In a recent appearance on the podcast The Journeyman, Barry Silbert didn’t hold back when sharing his views on the crypto landscape.
For someone who’s been involved since Bitcoin was barely $7, his message was clear: nearly all of what the market celebrates today, he sees as noise.
Silbert, the founder of Digital Currency Group, made it clear that his enthusiasm for blockchain projects has waned over the years. While he continues to monitor new developments, he said that nearly all tokens floating around today are, in his view, fundamentally worthless. Not a mild take—he estimated 99.99% of them don’t need to exist. His interest, he added, isn’t easily piqued anymore.
Still, there’s one area where Silbert remains intrigued: financial privacy. Even as privacy coins like Zcash have seen their popularity fade, he thinks the narrative is far from over. Sooner or later, he believes, people will begin to care again about keeping their financial lives discreet. “Privacy in money isn’t dead,” he implied—it’s just undervalued for now.
Silbert’s relationship with Bitcoin is long and layered. He got in early—back in 2011—and initially thought he’d made a genius move. That changed quickly when the price tanked, briefly making him question the whole bet. Instead of selling, he shifted focus, opting to invest in companies building infrastructure around the crypto space. Ripple was among those early picks.
Looking back, Silbert admitted that simply sitting on his original Bitcoin would’ve delivered better returns than his portfolio of early crypto startups. But the influence those investments had on the wider ecosystem, he seemed to suggest, was worth it in other ways.
While he’s skeptical of the current altcoin mania, Silbert’s conviction in Bitcoin—and in the broader need for financial autonomy—hasn’t wavered. He may not be buying into every token trend, but he’s still betting on the core ideas that brought crypto to life in the first place.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at Coindoo
Alex is an experienced finance journalist and a cryptocurrency and blockchain enthusiast. With over 8 years of experience covering the crypto, blockchain and fintech industries, he deeply understands the complex and constantly evolving world of digital assets. His insightful and thought-provoking articles provide readers with a clear picture of the latest developments and trends in the market. His passionate approach allows him to break down complex ideas into accessible and insightful content. Follow up on his content to be up to date with the most important trends and topics.
