John Pfeffer, a partner at UK-based Pfeffer Capital, made the remarks at the Sohn investment conference in New York. That event traditionally serves as a place for investors to recommend the best stocks to invest in – and has never seen anyone recommend cryptocurrency before.

“Bitcoin is the first viable candidate to replace gold the world has ever seen,” Mr Pfeffer said. "So if bitcoin becomes the dominant non-sovereign store of value, it could be the new gold, or new reserve currency."