2024 Returns and Volatility

If Bitcoin is indeed an entirely new asset class, then we must compare its returns against other asset classes. Bitcoin returned over 113% in 2024

Bitcoin performed exceptionally well in 2024, outpacing other major asset classes in terms of returns. However, it is important to consider both returns and risk when evaluating an investment. Traditional finance measures risk by volatility, which is the fluctuation in the asset's price.

When plotting annualized volatility against returns, we observe a linear relationship for bitcoin, equities, gold, and bonds. This is known as the "capital market line," which shows the additional return required to compensate for increased risk. Real estate, on the other hand, deviated from this pattern due to its poor performance (high risk, low returns).

This analysis reveals that bitcoin is offering a new option for investors seeking higher risk and higher returns, within the context of the capital market line. However, it does not address the fundamental question of how much risk investors should tolerate, which varies based on individual preferences.

Historically, equities have been classified as risky and bonds as safe. With the addition of bitcoin to the map, equities now appear safe in comparison. Another way to interpret this chart is that traditional measures of returns calculate only nominal returns, not real returns (returns after inflation). When factoring out the devaluation of the U.S. dollar, government bonds and real estate actually earned negative real returns.

Is volatility a problem?

For 2024 at least, the returns from Bitcoin exceeded the other assets so much that it forces an uncomfortable question: How much does volatility really matter? And to whom? And when?

The traditional assumption in financial markets is that investors are risk-averse, and therefore dislike volatility at all costs. But the question remains: At what price? If the investor has a long enough horizon, sacrificing return for volatility would be a mistake. Volatility should not matter in the long term. Said differently, volatility only matters in the short term because it could lead to a loss of capital if you sell. In the long term, the real loss of capital is an opportunity cost: the foregone returns from NOT investing in the highest-return asset. So, volatility is a feature, not a bug, for the long-term investor.

Value investors like Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffet, and Charles Brandes knew about the problem of using volatility to measure risk. Volatility ultimately doesn’t distinguish between directional movements in price. An asset with strong fundamentals whose price falls registers a high volatility, but that can be less risky for the investor because of a lower purchase price. This is as true for undervalued businesses as it was for bitcoin during the last bear market, when it dipped below $20,000.

There are, of course, some caveats in place. The new Trump administration has articulated a more favorable regulatory regime towards cryptocurrencies, and bitcoin's drawdowns in down years can be high, upwards of -70% historically. But 2024 was the year to bear risk, and bitcoin's return proves that thesis.