built chains. AVOID. The technical debt and high gas fees make it a fundamentally weak long-term hold despite its current first-mover advantage in liquidity. Developers and liquidity may never migrate away from Ethereum, cementing its status as the default financial rail regardless of its clunky code.
Whether Bitcoin goes to 25 or 55, the reason that I think it's fundamentally worth it is because I understand what the tech gives capacity and ability to do. Bitcoin provides a trustless, permissionless financial escape hatch for individuals facing high inflation or hostile regimes. As global monetary systems show weakness, this utility creates a hard floor and long-term appreciation for the asset, independent of short-term price action. LONG. It is a 10 to 20-year generational wealth preservation asset that bypasses traditional financial controls. Quantum computing advancements could theoretically break the Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) used in Bitcoin wallets, exposing early wallets to theft.
I don't hold any gold candidly... Gold is hard to travel with and I've got like 5% of a doomer in me. In a true crisis scenario, physical gold is susceptible to confiscation and is difficult to transport across borders. Furthermore, gold has an expanding supply inflation rate (1.25% to 1.35%) compared to Bitcoin's decreasing inflation rate (0.4% post-halving), making Bitcoin the superior store of value. AVOID. Capital allocated to gold for hedging purposes is better deployed into Bitcoin for enhanced security, transportability, and scarcity. A catastrophic global grid failure or internet outage would render Bitcoin inaccessible, whereas physical gold would retain its barter value.
The data centers for inference have to be really, really close to the place that you're actually going to do the inference... they're land focused and have been land focused for 15 to 20 years. Bitcoin miners that have already secured physical land and massive power contracts are perfectly positioned to pivot into AI data centers. The infrastructure required for the upcoming AGI tech boom is highly constrained by power availability, making these legacy mining assets incredibly valuable. LONG. These companies are transitioning from volatile crypto mining plays into highly lucrative, infrastructure-backed AI data center plays. The AI infrastructure build-out could face regulatory hurdles regarding power consumption, or the companies may fail to secure the necessary AI inference contracts.
Anytime you dip below into the 0.8s or 0.7s, meaning that the market cap is 30% cheaper than the holdings of Bitcoin that are actually inside the company, you're buying your Bitcoin at 70% of the value. MicroStrategy acts as a leveraged Bitcoin proxy that offers traditional finance tools (like options) and international tax advantages that spot Bitcoin does not. When the stock trades at a discount to its Net Asset Value (NAV), investors can acquire Bitcoin exposure at a significant markdown while benefiting from the company's accretive share issuance strategy. LONG. It provides superior financial tooling and occasional arbitrage opportunities compared to holding spot Bitcoin directly. You are trusting a centralized actor to custody the Bitcoin, exposing you to corporate governance and counterparty risks.
Up Next
This Milk Road Daily video, published March 16, 2026, features Charles Menke discussing ETH, BTC, GLD, IREN, CLSK, MSTR. 5 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers: Charles Menke · Tickers: ETH, BTC, GLD, IREN, CLSK, MSTR