R.Tsubin/Getty Images Former Prudential Financial CEO and current CEO of Sanders Morris Harris, George Ball, said cryptocurrencies are "attractive" as a part of any portfolio. Ball said he sees cryptocurrencies as an effective hedge against currency debasement. The CEO also argued stock speculators will make the shift to crypto markets if there is a pullback in equities. Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell. Former Prudential Financial CEO George Ball told Yahoo Finance on Thursday that he believes cryptocurrencies are "attractive" as a "small part" of any portfolio.Until recently, the chairman and CEO of investment firm Sanders Morris Harris had long been a critic of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.In a video call with Reuters last August, Ball told investors that it was time to buy bitcoin."I've never said this before, and I've always been a blockchain, cryptocurrency and bitcoin opponent.