Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon has said that he personally owns a small amount of bitcoin. Speaking at the World Liberty Forum in Florida, Solomon described himself as “an observer of Bitcoin” and said he owns “very little, but some.” His comments are important because he has previously been skeptical about Bitcoin.

Solomon made it clear that he is not heavily invested in bitcoin. He explained that he studies how it moves but does not see himself as a trader or expert predicting prices. He even described his holdings as “very, very limited.” His focus, he said, is understanding how new financial technology is changing the system.

Many in the Bitcoin community have argued how much Solomon considers “small,” given that Goldman Sachs manages over $3 trillion in assets.

In the past, Solomon has called bitcoin a speculative asset with “no real use case.” He has also said he does not believe it threatens the U.S. dollar. But his recent comments show a softer tone. While he still sees risks, he now openly admits that he owns some bitcoin and is paying close attention to the industry.

Under Solomon’s leadership, Goldman Sachs has slowly increased its involvement in digital assets. The bank now offers trading and custody services for institutional clients. However, it has moved more carefully than some competitors.

Solomon does not see bitcoin companies and traditional banks as enemies. “It’s one system; it’s our system. We have to do it the right way … and there’s going to be disagreements and that’s OK,” he said.

He believes both sides are part of the same financial world and must work together, even if there are disagreements.

A major reason Goldman has been cautious is regulation. Solomon said that rules in recent years have been very strict. “Until 10 minutes ago, the regulatory structure was extremely prohibitive,” he joked, suggesting that if regulations become clearer and more flexible, Goldman may expand its digital asset activities.

At the same time, Solomon stressed that clear rules are necessary. “It is very, very important that we codify a rules-based system,” he said. “It’s not going to be perfect.”

He also criticized what he sees as excessive regulation. “When you burden this system with excessive regulation, you start to extract capital,” Solomon said. “That absolutely happened in the last five years.”

Solomon supported U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s view that digital asset companies should work with lawmakers on pending legislation. Referring to companies that would rather reject a bill they do not like, Solomon said they are “probably wrong and should move to El Salvador.”

His comments appeared to reference tensions surrounding the stalled Clarity Act bill in Congress. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong had previously said his company would “rather have no bill than a bad bill.” Armstrong also spoke at the same forum and expressed hope that a “win-win” compromise could still be reached.