The original article is posted on CoinMarketCap.

While Bitcoin price has seen a notable decrease since Trump’s controversial tariffs policies, the optimism in the first cryptocurrency never fades. But what is the basis for it?

Many point to the changing political and economic landscape as a catalyst, with Donald Trump’s return to the White House being a key driver of speculation.

Trump’s pro-crypto rhetoric, including his bold plans for a U.S. Bitcoin reserve has fueled market enthusiasm and rekindled debates about Bitcoin’s long-term potential.

In this article, we’ll explore the most ambitious Bitcoin predictions, analyze the rationale behind them, and evaluate whether the Trump administration’s crypto-friendly stance could be the game-changer that propels Bitcoin to unprecedented heights – or if such projections remain wishful thinking.

“March Effect”

One of the standout projections comes from Trader Tardigrade, who suggests Bitcoin could soar to $170,000 by the end of March 2025. This ambitious target stems from an analysis of historical patterns.

Back in January 2024, bitcoin suffered a sharp decline before mounting an impressive recovery, leading to significant gains by March. A similar trend appears to be unfolding in January 2025, sparking hopes of a repeat performance.

This very “March Effect”, as this tendency is often dubbed by the investors, has also caught the eye of TradingShot, who notes a recurring trend during bitcoin’s last four bull cycles. In these cycles, January often marks a pivotal consolidation phase, with bitcoin finding support near or below its 100-day moving average. Once bitcoin breaks above this critical level, the moving average becomes a new support, fueling further momentum.

Markus Thielen of 10x Research adds another layer of credibility to these forecasts, emphasizing the consistency of bitcoin’s historical price movements.

**BTC/USDT chart by Markus Thielen.** Source: NewsBTC TradingView

His analysis suggests a $122,000 target in the near term, followed by a period of consolidation—a familiar phase in bitcoin’s cycle where prices stabilize before the next breakout. For savvy investors, this could mean fresh opportunities to enter the market at more favorable levels.

2025 As A Decision-Breaker

Yet, some experts are looking even further ahead. Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat, predicts bitcoin could climb to an astonishing $250,000 within the next 12 months. He attributes this potential rally to the halving event, a historic catalyst that reduces bitcoin’s supply and typically drives prices higher.

Meanwhile, veteran trader Peter Brandt, who initially forecasted a peak of $120,000 for this cycle, has revised his prediction upward to $200,000, citing bitcoin’s robust performance and evolving market dynamics.

**BTC/USD 3D chart.** Source: Peter Brandt/X

As bitcoin marches toward these lofty targets, one thing remains clear: 2025 could mark a transformative year for the cryptocurrency, driven by historical patterns, market fundamentals, and an enduring belief in its potential. Whether bitcoin will hit these staggering highs is yet to be seen, but the optimism coursing through the industry is undeniably real.

This sparks a whole other layer of debate, which stretches out decades away from the starting point of this analysis. Hence, bitcoin predictions become vaguer, yet at the same time – way bolder.

Taking Over Strategic Reserves

In January, bitcoin surge to a record-breaking $107,000 was mainly buoyed by President-elect Donald Trump’s reaffirmation of plans for a U.S. bitcoin strategic reserve – akin to the nation’s oil reserves. This bold policy proposal has not only fueled domestic optimism but also amplified global interest in bitcoin as a strategic asset.

Currently, 13 nations hold bitcoin in their reserves, with the U.K. storing approximately 61,200 BTC and the U.S. government boasting a staggering 198,109 bitcoins. Many countries see these reserves as a safeguard against inflation and economic volatility, reflecting bitcoin's emerging role as a global financial hedge.

Domestically, this sentiment is gaining traction, with 13 U.S. states actively exploring or proposing legislation to establish state-level bitcoin reserves. Adding to the momentum, over 60% of bitcoin’s hashrate now operates from North American mining facilities, highlighting the region's growing dominance in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Brian Armstrong, CEO of another top exchange Coinbase, expresses an identical stance. At 2025 Davos World Economic Forum, he exalted bitcoin over gold in terms of greater and clearer scarcity, portability, and divisibility.

Long-Term Shots

While the optimism about bitcoin’s price is a matter of solidarity among different actors, the target price is seen differently.

Chamath Palihapitiya, founder and CEO of Social Capital, predicts Bitcoin will reach $1 million by 2040—a valuation driven by his confidence in its long-term adoption and scarcity.

This is a modest goal for Volodymyr Nosov, founder and CEO of the largest European exchange WhiteBIT:

“$500,000 per bitcoin is not the limit. I'm focusing on $3 million,” he said in a recent interview.

The potential for bitcoin to achieve this goal lies in its limited emission, the founder says.

“The number of bitcoins is limited, they have a limited issue. There will be only 21 million in total. Almost 20 million bitcoins have been mined so far, with only one million left. According to the mathematical model, the last bitcoins will be mined by 2040, but their production will be insignificant. Miners will receive the main income from transactional activities, i.e. from ensuring the functioning of the network.”

For those seeking shorter-term benchmarks, the well-known analyst Cobravanguard exclusively for the article offers a more immediate target of $300,000 by the end of 2026. His analysis points to a head-and-shoulders pattern emerging on Bitcoin’s weekly BTC/USDT chart, signaling a move towards sustained upward momentum.

**BTC/USDT 1W chart.** Credit: Cobravanguard

On the far end of the speculative scale, Jurrien Timmer, Director of Global Macro at Fidelity Investments, proposes an eye-popping forecast: a single Bitcoin valued at $1 billion by 2038–2040. While this might seem implausible to some, Timmer’s macroeconomic perspective underscores Bitcoin's potential as a dominant global asset.

The diverse range of predictions underscores Bitcoin’s growing appeal across varying investment horizons, from tactical short-term plays to audacious long-term visions.

So, will Bitcoin hit $3 million in ten years?

The truth? It depends on who you ask—and which factors dominate the next decade. Bitcoin’s deflationary design, growing institutional adoption, and its increasing role as a hedge against inflation all point to a potential climb toward record-breaking heights. Advocates of the multimillion targets argue that it’s not a matter of if but when, especially as geopolitical shifts and economic instability continue to challenge the traditional financial system.

But let’s not overlook the caveats. Achieving such a valuation would require Bitcoin’s market cap to exceed $60 trillion—roughly three times the entire U.S. stock market’s current size. That level of growth demands unprecedented adoption, flawless scalability, and the absence of any major regulatory roadblocks. In a space as volatile as crypto, where fortunes are made and lost overnight, even the most bullish forecasts must contend with an equal measure of uncertainty.

So, will Bitcoin hit $3 million in the next 10 years? Perhaps—but it won’t happen without some seismic shifts. Whether it’s a global financial overhaul, the mainstreaming of crypto assets, or the advent of an entirely new monetary paradigm, Bitcoin’s journey to $3 million will be anything but linear. And if there’s one thing the crypto market loves, it’s defying expectations.

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