One of many extra underappreciated elements of the rise of spot Bitcoin ETFs within the US is the renewed perceived affordability of Bitcoin amongst new traders. Whereas 1 BTC nonetheless equals 1 BTC, traders buying shares in Bitcoin ETFs like IBIT, ARKB, BRRR, EZBC, and BITB can accomplish that for below $50 per share.
Whereas the relative quantity of Bitcoin owned per share signifies that buying 1 IBIT share for $33 is roughly equal to purchasing $35 value of Bitcoin, there’s a unit bias at play that wants addressing.
Presently, $35 should purchase you 0.00052BTC or 1 IBIT share. Additional, traders can buy 28 IBIT shares for $1000, or 0.015 BTC. In each eventualities, unit bias can skew traders’ views into believing there’s a distinction.
Unit bias affecting investor sentiment
Unit bias is a psychological phenomenon the place traders understand the worth of an funding primarily based on the unit value of its shares reasonably than its total market capitalization or the corporate’s intrinsic worth. This bias can lead traders to desire property which can be priced at decrease per-unit prices below the mistaken perception that they’re getting extra worth for cash or that these lower-priced investments have extra room for progress in comparison with higher-priced choices.
Buyers affected by unit bias would possibly go for a inventory priced at $1 per share over one that’s $1000 per share, pondering the previous is “cheaper” or represents a greater worth, despite the fact that the value per share is bigoted and must be thought of in context with the whole variety of shares excellent and the general valuation of the corporate. This bias can result in suboptimal funding selections if it causes traders to miss extra basic elements of the funding’s worth.
This isn’t the primary time we’ve seen such a phenomenon in crypto, as memecoin merchants typically desire tokens or cash priced at decrease per-unit prices below the mistaken perception that these are cheaper or have extra progress potential than higher-priced property.
Unit bias in crypto
Regardless of its potential to mislead traders, unit bias has additionally performed a job within the success of particular crypto tasks, significantly these with giant token provides priced at decrease per-unit values. Beneath are examples and insights into how unit bias has influenced the crypto market.
Dogecoin is a main instance of a undertaking that has benefitted from unit bias. Initially created as a joke, Dogecoin has a big provide with no cap, resulting in a comparatively low per-unit value in comparison with digital property like Bitcoin. This low value, mixed with a robust neighborhood and viral advertising and marketing, has attracted many traders who understand it as an inexpensive funding with the potential for vital returns regardless of its origins and essentially completely different worth proposition in comparison with extra established digital property.
Nonetheless, unit bias additionally has the potential to democratize funding within the crypto area by making it extra accessible to a broader viewers. The psychological enchantment of proudly owning “complete” items of digital property, reasonably than fractions, can encourage extra folks to take part within the crypto market, probably growing adoption and liquidity.
Whereas unit bias can result in irrational funding selections, it could even be serving to Bitcoin because of the low unit costs of Bitcoin ETFs by making them extra interesting to a broader viewers. Buyers might understand lower-priced Bitcoin ETFs as undervalued, resulting in elevated shopping for strain and a subsequent value rise. This phenomenon, generally known as the “cheapness heuristic,” can drive up demand for Bitcoin ETFs, perpetuating a cycle of bullish sentiment.
