Bitcoin Won’t Hit $400,000 This Cycle, VanEck CEO Reveals Realistic Price Target

As a seasoned crypto investor with over two decades of experience navigating various financial markets, Jan van Eck’s insights resonate deeply with me. His conservative approach to Bitcoin price prediction is refreshing and aligns with my own investment philosophy – it’s always prudent to err on the side of caution when dealing with such a volatile asset.


During a discussion with Mario Nawfal, Jan van Eck, head of the $118 billion international investment firm VanEck, shared his insights on Bitcoin‘s future trend, the U.S. budget deficit, and the overall financial market landscape. Unlike some extremely optimistic predictions, van Eck presented a more restrained price projection for Bitcoin during this bullish phase.

According to Van Eck, his prediction is that Bitcoin will adhere to its halving cycle and anticipates a price range between $150,000 and $180,000 for this particular cycle as a potential target. He also expressed skepticism about Bitcoin reaching $400,000 in the current cycle, but believes it could reach that mark or even surpass it (depending on gold’s price) in the next cycle, where he forecasts it will hit half the value of gold.

In reference to the US fiscal deficit, van Eck referred to it as a major issue that’s hard to ignore, much like an elephant in a room. He expressed concern about the current spending habits, stating that if any other nation were in this position, they would be on the verge of financial collapse. In simpler terms, he thinks the way we’re spending money now is not sustainable and could potentially lead to bankruptcy for any other country.

He outlined two prevailing schools of thought in Washington regarding fiscal policy. The first is the lobbyist perspective, which asserts that it’s impossible to cut spending significantly, resulting in minimal slowing of growth in the budget deficit. The second is the “extreme disruptors” approach, advocating for a $500 billion cut in government spending.

According to Vivek Ramaswamy, who is the co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Van Eck attributed a significant number to him. This figure signifies that there are around 1,200 government programs that are no longer authorized yet continue to spend money. This means they could be terminated using an executive order, as stated by Van Eck. He characterized this goal as both ‘healthy’ and ‘realistic’, even though he admitted it wouldn’t eliminate the entire deficit, which stood at $1.8 trillion last year.

Regarding the market’s response to President Trump’s election, van Eck found it surprising that even though the electoral result was clear, there still seemed to be confusion about the specifics of their fiscal policy. In his words, “We saw a landslide victory by one political party, but we’re not sure what their plans are for fiscal policy.

He noted that the initial market reaction was negative for gold because of the possibility of government restructuring. “The initial reaction was negative gold because the idea was, wow, maybe they will be able to restructure government. Never bet against Elon, right?” he said.

Van Eck also addressed the ongoing geopolitical conflicts, specifically focusing on the turmoil in Ukraine and the deployment of missiles capable of reaching deep into Russian territory. Recognizing that these events could potentially influence financial markets, he warned, “The issue is that geopolitical matters are essentially uninvestable. We can’t predict what the next news headline will be, nor can we determine if it will have a positive or negative impact.” He suggested that seasoned investors often opt to “take no action” when faced with geopolitical uncertainty.

Catalysts For Bitcoin Price

On the subject of institutional interest in Bitcoin and regulatory shifts, van Eck emphasized that the regulatory environment plays a crucial role. “It really depends on the regulatory environment,” he said. He pointed out that while regions like Asia have seen regulators giving the green light, the US has been relatively quiet. However, he noted a recent uptick in interest: “Now, with the new regime, suddenly the phone is ringing.”

Van Eck openly shared his individual financial approach, explaining, “This is why I hold substantial personal investments in Bitcoin and gold.” Showing confidence in Bitcoin’s development, he drew an analogy, saying, “In a way, it’s like watching a teenager grow – the key to maturity lies in the arrival of new groups of investors.” He pointed out that while retail investors have taken an interest in Bitcoin ETFs, the broader wealth management sector has yet to fully participate.

Regarding the connection between Bitcoin and the NASDAQ market, specifically the NASDAQ, van Eck voiced concern about the strong correlation: “What gave me pause was how closely Bitcoin was tracking with the NASDAQ.” He clarified that this high correlation made Bitcoin less enticing for professional investors who were already heavily invested in large-cap tech stocks. Yet, he remains optimistic that the correlation will decrease: “I’m hoping and predicting that its correlation will return to zero, which it usually has been over the long term.

At press time, BTC traded at $95,350.

Read More

2024-11-28 14:46