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Tesla boss Musk (March 2020): Moves the Bitcoin course in a few words
Photo: AP Photo / Susan Walsh
Tesla boss Elon Musk made the price of cryptocurrencies rise significantly with statements at a conference.
At the industry conference "The B Word", the CEO said that the electric car manufacturer remains open to Bitcoin despite environmental concerns due to the high power consumption.
"Tesla will very likely accept Bitcoin again," Musk said.
His space company SpaceX also owns Bitcoins and has no plans to sell them.
However, Musk reiterated his demand that the environmental balance of the oldest and most famous cryptocurrency should improve. According to the Tesla boss, at least 50 percent of the electricity consumed should come from renewable energies when Bitcoin is generated by complex computer processes, known as "mining". Musk made no secret of his sympathy for digital currencies at the conference, at which another prominent CEO spoke with Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. In addition to Bitcoins, he also holds Ethereum and Dogecoin privately.
Bitcoin's price reacted to Musk's statements with strong gains. On Tuesday, the Bitcoin rate had previously fallen below the $ 30,000 mark, after which it temporarily rose to $ 32,800 and later settled to just under $ 32,000. The second largest cyber currency, Ethereum and Dogecoin, also gained significantly in value.
Musk had already influenced the prices on the crypto market several times with statements in the past few months. In March he announced that Tesla would also sell cars for Bitcoin in the future, and that the company had also invested in Bitcoin on a larger scale. Two months later, he withdrew the announcement, justifying it with the environmental concerns. A month later, he made another U-turn and announced the acceptance of Bitcoin as a means of payment on the condition that it would be produced in a more climate-friendly manner.
Basically, Musk has always been in favor of cryptocurrencies, and so now again.
"I would like to see Bitcoin succeed," said the Tesla boss.
If the price falls, he will lose money too, as he has no intention of parting with his bitcoins.
The fact that Tesla has to pay negative interest on bank balances in Europe, for example, drives him "crazy," says Musk.
The money should better be put in Bitcoin.
fdi / dpa