Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood weighed in on Bitcoin's (CRYPTO: BTC) recent weakness, arguing that the decline reflects algorithmic selling rather than deteriorating fundamentals.

Bitcoin vs. Gold: A “Risk-Off” Disconnect

In a recent interview, Wood pointed to Bitcoin's underperformance relative to gold, describing it as a byproduct of systematic, algorithm-driven trading models that classify crypto as a high-beta risk asset instead of a store of value.

She compared the current macro backdrop to 1996, just before the internet economy entered a parabolic expansion phase.

Wood also suggested that gold appears "over its skis" relative to global M2 money supply, implying it may be stretched compared to historical valuation norms.

Despite Bitcoin's lag, she emphasized that its long-term structure of higher lows remains intact, a key technical hallmark of an ongoing secular uptrend.

AI Infrastructure and LayerZero

Wood revealed she has joined the advisory board of LayerZero, a cross-chain interoperability protocol designed to enable seamless communication across blockchains.

She highlighted its potential to handle millions of transactions per second, positioning it as infrastructure for an AI-driven digital economy — capacity that would significantly exceed what networks like Ethereum currently support.

Wood framed today's fear-driven volatility as an opportunity, arguing that disruptive technologies, particularly AI and crypto, often see exponential gains following periods of heavy skepticism.

Ark Invest Expands Crypto Exposure

Ark Invest recently purchased approximately $18 million worth of crypto-related equities, including:

• $2 million in Bullish, now the ninth-largest holding in the ARKF ETF at a 3.4% weighting
• $12 million in Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) shares
• $4 million in Bitmine Immersion Technologies (NASDAQ:BMNR)

Through ETFs, Ark also maintains exposure to major crypto-linked firms, including Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL), Block and Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN).

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