Cryptocurrencies today face a combination of geopolitical turmoil, stricter regulation, and the gradual entry of institutional players. Nevertheless, they remain a topic that continues to attract both investors and the public. One of those observing this development from the front lines is Miloš Mázor. He serves as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Madison Six, the company behind the Crypto4me platform.
This platform is among the first projects in the region to obtain a license under the European MiCA regulation, offering users a simple and regulated entry into the world of digital assets. Mázor has long been dedicated to topics such as investing, portfolio diversification, and public education in the field of cryptocurrencies, which he believes are gradually transitioning from the role of a speculative asset to a broader investment tool.
In the interview, he explains how the crypto market has fared during times of global crises, why he views Bitcoin as a relatively stable asset, and what mistakes investors most commonly repeat. He also touches on the impacts of regulation, market psychology, and the role cryptocurrencies may play in personal finance in the coming years.
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In recent weeks and months, we’ve witnessed a series of geopolitical events, particularly in the Middle East, that have impacted various investments, including those in cryptocurrencies. In your opinion, what condition is the crypto market in today following this turbulent period?
I think the crypto market has proven to be quite resilient. I’m used to relatively high volatility, so from my perspective, not much has actually happened. The market hasn’t shifted significantly. I see it as robust and wouldn’t expect any major turbulence. It turns out that people who hold Bitcoin hold it for the long term and know why. Short-term fluctuations no longer have much of an impact on them. When we look back at recent years—COVID, the war in Ukraine, high inflation, the energy crisis, or current events in the Middle East—I don’t think these have a major impact on Bitcoin. Compared to other assets, its price is surprisingly stable.
So do you really view Bitcoin as a stable asset?
Yes, I do. Even though we’ve fallen from recent highs to around $75,000, if someone had told me five, six, or eight years ago that Bitcoin would reach this level, I wouldn’t have believed it. Nevertheless, I view Bitcoin separately from the rest of cryptocurrencies. In the long term, I believe it serves as a store of value, although one must expect higher short-term volatility. To a certain extent, it can also serve as a hedge against inflation, which we’ve experienced in recent years.
You mentioned Bitcoin’s current price of around $70,000–$75,000. Last year, however, it reached historic highs of around $120,000. Is it possible to estimate when it might return to those levels—or whether that will happen this year?
I would like investors to think about cryptocurrencies in the long term. Trying to predict market developments over a one-year horizon is very difficult, and I would rather not venture into that. Whether we’ll get back to historical highs around $126,000 this year is hard to say. People are watching Bitcoin’s so-called four-year cycle, but the question is how well it actually works, or whether it’s coming true simply because people are talking about it.
Investors may start selling just as they expect the peak, thereby creating the cycle themselves. Personally, I also think that the current price of around $74,000–$75,000 may not be the bottom of this cycle. Technically, there is still room for further decline, perhaps down to around $50,000. For investors who do not yet own Bitcoin and are considering entering the market, however, this may be an opportunity to start monitoring the market and possibly buy in gradually.
Who do you think should invest in Bitcoin, and what percentage of their portfolio should they allocate to it?
Anyone who feels that traditional fiat currencies are going through a turbulent period should invest. The inflationary episode of recent years has shown what inflation really means—while people barely noticed it at two percent, at a cumulative thirty percent, the impact on savings is significant. Anyone who wants to protect themselves, at least partially, should consider allocating funds to various other assets, including Bitcoin.
I view the rest of cryptocurrencies more as speculative instruments. As for the size of the investment, that is very individual. A beginner investor will approach it differently than someone who already has a diversified portfolio—stocks, bonds, real estate, or perhaps precious metals. A threshold of around five percent of the portfolio is often mentioned, but I personally go above that. It depends on your risk profile, income, and ability to build reserves. There is no universal ideal percentage.
If an investor decides to make more speculative investments, such as in altcoins, should they already have investments elsewhere and only work with an amount they can afford to lose?
Yes, exactly. I recommend starting with education—understanding what cryptocurrencies are, how they work, and why someone would want to invest in them. I would always start with Bitcoin. People often tend to want to own at least one whole Bitcoin, which isn’t realistic for everyone today, so they turn to altcoins, where they can own millions of units. But that’s not the right approach.
After Bitcoin, I would eventually move on to larger projects from the top 10 or 15 by market capitalization, doing so gradually and with thorough research—who is behind the project, how long it has been operating, and what it offers. But first, you need to understand the basics: what blockchain is, how transactions work, where cryptocurrencies are bought, and how to use them.
Banks, funds, and regulated companies are now active in the cryptocurrency space, particularly around Bitcoin. Can we say that the market is safer today than it used to be?
It depends on what exactly we mean by “market.” Bitcoin itself is based on blockchain technology, which is just as secure today as it was in 2009 when it was created. However, if we’re talking about the ecosystem surrounding it—that is, the services and companies—then a certain shift is visible there. The entry of institutions can attract more people and increase public trust.
The requirements for companies providing crypto services are really high within the EU today, which brings a certain level of security—for example, the assurance that money will arrive where it’s supposed to and that you can actually buy what you want with it. On the other hand, neither regulation nor institutions can prevent price fluctuations. These are part of the market and will continue. Rather, it can be expected that with a larger volume of money in the market, volatility will gradually decrease, because much more capital will be needed to drive significant movements.
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What role do you think investor psychology plays, especially in the Czech environment, where we don’t have such a strong investment tradition?
Psychology plays a huge role. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, we haven’t had the opportunity to invest for decades, so there’s a lack of historical experience that would be passed down from generation to generation. For many people, investing is still not a given.
This often leads to people just watching the market from a distance. They tell themselves that something is expensive and wait for a drop. But when a 30 or 40 percent drop occurs, instead of buying, they start to fear it will fall even further and don’t buy. Then the market starts to rise, and they jump in late, often driven by emotions and the media. This is the classic FOMO effect—the fear of missing out. Unfortunately, this often leads to people entering the market at the least opportune moment.
How can you avoid this behavior and set up the right investment strategy?
You need to get your head straight. The market isn’t going anywhere. It’s important to have a plan, set a time horizon, and stick to it. For example, I decided that I wouldn’t sell my Bitcoin for at least ten years, no matter what happens. Thanks to this, I’ve weathered several cycles—both uptrends and downtrends—and haven’t made any rash decisions.
If you don’t have a clearly defined strategy, you might succumb to panic and sell during major crashes, even if prices drop by 80 or 90 percent. These are fundamental mistakes. That’s why at crypto4me we place great emphasis on education, not only in the area of cryptocurrencies but financial literacy in general. In the context of an aging population and the structure of the pension system, investing for the future will become increasingly important.
You mentioned your brand crypto4me, which is subject to the European MiCA regulation. What has this regulation brought to the average client?
Above all, it brings greater security and legitimacy. It turns out that a large portion of the companies providing crypto services were unable to meet the conditions for obtaining a license. For us, this means less competition, but at the same time higher quality among those who have remained in the market. For the client, this means less confusion—fewer unknown brands and greater clarity.
Regulation has helped eliminate dubious projects and companies that were unable to operate at a sufficient level. Clients thus gain greater assurance that their funds are safe. However, it is important to emphasize that regulation does not affect the market itself. Just because a company has a license does not mean that the price of Bitcoin cannot drop by, say, 30 percent. It is necessary to distinguish between the security of services and market developments as such.
If someone decides to invest in cryptocurrencies and is looking for a regulated platform in Europe, what should they base their choice on?
I would look at several things. Communication is important—ideally in the client’s native language, so they can be sure they can communicate if needed. I would also check whether the company has a physical office where they can go if necessary.
Transparency is key—who is behind the company, how long it has been operating, and how it presents itself to the outside world. I wouldn’t just look at the fee structure. I recommend testing the service in practice—opening an account, sending a small amount, and trying out buying, selling, and withdrawing funds, ideally to your own hardware wallet. If everything works, communication is good, and you feel comfortable, you can invest larger amounts.
Lately, there’s been more talk about stablecoins—digital assets typically pegged to the euro or dollar that act as a sort of “safer crypto.” Do you think that’s accurate, or is it an oversimplification?
It depends on your perspective. If I view cryptocurrencies as an investment, then a stablecoin is essentially useless to me because it tracks the value of the underlying asset, such as the dollar or the euro. I can buy, say, 10,000 USDC for $10,000, but when I look at the chart, nothing significant happens—the price is stable.
Stablecoins make more sense as a tool for managing volatility. For example, if Bitcoin rises by 20 percent and I don’t want to cash out into fiat, I can convert it into a stablecoin and wait for a potential drop to buy back in. As for security, the technology is the same as with other cryptocurrencies—everything runs on the blockchain. The discussion today revolves more around their use within central bank digital currencies, so-called CBDCs, such as the digital euro. But that’s where the issue of freedom and control comes in, because it would be a tool managed by a central authority.
What is your personal view on the concept of central bank digital currencies?
Personally, I am not a fan of the digital euro or similar solutions that would be fully under the control of a central bank. In that case, we are returning to a system with an intermediary, which is precisely what Bitcoin was created to oppose. Fiat currencies are essentially created today “at the push of a button,” while Bitcoin has a precisely defined supply—21 million units. That is its fundamental characteristic. Technology as such is neither good nor bad; it depends on how it is used. In the case of CBDCs, however, I see a risk of losing a certain degree of financial freedom.
Looking to the future, do you think cryptocurrencies will become a common part of personal finance, or will they remain more of an investment tool for a smaller group of people?
According to available surveys, most people currently view cryptocurrencies more as an investment than as a means of everyday payment. Only a small percentage of respondents can imagine using cryptocurrencies on a daily basis. In the short term of two to three years, I therefore do not expect them to become a common payment tool. Rather, they will continue to serve as an investment, a speculative asset, or a store of value—especially in the case of Bitcoin.
So where do you see their main benefit for the average user?
A major advantage is portability and the absence of intermediaries. In an extreme situation, you can essentially “take” the value anywhere—theoretically, you can have access to millions of euros without anyone knowing or being able to control it. That’s not possible with traditional financial systems. However, the infrastructure isn’t yet sufficiently developed for everyday payments. This may gradually change, but I don’t see it as the dominant scenario in the foreseeable future.
So, in your opinion, what will the role of cryptocurrencies look like in the coming years?
I think their importance will gradually grow, especially thanks to institutional involvement and tools such as spot ETFs. Cryptocurrencies will become more widely known to the general public, but primarily as an investment tool and a store of value. In the area of everyday payments, their adoption will be slower.
Read more: : crypto4me – The First Secure Path to Crypto with a MiCA License
Photo: Miloš Mázor’s archive
logo: crypto4me.eu
logo: madisonsix.com
