CEO of MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR), Michael Saylor has been one of the most outspoken supporters of Bitcoin the top Cryptocurrency (BTC 1.36%). He considers himself a Bitcoin evangelist and is so convinced it’s only natural that his company goes as far as to change the game and replace cash reserves with cryptocurrency.
To most, this statement is bold, even bordering on suicide to jump off the cliff, but a recent interview by CNBC helps to enlighten the reasoning behind Saylor’s statement. He predicts that Bitcoin will one day be worth $13 million per coin, a drastic 22,000% increase from the current prices. Here’s why Saylor believes Bitcoin can reach these stratospheric levels and whether it has water in it or not.
Michael Saylor’s dream
Michael Saylor is no stranger to Bitcoin predictions, but he made perhaps the most daring forecast ever on CNBC’s Squawk Box: Bitcoin could rise to $13 million per coin by 2045. To a few, this might appear like a steep claim; however, Saylor has more reason to believe this than wishful thinking.
He believes Bitcoin’s key attributes and fundamental properties will drive its price north over time: its scarcity, decentralization, and growing institutional interest. For Saylor, Bitcoin now constitutes about 0.1% of global capital but could eventually reach as high as 7%, a drastic turnover he believes to be impossible to reverse.
The crux of Saylor’s argument is that Bitcoin is safer than other financial assets. Since it is decentralized and provides no central authority, it will never be susceptible to manipulation or debasement that might affect fiat cryptocurrencies. By comparison, like all government-backed currencies, policies cannot inflate or devalue Bitcoin.
This decentralization, coupled with a fixed supply of 21 million coins, ensures it will hold value over time. According to Saylor, this makes it the final haven for investors who desire protection from economic instability and inflation. Demand will continue increasing as more firms realize the various benefits, driving the price to incredible proportions.
The Bold Bitcoin Plan of MicroStrategy
Saylor’s confidence in Bitcoin is more than just words on a page, given the actions of MicroStrategy. Since 2020, the company has purchased more than 244,000 bitcoins, which represents over 1% of the total supply. As a result of an investment of nearly $10 billion, MicroStrategy is sitting atop a blue-chip charge in what Saylor calls the “bitcoin standard” and is already starting to reap its benefits. Bitcoin has outperformed the S&P 500 and most major assets, delivering a stunning average annual return of 44%.
Saylor believes that for MicroStrategy to give up on cash will be one that every other person and company will have to go through once Bitcoin settles to become the supreme cryptocurrency. He says that when time goes by, even governments may find their way into Bitcoin as other hedges against economic uncertainty and cryptocurrency devaluation in the same way they currently do. According to him, Bitcoin is not just another asset; it’s an apex predator of finance.
Temper expectations: Is $13 million realistic?
Even though Michael Saylor is not entirely in the wrong for deeming Bitcoin superior to any other asset, this by no means mitigates the fact that his prediction of Bitcoin to hit $13 million is ambitious. Still, to one’s credit and as dubious as one may be, it’s difficult to ignore the fact that Bitcoin has come quite a long way since its origins and frequently beats expectations.
The exact journey of Bitcoin—from a niche digital cryptocurrency to a global financial phenomenon—can be described in nothing. With the increasing aptitude of older people to become technologically more accomplished and younger generations coming of age, the role is likely to increase greatly as they begin to become increasingly attuned to the benefits of digital currencies.
Given the fact that the economy is currently in an inflated fiat currency-dominated regime with increasing government deficits and sensitive geopolitical risks, the case for cryptocurrency, particularly Bitcoin as a hedge against uncertainty is extremely strong. The decentralized architecture, allied with its fixed supply, makes it an attractive proposition compared to traditional financial institutions, especially in this economically strained backdrop. Not least of that, institutional investment has only just begun to bet big in Bitcoin, so the following days might witness even quicker adoption.
Conclusion
Whether or not Bitcoin reaches $13 million per coin by 2045 is something that time needs to unveil, but there certainly is a lot of substance to what Saylor believes in Bitcoin as an investment vehicle in the long run. The features that are unique to this cryptocurrency seem to project an increase in its value over the years. Maybe it’s too early to predict such astronomical prices, but that is for sure—Bitcoin has proved itself resilient and revolutionary as an asset in the cryptocurrency market.
At around $60,000, Bitcoin certainly still has a lot of room to grow—especially if Saylor’s vision of wholesale adoption comes to pass. Investors should certainly remain optimistic but simultaneously cautious and always mindful of the risks associated with this market. But if history is any guide, the best days for Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency space may lie ahead.
