– Bernstein analysts have raised the target price for the first cryptocurrency to $200,000 by the end of 2025, up from $150,000. This forecast is driven by expectations of "unprecedented demand from bitcoin-based spot exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and others." "We believe that ETFs have become a turning point for cryptocurrencies, triggering structural demand from traditional capital pools. Together, ETFs have attracted about $15 billion in new net funds," Bernstein stated in a memo. Experts at the company believe bitcoin is in a new bull cycle. They described halving as a unique situation where the natural selling pressure from miners is halved or more, creating new demand catalysts for cryptocurrency, "leading to exponential price movements." Analysts pointed to previous cycles: in 2017, digital gold peaked at about five times the marginal cost of production and then fell to a low of 0.8 of this figure in 2018. "During the 2024-2027 cycle, we expect bitcoin to rise to 1.5 times the metric, implying a cyclical high of $200,000 by mid-2025," Bernstein concluded.
– For many years, there have been ongoing debates about the imperfections of the first cryptocurrency's concept. Some criticise its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, for lack of foresight, while others point to the project's technical shortcomings. To uncover what exactly is wrong with bitcoin, BeInCrypto asked the latest version of ChatGPT to analyse the cryptocurrency's whitepaper, which Nakamoto published in October 2008. The AI identified several flaws and errors in the key document of the crypto industry, including: 1. The 51% Rule. The whitepaper claims the network is secure if more than 50% of the power is controlled by honest participants. However, practice has shown that attacks are possible under certain conditions with fewer resources. 2. Anonymity. The document speaks of user anonymity, but bitcoin only offers pseudonymity. Transactions can be traced to specific users. 3. Scalability. The document does not predict the scalability issues that became apparent with the network's growing popularity. High transaction volumes lead to delays and increased fees. 4. Mining Difficulty. The author did not foresee the significant increase in mining difficulty and the impact of changes on the process's energy intensity. Modern mining requires enormous computing power and electricity. 5. Software Updates. The document does not address the need for regular software updates to maintain network security and implement new features. 6. Fork Resilience. The document does not consider the risks associated with network hard forks. Forks such as Bitcoin Cash polarise the community, potentially devaluing the network. 7. Regulation and Legal Issues. The document does not mention possible legal and regulatory obstacles for bitcoin. Since its publication, many countries have already introduced or are considering regulatory measures.
– Speaking at the BTC Prague 2024 conference, MicroStrategy head Michael Saylor stated that everyone gets bitcoin at the price they deserve. The entrepreneur admitted he once made a mistake by thinking bitcoin's days were numbered and that the coin was merely an asset for online gambling. According to Saylor, when bitcoin reaches $900,000, there will be those who claim the cryptocurrency is overbought and its price will crash, but then, when BTC reaches $8 million, they will buy at that price because they deserved it due to their disbelief in the main cryptocurrency's prospects. The billionaire stated that bitcoin should be considered one of the safest assets today. He reiterated his view that the launch of spot ETFs-ETH provided strong support for the first cryptocurrency. When asked by journalists whether it is worth selling bitcoins now, the entrepreneur replied that the asset currently lacks fundamental growth catalysts, but a price rise is expected soon. According to Michael Saylor, those who show patience will subsequently receive huge profits from holding digital gold. For reference: MicroStrategy is the largest holder of bitcoins among public companies, with 205,000 BTC (over $13 billion) on its balance sheet.
– Euro Pacific Capital president and fierce cryptocurrency critic Peter Schiff outlined a possible hedge fund strategy that could lead to the collapse of bitcoin and MicroStrategy. He believes investors in spot BTC ETFs view digital gold as a speculative asset. In a new tweet, Schiff noted that bitcoin has been in a "sideways" trend for the third month, trading below the March high. With such dynamics, investors may lose patience and at some point decide to close their positions, causing a BTC price collapse amid a lack of liquidity.
– Analysts at IntoTheBlock are puzzled by the current situation surrounding bitcoin. According to experts, usually bull markets for cryptocurrencies are fuelled by widespread enthusiasm around the digital coin. However, despite a surge in activity among large holders (whales), there is no influx of new market participants. In fact, the number of primary BTC users has plummeted to multi-year lows, falling to levels seen during the 2018 bear market. This lack of retail user growth creates a critical misunderstanding of why investors are not buying bitcoins. "The current situation with bitcoin is characterised by high transaction volumes of $79.2 billion over the last 7 days and significant exchange flows ($6.0 billion inflows and $6.53 billion outflows for the week). Nevertheless, retail investors remain on the sidelines," noted IntoTheBlock. The explanation could be that 87% of them remain profitable at the current price and do not want to risk increasing their positions.
– US presidential candidate Donald Trump confirmed his intention to take a more favourable stance on cryptocurrencies compared to the current Biden administration. "Crooked Joe Biden, the worst president in our country's history, wants it to die a slow and painful death. Under my watch, this will never happen," he said. "I will end Joe Biden's war on cryptocurrencies and ensure that the future of cryptocurrencies and the future of bitcoin are secured in America!" Trump expressed support for the mining industry, stating he wants all remaining bitcoins to be mined in the US. He also promised to make Florida the central hub for cryptocurrencies. This assurance came after Florida was recognised as the best state for digital asset taxes in the US, according to CoinLedger data. New York State was named the worst.
– General Partner at venture fund a16z and former Coinbase executive Balaji Srinivasan believes that in the foreseeable future, cryptocurrency will become a fundamental financial instrument and a core component of all economic transactions. In his opinion, the combination of advances in crypto technologies and artificial intelligence capabilities will lead to a new stage of the industrial revolution and the evolution of money. AI and robotics will generate industrial abundance, changing the paradigm of how we perceive and use money. According to Srinivasan, the most important form of scarcity in the age of artificial intelligence will be private keys for managing robots, and Web3 technologies such as the Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems will be the transport system for their payment and security management.
– Renowned investor and author of finance books Robert Kiyosaki strongly opposes fiat money, considering it "fake." He claims that wealthy individuals buy and save "real assets" such as cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, as well as gold and silver. To evaluate this investment philosophy, one can calculate the current value of $1,000 invested on January 1, 2024. This amount, as Kiyosaki recommends, is divided into five different assets, $200 each. Starting with the king of cryptocurrencies, which has shown the most significant growth (53%), $200 invested in bitcoin would be worth $307.29 by June 13. Next among the growth leaders is Ethereum, which has risen by 49% since the beginning of 2024, increasing its value to $298.18. The third in the list is Solana, which grew by 48.39%. Initial investments in SOL of $200 as of June 13 are valued at $296.78. Precious metals have shown more modest growth. Silver has risen by 22% in the first five and a half months, and gold has added only 12%. Thus, $200 invested in these assets on January 1 would now be worth $244.91 and $223.72, respectively. Therefore, the total value of Kiyosaki's portfolio would have increased by 37% by June 13, making the initial $1,000 worth $1,370.
– The international environmental group Greenpeace provided fresh data showing that bitcoin mining has become an industry dominated by traditional financial companies. They "buy and operate large, energy-consuming facilities." Greenpeace identified the five largest companies financing mining in 2022: Trinity Capital, Stone Ridge Holdings, BlackRock, Vanguard, and MassMutual. According to environmentalists, they are collectively responsible for more than 1.7 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 335,000 American households. In 2023, global bitcoin mining consumed approximately 121 TWh of electricity, comparable to the energy consumption of a country like Poland. This led to significant carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Greenpeace report.
Notice: These materials should not be deemed a recommendation for investment or guidance for working on financial markets: they are for informative purposes only. Trading on financial markets is risky and can lead to a loss of money deposited.
