UBS’s Amy Lo says wealthy investors are diversifying away from US dollar assets into Bitcoin and gold amid persistent tension between China and the US.
UBS Group’s Co-Head of Wealth Management for Asia, Amy Lo, has revealed a notable shift in investment behavior among high-net-worth individuals. Speaking at a recent event in Hong Kong, Lo stated that clients are increasingly shifting from US dollar-based assets to gold, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin BTC $96 611 24h volatility: 2.1% Market cap: $1.92 T Vol. 24h: $29.09 B , and Chinese investments.
Lo attributed this trend to rising geopolitical tensions, particularly between China and the United States, which have prompted wealthy investors to diversify beyond traditional US-centric portfolios.
“Clients are looking at commodities, digital assets, and alternative investments. Volatility will definitely continue,” she explained.
Global Market Leadership
Meanwhile, in South Korea, the so-called “Korea Premium”, the price gap between Korean and global crypto exchanges, continues to decline. Once a symbol of intense retail demand, particularly during the 2021 bull run when the premium soared above 20%, it now reflects a more muted sentiment among local investors.
The current decline suggests that the latest Bitcoin rally is being driven by global institutional capital, rather than Asian retail traders. Analysts believe this trend will persist, especially with the approval of US spot Bitcoin ETFs and increasing interest from sovereign wealth funds and corporations.
If the Korea Premium does return, even a 10% difference would now be considered high compared to past cycles, highlighting the shift in market leadership.
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Holds Steady
Crypto market analyst ColinTCrypto pointed out that Bitcoin’s current price trajectory closely follows the growth in the global M2 money supply. He noted that Bitcoin recently surged from $76,000 to over $105,000, predicting a potential breakout to $120,000 by May-end if the correlation holds.
Global M2 Money Supply vs BTC
Bitcoin is still right on track with Global M2.
$120,000+ by the end of May?
Will BTC get a huge move up around the May 24th like Global M2 shows? If so, it’s likely BTC breaks into new ATHs. The FOMO at that time will be palpable due to all the… https://t.co/gYuNQGx0Uj pic.twitter.com/AxNTC1DJWR
— Colin Talks Crypto 🪙 (@ColinTCrypto) May 13, 2025
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading around $103,500, gaining over 0.70% in the past day. In the past week, its market capitalization has grown by $15 billion, bringing it to around $2.05 trillion.
Additionally, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index suggests that investors are now turning greedy to invest in digital assets.
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