Launched over ten years ago in 2009, Bitcoin is a virtual currency powered by blockchain technology.Satoshi Nakamoto created the coin to overcome the shortcomings of government-issued currencies without requiring a controlling authority.It acts as a store of value and a payment method for any transaction process in the markets.
The live Bitcoin price today is $38,271.04 USD with a 24-hour trading volume of $29,238,555,844 USD.We update our BTC to USD price in real-time.
Bitcoin is up 0.33% in the last 24 hours.The current CoinMarketCap ranking is #1, with a live market cap of $726,281,609,024 USD.It has a circulating supply of 18,977,318 BTC coins and a max.supply of 21,000,000 BTC coins.
Bitcoin is the earliest utilization of the technology has received massive acceptance and paved the way for other projects like Ethereum , etc.
In addition, Bitcoin has provided investors with massive gains to date, but what does the future hold? This piece provides an in-depth opinion on BTC, its price history, Bitcoin price analysis, key moments, future prospects, and price predictions.
Bitcoin Price Overview
BTC prices could rise and hit as much as millions according to expectations.This rise could happen eventually as only during February, the price change of one BTC increased by more than 70 percent leading to its all-time high.
According to analysts, this year, the cryptocurrency industry saw a massive surge in investment and crypto for payments and trading.
Central banks from all over the world have been trying to push regulations for Bitcoin investment.The Bitcoin network has become quite popular with teens, youth, and adults, including women, as they indulge in Bitcoin trading.
This year has been crucial for Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general, wherein countries like El Salvador, China, and South Korea have played significant roles.Recently, we saw that the news of the China ban led to a massive drop in the price of Bitcoin.Bitcoin dropped from 53K USD to $42K, which scared everyone, but it again returned.
Bitcoin Overview
|Coin||Symbol||Price||Marketcap||Change||Last 24h||Supply||Volume (24h)|
|BTC||$ 38,233.00||$ 725.55 B||0.13%||18.98 M||$ 24.20 B|
Bitcoin Network & Signals
GALAXY SCORE
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What is Bitcoin?
Launched over thirteen years ago in 2009, Bitcoin is a decentralized virtual currency powered by blockchain technology.
Satoshi Nakamoto created the coin to overcome the shortcomings of government-issued currencies without requiring a controlling authority.
Basically, Bitcoin (BTC) was created out of the need for a cryptography-based e-payment system, rather than the conventional trust-based system.The cryptocurrency acts as a store of value and a payment method for any transaction process in the crypto space.It is often dubbed as “digital gold.”
Bitcoin’s cryptography is based on an algorithm (SHA-256) designed by the United States National Security Agency.This algorithm makes it impossible to crack the Bitcoin network.
Since the launch of Bitcoin in 2009, its value has risen dramatically, from less than 0.01 USD in May of 2010 to over 65,000 USD in November 2021.
Bitcoin is expected to attain newer feats in the coming years, as more institutional investors and traders continue to turn to the cryptocurrency.
What Influences Bitcoin’s Price?
Several factors are responsible for the price movement of cryptocurrencies.These price-determining factors include demand and supply, investor sentiments, availability, economic cycles, adoption rate, functionality, regulations, news, and many more.
Although Bitcoin is a mainstream digital currency, its price movement is also subject to these factors, as with other currencies.
In 2021, the crypto industry saw a massive surge in investments, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and several altcoins hitting their all-time highs.Also in the same year, Central banks from all over the world tried to push regulations for Bitcoin investment.In some other countries, there were severe clampdowns on cryptocurrency-related activities, especially in China, with trading and mining outrightly prohibited.These pronouncements by the Chinese government dealt a blow to the market valuation of Bitcoin and massive selloffs became rampant due to fear of the unknown.
In addition, the news of the Chinese ban led to a massive drop in the price of Bitcoin, with the crypto losing over 50% of its value between April and August 2021.
In the midst of the clampdowns, El Salvador played a significant role in the continuous adoption of Bitcoin, as the country remains the only one to have declared the asset a legal tender.By October 2021, Bitcoin regained massive momentum by reaching $67,700 from $40,693, just after another round of crackdown in September by the Chinese government.Bitcoin hit its current all-time high at $68,789.63 on November 11, after investors’ attention turned to the cryptocurrency again.
More recently, Bitcoin has experienced massive price swings, especially in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, coupled with the Chinese new year.The cryptocurrency market, in general, has faced heightened uncertainties in the past 1 month, with crypto investors selling off their assets.
Consequently, Bitcoin dipped by about 50% from its current all-time high, affirming the effect of investor sentiments, news, demand, supply, etc.
Key Bitcoin moments to note
The development of Bitcoin is the first successful application of Blockchain technology for digital currency and payment infrastructure.As Bitcoin (BTC) enters its 13th year, it has continued to garner widespread adoption amidst stringent government regulations and uncertainty.
Here are some of the key bitcoin moments to note.
– European Endorsement
Although Bitcoin was birthed in the US, it was quickly embraced in Europe.In 2011, Bitcoin Central, a French-based cryptocurrency exchange, became the first platform to earn a license under EU regulations.
Bitcoin Central subsequently provided customers with a maximum balance of 100,000 EUR, and debit cards to access Bitcoin (BTC) balances.In 2014, Finland and Belgium declared a VAT exemption for crypto trades to encourage its adoption.Also in 2017, Falcon, a Swiss-based private bank, became the first financial institution to sell BTC directly to customers.
– Time Magazine 2011
In April 2011, Bitcoin was featured in a Time Magazine article titled “Online Cash Bitcoin Could Challenge Governments, Bank.” This piece examined the potentials of BTC, its use cases, the revolutionary concept of the blockchain, and government barriers.In addition, the article alongside others from Time Magazine gave the cryptocurrency some sort of mainstream media endorsement.
– University of Nicosia Accepts Bitcoin
In November 2013, the University of Nicosia, in a bid to ease the transmission of certain students, started accepting BTC payments for tuition.
The CFO of the university at the time, Dr.Vlachos Christos, was a proponent of cryptocurrencies, and he wanted the institution to be one of the very first to learn about blockchain technology.He also argued that the adoption of Bitcoin will aid the spread of financial services around the world, while also creating a more efficient system.
– The Price Boom of 2013
In September 2013, Bitcoin’s (BTC) market value skyrocketed by over 780% due to progressive media coverage, crypto expansion in China, and the entrance of bullish investors.The rapid boom was soon cut short by negative publicity resulting from the collapse of a leading Chinese exchange (Mt.Gox), numerous cryptocurrency hackings, and the closure of illegal marketplaces.
By April 2014, BTC had fallen below 400 USD, and by January of the following year, it had bottomed to less than $200.
Regardless, the Bitcoin boom of 2013 showcased the price potentials of the coin, and by 2017 the optimism around the digital asset became evident as its price rose to about $20,000.
– Microsoft Adoption
2014 brought more mainstream adoption for Bitcoin as Microsoft jumped on the crypto bandwagon.By December 2014, the mega-corporation struck a partnership deal with BitPay and began accepting Bitcoin payments for digital purchases.
Microsoft also offered the ‘Redeem Bitcoin’ feature that allowed customers to add BTC to their accounts.
– Banks and Institutional Adoption of 2015
Without a doubt, Bitcoin had enjoyed a lot of success up to 2015.The perspective of banks, the government, and other financial institutions changed and they began investing and researching in the technology.In May of the same year, NASDAQ – an American stock exchange, began utilizing blockchain technology for transactions.
JPMorganChase, Goldman Sachs, the BOA, and other banks soon followed suit in September 2015.
By March 2016, ICAP – a leading market broker – became the first institution to utilize blockchain for data distribution.The coming months also saw Santander – a leading British bank – adopt the blockchain for keeping records of global payments.The United States government was also not left behind.
By 2017, they began investing in the tech for healthcare data protection.Dubai also declared its intention to have all government transactions powered by the Blockchain.
– The 2017 Price Surge
2017 was a significant year for Bitcoin.The crypto started the year at just about 1000 USD and closed out at almost 20000 USD.This massive price leap saw the coin forcefully dash out of obscurity into the limelight.
The boom led to new investors joining the moving train, and news outlets, under the euphoria of the new phenomenon, began spewing controversies and unverifiable facts.Despite the boom, some investors were burned by the volatility of the cryptocurrency.However, the point was clearly established – Bitcoin’s potentials are endless.
– Adoption by El Salvador
In June 2021, El Salvador became the first country to adopt BTC as a legal tender, while China once again caused a stir in the market by shutting off mines .The President of El Salvador, known for his passion for virtual currency, gave the green light to any store that wanted to accept payment in the form of cryptocurrencies.The increase in payments using Bitcoin as a store of value and the involvement of partners have all helped El Salvador.
The demand for Bitcoin and its large-scale adoption will boost economies, analysts say.
Also, the establishment of Bitcoin mines in El Salvador was viewed internationally as a bold move owing to environmental concerns.But the President had a solution for that as well.He claimed the country will be harnessing volcanic energy to mine BTC.Bitfury founder George Kikvadze applauded the move by the President of El Salvador and claimed it could potentially be the most lucrative project for the entire country and Central America.
– Bitcoin and Social Media
In July 2021, Jack Dorsey provided hints about the platform’s potential Bitcoin integration .
He also mentioned that the company was keen on integration with Bitcoin payment systems, in a bid to facilitate value transfer across the micro-blogging platform.The introduction of Twitters’ Tip Jar is just a peek into the future, it seems.Twitter is not the only social media platform keen on Bitcoin integrations; Meta’s Instagram is also exploring the technology.
– The Late 2021 Boom
The latter part of 2021 saw Bitcoin hit a new all-time high at over 68000 USD per coin after touching above 63000 USD some months before.This significant price movement of 2021 was largely due to increased adoption, and the activities of retail and institutional investors.
Bitcoin Challenges
Despite its success to date, Bitcoin has been faced with several criticisms, most especially its energy-hungry mining system.According to an energy consumption tracker developed by the University of Cambridge, Bitcoin mining was estimated to consume 100 TWh per year, about one-third of the UK’s total energy consumption in 2016.
In addition, BTC’s criminality potential has positioned it for more scrutiny, as it has facilitated numerous dark web dealings, such as the acquisition of illegal weapons, money laundering, etc.
The most significant and long-standing challenge of Bitcoin is scalability.Bitcoin’s underlying technology limits its performance in terms of transaction completion timeframe, with a meager capacity of 3-7 TPS.
As more transactions are initiated on the network, processing delays will begin to surface.Several proposals have been put forward to nip this concern in the bud, but a favorable long-term fix remains unclear.
Bitcoin Technical Analysis
Bitcoin has had a strongly bearish start in 2022 after the crypto boom of November 2021.
By the 22nd of January, Bitcoin’s price had fallen by over 45% from its current ATH amidst massive sell-offs during the Chinese new year.The crypto soon reversed back to about $44k, but this too didn’t last long amidst uncertainties emanating from the Russian-Ukrainian war.Currently, Bitcoin is trading within the $38 – 39k mark, after a failed attempt at reaching $45k.Its market cap today is $742,150,588,620.
The coin remains in consolidation between $34k and $45k.
In addition, the $34k mark remains a key level for Bitcoin’s price dynamics.If the coin can’t hold above the support level, we could see Bitcoin price drop below $34k again, which would be a great point for long positions and short stop loss.Traders with a good entry point and high-risk appetite could be set for high rewards.
Here is our Bitcoin price prediction for the coming months and years.It is imperative to note that these predictions are speculations not investment advice.
Bitcoin Price Prediction 2022-2028
Bitcoin Price Prediction 2022
Bitcoin could gain more adoptions in the course of the year, with Lugano, a city in Switzerland, also looking at making the digital asset a legal tender through its partnership with Tether.Growing adoptions is positive for Bitcoin and its price dynamics.
As per historical data analysis and our market research, the unit price of BTC could rise to about $60k by the end of 2022.
The expected minimum price by December 2022 is $51.6k.
Also, the year-end average trading price of BTC is $53.6k.
Bitcoin Price Prediction 2023
By January 2023, Bitcoin could be trading well above $50k.Its average price for the first month is $56,310k, and its expected maximum price is just about $58k.
Bitcoin’s price could soar above its current ATH to a maximum price of $70k by June 2023.
By December 2023, BTC’s price could be trading between $73k to $89k.
Bitcoin Price Prediction 2024
According to forecasts, Bitcoin could start in 2024 at an average market price of $71k.The price movement of the crypto is expected to be very bullish through the year, and it could hit the $100k mark by August 2024.
By the end of 2024, investors could be raking in massive profits from trades, with Bitcoin prices expected within the range of $100k to $125k.
Bitcoin Price Forecast 2025
We expect 2025 to be a good year for cryptocurrencies, and Bitcoin will definitely lead the way.The minimum predicted price for 2025 is $105k, and the maximum price is $181k.
Bitcoin Price Prediction 2026 and Beyond
By 2026, we expect a trading range of $150k to $266k – a price surge that aligns with the prevailing sentiments among crypto investors for the long term.With increasing adoption, favorable regulations, and more institutional investments in Bitcoin, newer heights are inevitable.
2027 could see Bitcoin doing 10x its current market price.By 2030, we expect one unit of BTC to be trading in the millions.A minimum price of $690k is expected in January 2030, and by August, Bitcoin could soar above the $1m mark.By the end of the year, a trading range of $990k to $1.2m is forecasted.
Bitcoin Price Prediction by Market Experts
According to a tweet by @amonbuy, listing the possible price marks for popular cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin is expected to reach $100k this year.
This is a very optimistic projection; however, do your own research, as volatility remains a key factor in the crypto market.
BTCfuel expects Bitcoin to breakout in 2022, and also set the motion for a massive ALT season.
Conclusion
Global economists and the world at large are finally realizing the flaws of the current financial system, and the need for a more reliable and stable currency like BTC.Since its inception, Bitcoin has gradually wormed its way into mainstream consciousness and gained massive traction.
The coin has stood up against several oppositions and will continue on that path provided it sees massive adoptions.
The Bitcoin price predictions are positive and Bitcoin promises massive earning potential both in the short and long term.However, it is essential to conduct your research and seek the advice of investment advisors before investing in any digital asset to avoid losses.
If you must invest, use what you can afford to lose.
FAQs on Bitcoin
Is Bitcoin a good investment?
According to analysts, it is good to buy Bitcoin before it’s too late and the entire world starts to accept Bitcoin, and it turns into a global currency.Fiat currencies won’t hold much value in the future as the crypto market surges to new heights despite the bearish market we see now.
Our analysis shows that blockchain technology adoption will surge, and more investors will acquire digital assets, making Bitcoin a good investment.
What will Bitcoin be worth in 2030?
Given the previous momentum, Bitcoin could potentially hit a million dollars.Bitcoin’s journey has been quite adventurous, and every day brings something new.
How much does it take to invest in Bitcoin?
As everyone has frequently said- buy or sell as little or as much as you want.Exchanges since the beginning have offered to trade for positions as small as $10.
How many Bitcoin tokens are left?
There are a total of 21 million Bitcoin to be ever created.18.7 have already come out of the massive mining farms that perform hashing algorithms that help Bitcoins blockchain network and related companies to do their work.
Therefore, most Bitcoin has already come into existence (around 90 percent), and one would think what would need to change to get more Bitcoin after the total maximum is exceeded.
The answer is – you will have to do acquire them through crypto exchanges..
