 
 
Ricardo Salinas Pliego – Mexico’s third-richest person with an estimated net worth of $5.6 billion, betting Bitcoin will one day rival gold’s massive market. Salina revealed that it will soon “catch up “to the $22 trillion market for gold.
In a June 2025 interview, he noted Bitcoin’s market capitalization ($2 trillion mid-2025) is only about 1/11th of gold’s roughly $22 trillion value.
He pointed to recent performances to back his view. Bitcoin has far outpaced gold in recent years – gaining roughly +156% in 2023 and +121% in 2024, versus gold’s +14% and +26.6% in the same years.
This rapid appreciation underpins Salinas’s thesis. “Bitcoin’s market cap of $2.3 2.3trillion vs gold’s $22.6 trillion market shows huge upside,” he noted, implying that institutional and retail demand could drive the rally needed.
Salinas’ 70% Bitcoin Portfolio
Salinas has put his money where his mouth is. In a March 2025 Bloomberg interview, he said about 70% of his liquid assets are now in Bitcoin and 30% in gold and gold-miner equities.
 
Salinas began accumulating years ago – he first revealed a 10% Bitcoin allocation in 2020. He noted the jump to 70% in early 2025 is a dramatic increase from the 10% level.
His strategy is to dollar-cost average over the long term. As he puts it: “Buy everything you can. It’s not going to go anywhere except up… Never sell it.”.
He said, “Not even gold is this hard – your gold inflates ~3% a year via mining,”. He calls Bitcoin “the hardest asset in the world” because its supply is capped.
Market Context and Outlook
Salinas’ comments came amid broader crypto developments. He has publicly pursued making his bank, Banco Azteca, the first in Mexico to accept Bitcoin, though regulatory approvals are pending.
He also indicated plans to spin off his retail arm (Grupo Elektra) to focus on crypto and other ventures. Taken together, his bets signal confidence that Bitcoin can scale.
Analysts note that matching gold’s market cap would imply a Bitcoin price around $1.1M, an 8× increase from mid-2025 levels.
That scenario assumes Bitcoin captures a share of the global “store-of-value” market. Salinas believes that as fiat currencies face headwinds, Bitcoin will continue to attract investment. He told Bloomberg and other outlets that he’s “all in” on crypto.
Critics point out that such forecasts hinge on sustained demand and adoption. But Salinas remains undeterred. He argues that generational trends – including institutional ETF inflows, corporate treasury buys, and potential sovereign adoption – will drive Bitcoin’s ascent over time.
Source: https://zycrypto.com/mexicos-3rd-richest-man-bitcoin-will-catch-up-to-golds-22t-market/