Sir Richard Branson says there will be a global currency—whether its bitcoin or something else—that will "take on Jamie Dimon and the other banks."

The billionaire entrepreneur spoke Friday in a CNBC interview from the World Economic Forum a day after JPMorgan CEO Dimon and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew expressed skepticism about the digital currency.

(Read more: Lew says Dimon and I share 'incredulity' on bitcoin)



"The idea is very exciting. I think having a global currency where you don't have to spend all the money changing your currencies is admirable and whoever is behind bitcoin was brilliant," the Virgin Group founder told "Squawk Box" in Davos, Switzerland. "It was a brilliant first step."

