Kevin O’Leary Explains Which Cryptocurrency Is a Smarter Bet: Bitcoin or Ethereum
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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The cryptocurrency market offers hundreds of different investment options, but two of them control most of the action: bitcoin and ethereum. As recently as last year, the combined market cap of both platforms made up more than 70% of the global crypto market, according to U.S. News & World Report.
So which is a better bet for investors? During a recent interview with CoinDesk, businessman and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary suggested his preference.
Also see five reasons you need at least one bitcoin.
Bitcoin vs. Ethereum
O’Leary shared during the interview that his preference is bitcoin. “If you want exposure to crypto volatility, it’s bitcoin,” O’Leary said. “There’s a lot of people that say, ‘I don’t need anything else … I’ll just buy bitcoin.’ And they haven’t been wrong … I think it’ll be very hard to dethrone it.”
As for ethereum, O’Leary spent much of his time bemoaning its lack of speed and efficiency.
“Goodness, ETH is slow,” he said. “I’m sorry, but it’s slow, and I think a lot of people know that. And the more transactions get piled on it, it doesn’t get any better.”
Bigger Than Google?
O’Leary has plenty of company in backing bitcoin over ethereum.
Part of bitcoin’s allure is that it has become a dominant crypto force in both size and name recognition. It has grown so big that it recently leapfrogged Google parent Alphabet to rank as world’s sixth-largest asset by market cap, The Market Periodical reported.
From a pure investment standpoint, bitcoin has definitely been the better bet recently. Its price is up about 12% in 2025 as of June 13 and has gained about 56% over the past year. In contrast, ethereum’s price is down about 23% in 2025 and has lost more than 27% over the past year.
How Are Bitcoin and Ethereum Different?
If you’re new to crypto, it’s important to understand the differences between bitcoin and ethereum, because it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.
As U.S. News reported, bitcoin’s network uses a proof-of-work verification system. Ethereum, on the other hand, uses a proof-of-stake system, which U.S. News called “less energy-intensive.” Additionally, the main purpose of bitcoin is to serve as a digital currency that’s an alternative to other currencies, while ethereum is a platform that runs smart contracts, U.S. News explained.
According to VanEck, a New York-based investment management firm, both bitcoin and ethereum have seen their prices fluctuate significantly over the years. Despite that, VanEck noted that bitcoin has been the outperformer, remaining more stable than ethereum.
Bitcoin is also more well known, and that reputation has helped it gain more traction when investors want to hedge against inflation or instability, VanEck explained. Ethereum hasn’t seen the same traction, as its demand is linked to its utility.
Ethereum’s Competition Remains a Risk
A recent article from The Motley Fool also gave bitcoin the edge, mainly because it faces less competition in its space than ethereum does in its space.
“[Ethereum] faces a high risk of competitors attracting its human and financial resources with faster, cheaper, or more efficient services,” The Motley Fool noted. “This means Ethereum’s position is inherently more unstable than Bitcoin’s.”
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