Bitcoin's portability, divisibility and accessibility could increasingly set the asset apart from traditional stores of value as institutional participation deepens, according to Shawn Owen, CEO and Co-Founder of SALT Lending.

Speaking in remarks published on October 7 on BMTV, Owen pointed to Bitcoin's resilience during a period in which gold and other long-duration assets sold off, arguing that some of the asset's most basic characteristics give it tangible advantages over competing stores of value.

SALT CEO Shawn Owen ( @Shawn_OwenJ ) on why Bitcoin held up while gold and other long duration assets sold off: "It is easier to buy Bitcoin than gold." "It's easier to move Bitcoin out of, say, somewhere where you need to leave quickly because there's unrest in the area than… pic.twitter.com/YQ9KGauue8

— BMTV (@watchbmtv) October 7, 2026

"It is easier to buy Bitcoin than gold," Owen said.

That advantage, he argued, becomes even more apparent when mobility matters.

"It's easier to move Bitcoin out of, say, somewhere where you need to leave quickly because there's unrest in the area than gold," Owen said. "It's far more portable and divisible and easy to use than real estate."

Bitcoin's Liquidity Advantage

Gold, real estate and bitcoin can all serve as long-term stores of value, but the experience of accessing and moving that value looks very different depending on the asset.

All three can preserve wealth over long periods, yet the ease with which that wealth can be reached, relocated or converted into spendable cash varies considerably. That ease — liquidity, in market terms — is central to how useful a store of value is when a holder actually needs to use it.

Physical gold requires secure storage and physical transportation. Real estate is tied to a specific location and can take substantial time to buy or sell. Bitcoin, by contrast, can be transferred anywhere in the world and divided into small units without those same physical constraints. Each bitcoin is divisible into 100 million smaller units known as satoshis, so a holder can transact with any fraction of a coin.

Those characteristics can also give Bitcoin holders greater flexibility when they need liquidity. Rather than selling bitcoin to access dollars, holders can in many cases pledge the asset as collateral and borrow against its value while maintaining their exposure to the underlying coins. That approach allows a short-term cash need to be met without permanently exiting a long-term position. Borrowing against an appreciated asset is an established structure in traditional finance, where portfolios of securities have long been used as loan collateral; bitcoin-collateralized lending applies the same logic to a digital asset.

The model becomes particularly relevant if Owen's longer-term outlook for Bitcoin adoption proves correct.

Institutional FOMO Is Arriving

Owen believes the experience many individual Bitcoin holders have already lived through — discovering the asset and wishing they had gotten involved earlier — may eventually play out among far larger market participants.

"Every human goes through this experience where you learn about Bitcoin and wish you'd been earlier," Owen said. "I think that will be true of sovereigns and banks and institutions of all sizes." The "sovereigns" Owen referenced are state-level actors such as sovereign wealth funds — government-owned investment vehicles — rather than individual savers.

Banks have taken considerably longer to enter the market than individual investors, but Owen argued that is beginning to change as many of the hurdles surrounding Bitcoin have been addressed.

"Banks have been slow, but are now getting in after all the boxes have been checked," he said. "FOMO is real." The term — shorthand for "fear of missing out" — describes the pull toward an asset once peers have already gained exposure.

JUST IN: Salt Lending CEO says sovereign wealth funds and banks are realizing the importance of Bitcoin "Every human goes through this experience where you learn about Bitcoin and wish you'd been earlier…I think that will be true of sovereigns and banks of all sizes." pic.twitter.com/2pxKVh1Q2O

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) October 7, 2026

Owen did caution that adoption and price appreciation will not necessarily move in a straight line. As Bitcoin matures and more capital enters the market, he expects some dampening of its historic volatility — a trend he expects to continue, and one that does not change his longer-term outlook. That expectation speaks to a characteristic institutions weigh heavily: volatility is among the primary factors large investors consider when sizing a position in any asset.

"Adoption depends on the time horizon we're talking about," Owen said. "Dampening of volatility, and we will continue to see that, but that doesn't mean over the next decade we won't see serious adoption and increase in price."

"Never Sell Your Bitcoin"

That long-term view also shapes how Owen believes holders should approach their bitcoin.

"I have always said never sell your bitcoin," Owen said. "Long term we will continue to see prices increasing significantly in comparison to fiat currencies."

For holders who share that outlook, selling bitcoin to cover a large purchase, a business expense or another liquidity need means giving up future exposure to every coin sold.

Bitcoin-backed lending offers an alternative. SALT allows eligible borrowers to use bitcoin as collateral to access cash without selling the underlying bitcoin, and the collateral is returned to the borrower once the loan is repaid. The model is designed for situations in which a holder needs cash but does not want to part with the asset itself.

The approach aligns closely with Owen's broader thesis. If Bitcoin continues to become easier to access and more widely adopted by banks, institutions and potentially sovereigns, long-term holders may become increasingly reluctant to sell simply because they need liquidity. Instead, they can potentially maintain their bitcoin position while tapping into the value stored within it.

As adoption expands, the conversation may increasingly shift beyond how to acquire bitcoin and toward how holders can put the wealth they have accumulated to use without necessarily selling the asset. How quickly banks move from preparation to participation, and whether volatility continues to moderate as adoption deepens, are the developments that will put Owen's thesis to the test.

Sponsorship disclosure: SALT Lending is the Official Liquidity Sponsor of BMTV. This article is sponsored content and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Bitcoin Magazine. The information provided is for promotional purposes and should not be considered financial advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before making any investment decisions related to Bitcoin or other financial products mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Josh Plischke.