While bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH) and other major cryptocurrencies tumbled in a $19 billion liquidation event on Friday, major gold-backed digital assets bucked the trend amid the precious metal’s rally.
Tokens tied to physical gold, including Paxos’ PAXG and Tether’s XAUT, were among the few to hold their ground, and even edge higher, as broader markets sank.
Bitcoin lost 8.5% of its value in the last 24-hour period, while the broader crypto market plunged 12.75% as measured by the CoinDesk 20 (CD20 ) index. PAXG has meanwhile dropped just 0.23% to $3,998, while XAUt is up 0.2% to $4,010. A troy ounce of gold, which these tokens are backed by, closed near $4,018.
These coins are backed by reserves of the precious metal, offering crypto investors a refuge from volatility that mirrors gol