Bitcoin’s future depends on people, not governments, experts say

ambcryptoPublished on 2026-03-04Last updated on 2026-03-04

Abstract

Experts at Bitcoin Investor Week emphasized that Bitcoin's long-term success depends on public adoption rather than government support. Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) CEO Phong Le outlined the company's three-phase approach to Bitcoin investment, evolving from direct purchases to issuing equity instruments like perpetual preferreds, aimed at attracting traditional finance. Both Le and KindlyMD CEO David Bailey expressed strong long-term optimism, with Le stating they have no plans to sell Bitcoin unless it stagnates at $8,000 for five years. Bailey argued Bitcoin's progress is inevitable with growing ownership, though he predicted significant consolidation, with half of Bitcoin Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs) potentially disappearing in 18 months. Bitcoin's price broke key resistance, rising 7% to target $78,800.

Bitcoin’s long-term success is still being questioned to date.

Anthony Pompliano discussed it alongside the CEO of Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, Phong Le, and David Bailey, who is the CEO and chairman of KindlyMD, at Bitcoin Investor Week in New York.

They outlined what Bitcoin [BTC] needed to succeed and projected the potential outcomes for the rapidly rising narrative of Bitcoin Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs). Still, their long-term views remained optimistic.

Strategy’s three phases of buying BTC

Looking at Strategy [MSTR], which is the first BTC public holding company, it played a considerable role in graduating the crypto into Wall Street and traditional finance.

First, Strategy invested about $600 million in BTC. In the second phase, MSTR leveled up with the leverage coming primarily through convertible notes, which hit $12 billion.

However, the CEO said the move was not right for the long term.

Its latest phase was in 2025, when they raised $7 billion as they became a digital credit company issuing perpetual preferreds, which are equity instruments.

For instance, Stretch (STRC) traded on Nasdaq with an average volume of $150 million per day.

Regarding this, Phong Le said,

“If you want to match something like Bitcoin which has long duration high volatily, we need to provide a short duration low volatility product. That was STRC is.”

These products were accelerating BTC adoption as they shielded BTC investors who cannot stomach its volatility but wanted BTC’s underlying returns.

The CEO still recommended that those who wanted to buy BTC needed to have a long duration, like 4 to 5 years or so. Asked when they were selling their Bitcoins, Phong said,

“We are not selling our Bitcoin...but if Bitcoin trades at $8,000 for 5 years straight.”

What Bitcoin needs to be successful

The question of Bitcoin’s long-term success depended on the people rather than the government itself. In regard to this, David Bailey was bullish on Bitcoin, saying,

“If we really want the progress to continue, we need more people to own Bitcoin every year. And it’s just an inevitability...And Bitcoin will be successful with or without the government.”

The governments have seen it in their best interest to work with Bitcoin. For instance, the U.S. government moved 0.3346 BTC valued at $22,650, which could just be routine wallet management or testing flows.

Projections on Bitcoin DATs

While both Phong and Bailey agreed it was still early for Bitcoin, their projections for DATs were divided.

In Phong Le’s view, the more DATs there were, the better it was for Bitcoin. Bailey argued that still, these DATs needed inherent strengths like those of Strategy to be successful.

While he noted there was a lot of capital in DATs, Bailey said,

“I think half of those companies are going to disappear over the next 18 months. There is going to be a lot of consolidation that’s going to occur.”

Speaking of consolidation, BTC’s had just broken above the range between $62,960 and $70,900. It was up about 7% in 24 hours, and maintaining this momentum could push the price past $78,800.


Final Summary

  • Bitcoin Investor Week captures Strategy’s role in graduating Bitcoin to traditional markets.
  • Bailey says that Bitcoin needs the people and voters to succeed, not the government, but he projects that half of DATs could die in 18 months.

Trending Cryptos

Related Questions

QWhat are the three phases of Strategy's (MSTR) Bitcoin acquisition as outlined in the article?

AFirst, Strategy invested about $600 million in BTC. In the second phase, they used leverage from convertible notes, raising $12 billion. The latest phase in 2025 involved raising $7 billion by issuing perpetual preferreds as a digital credit company.

QAccording to the experts, what is the key factor for Bitcoin's long-term success?

AThe experts state that Bitcoin's long-term success depends on people and more individuals owning it every year, not on government support. David Bailey called it an 'inevitability' that Bitcoin will be successful with or without the government.

QWhat is the purpose of the STRC product mentioned by Phong Le?

AThe purpose of STRC is to provide a short-duration, low-volatility product that matches Bitcoin's long-duration, high-volatility nature. It accelerates BTC adoption by shielding investors who cannot stomach Bitcoin's volatility but want its underlying returns.

QWhat was David Bailey's projection for Bitcoin Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs)?

ADavid Bailey projected that half of the companies in the Bitcoin DAT space would disappear over the next 18 months, predicting that a lot of consolidation would occur. He argued that DATs need inherent strengths, like those of Strategy, to be successful.

QWhat recent price movement did Bitcoin article mention, and what was the potential next target?

AThe article mentioned that Bitcoin had broken above the range between $62,960 and $70,900 and was up about 7% in 24 hours. It stated that maintaining this momentum could push the price past $78,800.

Related Reads

Podcast Notes | Conversation with GSR Asset Management Head: To Determine if This Crypto Rally is Real, Just Watch the Lending Rates on Aave

Podcast Summary: Dialogue with GSR's Head of Asset Management: To Determine if This Crypto Rally is Real, Just Check Lending Rates on Aave Andy Baehr, Managing Director of Asset Management at GSR, discusses the current crypto market, characterizing it as stuck in a state of "ambivalence" with short-lived, unsustainable rallies. He outlines a simple framework: the market moves between "ambivalence" and "conviction" (sustained upward momentum). Currently, every rally resembles a single-stage rocket booster that quickly fizzles out. Baehr identifies three key signals to watch: 1) DeFi lending rates, 2) the potential passage of the CLARITY Act, and 3) the market forming a consensus on the "Fed hawkish peak." He emphasizes that the most immediate indicator for the sustainability of the recent CPI-triggered rally is the USDC borrowing rate on Aave, currently around 3.75%—close to U.S. Treasury yields. The absence of a credit spread indicates low leverage demand and a lack of market energy. He explains that a healthy, sustained rally requires layered buying pressure. Last year's rally progressed from an ETH short squeeze to crypto-native trader influx and finally to ETF inflows. Currently, this structure is missing. Other potential structural buyers like Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) companies are absent, and ETF flows have proven transient. Baehr notes that while small-cap crypto tokens outperformed large caps in Q2—a potential sign of capitation in major assets—capital is also flowing to more exciting opportunities like AI stocks and tech IPOs, leaving crypto sidelined. Regarding DeFi, he highlights that platforms like Aave provide a clear, real-time signal of leverage demand through their supply/demand-driven interest rates. A significant, sustained rate increase would signal genuine market conviction. He also observes the quiet emergence of fixed-income-like products and vaults in DeFi. On regulation, the probability of the CLARITY Act passing before the August 7th deadline has dropped linearly from 75% to below 40% on Polymarket. Baehr suggests its passage would be treated as a bullish surprise, a potent driver for price movement. However, political hurdles, including ethical clause debates and disclosures about the First Family's crypto profits, remain significant obstacles. Ultimately, the market awaits clarity on the Fed's terminal rate under Chair Warsh. Until the "Fed Solstice"—the point where the market collectively understands the peak of hawkish policy—sustained conviction will be difficult to achieve.

marsbit32m ago

Podcast Notes | Conversation with GSR Asset Management Head: To Determine if This Crypto Rally is Real, Just Watch the Lending Rates on Aave

marsbit32m ago

7 Months After the Collapse of Huiwang, Southeast Asia's Escrow Platforms Undergo a Major Reshuffle

Following the collapse of Huione Pay—dubbed the "Alipay of Southeast Asia"—seven months ago, the region's underground financial guarantee platform sector is undergoing a significant reshuffle. This power vacuum has been swiftly filled by emerging platforms such as XinBi, Tiger/Navigator, JinBei (renamed JinBo), Dali/Tiancheng, and FullyLight. These platforms, operating largely via Telegram and offering services like escrow for illicit transactions, have absorbed the vast user base and markets left behind by Huione. While positioning themselves as "trust intermediaries," their primary clientele consists of networks involved in online scams, money laundering, illegal gambling, and even human trafficking. For instance, the Tiger/Navigator platform explicitly provides "escrow" services for kidnapping-for-ransom operations ("强押车交易"). Data underscores the immense scale: Huione alone processed over $103 billion in cryptocurrency payments and facilitated over $31 billion through its escrow market before its downfall, linking it to Cambodia's notorious Prince Group. Since its collapse, competitors have seen explosive growth. For example, the XinBi platform has accumulated over $1.6 billion in total USDT revenue, while platforms like NewPay, OkPay (under Dali), and FullyLight Wallet collectively processed over $4.8 billion in USDT in a single year. This ecosystem thrives in regions like Cambodia and Myanmar, where regulatory gaps allow these platforms to act as critical financial infrastructure for sprawling cybercrime industries, from scam compounds to online casinos. The article concludes that the moniker "Southeast Asian Alipay" is a misnomer, obscuring the platforms' fundamental role in enabling serious criminal enterprises rather than representing legitimate financial innovation.

Odaily星球日报1h ago

7 Months After the Collapse of Huiwang, Southeast Asia's Escrow Platforms Undergo a Major Reshuffle

Odaily星球日报1h ago

Trading

Spot

Hot Articles

What is $BITCOIN

DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN): A Comprehensive Analysis Introduction to DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) is a blockchain-based project operating on the Solana network, which aims to combine the characteristics of traditional precious metals with the innovation of decentralized technologies. While it shares a name with Bitcoin, often referred to as “digital gold” due to its perception as a store of value, DIGITAL GOLD is a separate token designed to create a unique ecosystem within the Web3 landscape. Its goal is to position itself as a viable alternative digital asset, although specifics regarding its applications and functionalities are still developing. What is DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN)? DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) is a cryptocurrency token explicitly designed for use on the Solana blockchain. In contrast to Bitcoin, which provides a widely recognized value storage role, this token appears to focus on broader applications and characteristics. Notable aspects include: Blockchain Infrastructure: The token is built on the Solana blockchain, known for its capacity to handle high-speed and low-cost transactions. Supply Dynamics: DIGITAL GOLD has a maximum supply capped at 100 quadrillion tokens (100P $BITCOIN), although details regarding its circulating supply are currently undisclosed. Utility: While precise functionalities are not explicitly outlined, there are indications that the token could be utilized for various applications, potentially involving decentralized applications (dApps) or asset tokenization strategies. Who is the Creator of DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN)? At present, the identity of the creators and development team behind DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) remains unknown. This situation is typical among many innovative projects within the blockchain space, particularly those aligning with decentralized finance and meme coin phenomena. While such anonymity may foster a community-driven culture, it intensifies concerns about governance and accountability. Who are the Investors of DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN)? The available information indicates that DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) does not have any known institutional backers or prominent venture capital investments. The project seems to operate on a peer-to-peer model focused on community support and adoption rather than traditional funding routes. Its activity and liquidity are primarily situated on decentralized exchanges (DEXs), such as PumpSwap, rather than established centralized trading platforms, further highlighting its grassroots approach. How DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) Works The operational mechanics of DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) can be elaborated on based on its blockchain design and network attributes: Consensus Mechanism: By leveraging Solana’s unique proof-of-history (PoH) combined with a proof-of-stake (PoS) model, the project ensures efficient transaction validation contributing to the network's high performance. Tokenomics: While specific deflationary mechanisms have not been extensively detailed, the vast maximum token supply implies that it may cater to microtransactions or niche use cases that are still to be defined. Interoperability: There exists the potential for integration with Solana’s broader ecosystem, including various decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. However, the details regarding specific integrations remain unspecified. Timeline of Key Events Here is a timeline that highlights significant milestones concerning DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN): 2023: The initial deployment of the token occurs on the Solana blockchain, marked by its contract address. 2024: DIGITAL GOLD gains visibility as it becomes available for trading on decentralized exchanges like PumpSwap, allowing users to trade it against SOL. 2025: The project witnesses sporadic trading activity and potential interest in community-led engagements, although no noteworthy partnerships or technical advancements have been documented as of yet. Critical Analysis Strengths Scalability: The underlying Solana infrastructure supports high transaction volumes, which could enhance the utility of $BITCOIN in various transaction scenarios. Accessibility: The potential low trading price per token could attract retail investors, facilitating wider participation due to fractional ownership opportunities. Risks Lack of Transparency: The absence of publicly known backers, developers, or an audit process may yield skepticism regarding the project's sustainability and trustworthiness. Market Volatility: The trading activity is heavily reliant on speculative behavior, which can result in significant price volatility and uncertainty for investors. Conclusion DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) emerges as an intriguing yet ambiguous project within the rapidly evolving Solana ecosystem. While it attempts to leverage the “digital gold” narrative, its departure from Bitcoin's established role as a store of value underscores the need for a clearer differentiation of its intended utility and governance structure. Future acceptance and adoption will likely depend on addressing the current opacity and defining its operational and economic strategies more explicitly. Note: This report encompasses synthesised information available as of October 2023, and developments may have transpired beyond the research period.

973 Total ViewsPublished 2025.05.13Updated 2025.05.13

What is $BITCOIN

Discussions

Welcome to the HTX Community. Here, you can stay informed about the latest platform developments and gain access to professional market insights. Users' opinions on the price of BTC (BTC) are presented below.

活动图片