"RBC-Crypto" does not provide investment advice; the material is published for informational purposes only. Cryptocurrency is a volatile asset that can lead to financial losses.
The week of August 17 saw Bitcoin make an impressive price surge from around $62k to nearly $80k per coin. The trigger was the US Treasury's decision to double the buyback of government bonds to reduce market stress. Concurrently, a number of leading players in the crypto market made forecasts for the main cryptocurrency's price, citing figures around $500k per Bitcoin in the coming years. However, the short-term picture is mixed.
"Negative factors are almost gone," and speculative capital has been washed out of the Bitcoin market, describes American independent macroeconomist Lyn Alden. She added that even relatively small growth at this stage could attract new buyers, which would strengthen Bitcoin's rate.
Against this backdrop, many other experts have again started talking about Bitcoin price forecasts in the long term, suggesting multiple-fold growth in the coming years.
Up to $500k per Bitcoin
British bank Standard Chartered set a target of $100k for Bitcoin by the end of 2026: the US Treasury's decision on bond buybacks became a powerful catalyst for liquidity, and breaking the $65k level, in their opinion, is a sign that the bottom of the current cycle has been passed.
Head of Digital Asset Research at VanEck, Matthew Sigel, noted that the correction that started from the October 2025 peak ($126.2k per Bitcoin) is coming to an end.
"$100k will be next year. If the cycle follows the historical scenario, by 2029 we could see $500k," Sigel remarked.
A few days ago, VanEck noted that the Bitcoin accumulation phase in this cycle will begin in September. They indicated that at the time of the report, 8 out of 12 signals indicating the end of the correction phase had already been triggered.
Head of the largest crypto exchange, Coinbase's Brian Armstrong called it "very likely" for Bitcoin to reach the $300-400k mark by 2030. He noted the adoption and regulatory clarity regarding cryptocurrencies in the US.
Despite the rising rates and positive investor sentiment in recent days, experts earlier, when evaluating historical data, concluded that the cycle bottom would only be passed in the autumn of 2026.
Bitcoin's Near-Term Prospects
In a comment for "RBC-Crypto", Alexander Peresichan, General Director of "Technobit" company, noted that Bitcoin could consolidate above $80k, but only if sustained demand from the spot market and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continues. If profit-taking begins, a correction is likely, especially against the backdrop of low exit liquidity.
In his opinion, the current impulse is "more of a sigh of relief than a signal of a long-term trend reversal." And the market is still extremely sensitive to inflation expectations and geopolitics: "Any negative news can quickly return BTC to the $65-67k zones, while positive signals can support or extend the rebound."
The expert outlined two scenarios for the weekend. The optimistic one involves holding the price above $76-77k and subsequent movement towards $80k. The pessimistic scenario looks like a pullback to $74-75k, and with strong selling pressure, to $72-73k.
"For now, I wouldn't call the current price movement a fully confirmed trend: the upcoming weekend will show if there is sustainable demand underneath it," Peresichan concluded.
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