Bitcoin's resilience continues to impress market observers as the world's largest cryptocurrency maintains its upward trajectory in 2025. Currently hovering around $97,000, Bitcoin has staged a remarkable recovery since its 2022 bottom of approximately $16,000. But the burning question on everyone's mind remains: how high can Bitcoin go?

Joe Burnett, Director of Market Research at Unchained, believes we're only scratching the surface of Bitcoin's potential, with forecasts of $250,000 this year and a staggering $1 million by 2030.

How High Can Bitcoin Go? The Case for $250,000 BTC Price in 2025

"I definitely would not be surprised at all to see $200,000 Bitcoin or $250,000 Bitcoin this year," Burnett stated during a recent Cointelegraph Chain Reaction show on X (formerly Twitter). His bullish outlook isn't merely wishful thinking but grounded in several converging factors.

Burnett points to improving macroeconomic conditions as a key driver: "Looking at the current macro setup for Bitcoin, global M2 is starting to break out, the VIX hit a recent all-time high that we didn't see since literally March 2020 and before that December 2008."

I'll be pondering bitcoin this morning with my friends at @Cointelegraph! https://t.co/DyOxIVk4RF

— Joe Burnett, MSBA (@IIICapital) May 1, 2025

This period of market stress could be setting the stage for a significant rally. As Burnett explains, "When the bottom is in on assets and global liquidity starts expanding, I think that's the moment in time you want to get on the fastest horse, and I believe the fastest horse is Bitcoin."

The institutional adoption wave continues to gather momentum. Corporate treasuries like MicroStrategy and newly formed entities like 21 Capital are aggressively accumulating Bitcoin, often borrowing dollars to do so. This trend of "speculative attacks" on fiat currency could accelerate Bitcoin's rise.

"If the price starts running, I think individuals within corporations and governments will feel the same FOMO," Burnett notes. "There could be fear also of losing things... my assets are actually going down measured in Bitcoin."

The Path to $1 Million Bitcoin by 2030

Looking further ahead, Burnett believes Bitcoin could reach $1 million by 2030, representing more than a 10x increase from current levels. This projection is supported by his analysis of Bitcoin's fundamental advantages over traditional stores of value.

"Gold-Bitcoin parity right now is like over $1,000,000 per Bitcoin. So that's over a 10X at this point," Burnett explained. "And arguably, in my opinion, Bitcoin is significantly better than gold. It's multiples or magnitudes better than gold itself because it's perfectly scarce and it can be teleported over the internet."

When may bitcoin hit $50mm?

h/t @saylor pic.twitter.com/oQMmZ0VPKB

— Joe Burnett, MSBA (@IIICapital) May 1, 2025

Bitcoin's unique monetary properties give it an edge over both traditional assets and other cryptocurrencies. As Burnett articulates, "Bitcoin is the least uncertain monetary tool. It's not perfectly certain because nothing on Earth is perfectly certain, but it has the least amount of uncertainty and the monetary policy for Bitcoin in particular is the most immutable."

Bitcoin Price Forecasts 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 Table

Cathie Wood's ARK Invest projects Bitcoin could reach between $1.5 million and $2.4 million by 2030, driven by institutional adoption and demand for BTC as an asset class.

Options Market (Deribit) traders are placing bets on Bitcoin reaching $300,000 by June 2025, reflecting bullish sentiment in the options market.

Bitcoin vs. Fiat vs. Crypto

Understanding how Bitcoin differs from both fiat currencies and other cryptocurrencies helps explain its potential for substantial growth. Burnett offers a clear distinction:

"With Bitcoin, no one can print money. Bitcoin kind of is the best of both worlds when it comes to its scarcity and portability, it's extremely scarce. It's also extremely portable."

This stands in stark contrast to fiat currencies, which central banks can and do print at will, and other cryptocurrencies, which lack Bitcoin's immutable monetary policy and network effects.

Bitcoin is censorship resistant money.

Payments and savings cannot be censored.

Most people don’t have issues with payment censorship, but everyone has issues with savings censorship (fiat monetary debasement).

Bitcoin as savings solves a $500T problem.

— Joe Burnett, MSBA (@IIICapital) May 4, 2025

Global Liquidity and Bitcoin's Price

One of the most compelling correlations supporting higher Bitcoin prices is global liquidity. Burnett notes that "global liquidity and there's various different ways that you could define that... they found a very high correlation with Bitcoin and global liquidity."

Historical data shows that when global M2 (a measure of money supply) increases, Bitcoin tends to experience parabolic price movements. With global liquidity measurements starting to increase again after years of stagnation, conditions appear favorable for another significant Bitcoin rally.

"For the last 30 years, the effective cost of capital has been the S&P 500 index. This is the benchmark your capital has to return to [avoid] getting poorer.

The S&P 500 index has gone up 7% per year for [last] 50 years, while the U.S. dollar currency supply has gone up 7%.… pic.twitter.com/gKZuniE9ee

— Anil ⚡ (@anilsaidso) May 2, 2025

The Sovereign Race for Bitcoin

Perhaps the most intriguing catalyst for Bitcoin's potential rise is the emerging competition among nation-states to acquire it. With the US executive order establishing a National Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Senator Cynthia Lummis proposing legislation to facilitate government Bitcoin purchases, the stage could be set for an international race to accumulate the scarce digital asset.

"At some point it's only a matter of time before people really catch on to what's happening," Burnett explains. "If you can do that and other countries can do that, why don't we start spending our money that we can print on the only money that can't be printed, which would be Bitcoin."

For long-term Bitcoin holders, Michael Saylor's insight resonates: "It's not about moving $1 billion from here to Tokyo. It's about moving $1 billion from here to 2040." With forecasts of $250,000 this year and $1 million by 2030, Bitcoin's journey appears to be just beginning.

Bitcoin News, FAQ

How high can Bitcoin go in 2030?

Several analysts foresee significant upside for Bitcoin by 2030. Joe Burnett of Unchained projects a price of $1 million, citing Bitcoin’s scarce supply, increasing institutional adoption, and growing global liquidity. Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest offers even more ambitious forecasts, suggesting Bitcoin could reach between $1.5 million and $2.4 million in a bullish scenario. These estimates reflect the belief that Bitcoin will continue to gain traction as a store of value and hedge against fiat currency debasement.

Can Bitcoin reach $1 million?

Yes, reaching $1 million by 2030 is within the range of multiple analysts’ long-term forecasts. Burnett argues that Bitcoin’s monetary properties—finite supply, portability, and immutability—support a valuation comparable or superior to gold. With expanding institutional interest and potential national-level accumulation, a $1 million Bitcoin is increasingly viewed as plausible, especially if global liquidity continues to rise.

What will 1 Bitcoin be worth in 2050?

While specific forecasts for 2050 are scarce, projections imply that if current adoption trends continue and Bitcoin displaces traditional stores of value like gold, its price could exceed $1 million by a wide margin. Analysts like Robert Kiyosaki predict $1 million by 2035, which suggests even higher valuations may be possible by 2050—contingent on macroeconomic trends, monetary policy, and Bitcoin’s regulatory environment.

How high could Bitcoin realistically go?

Realistic projections depend on global economic conditions, institutional adoption, and Bitcoin’s role in future financial systems. For now, estimates range from $250,000 in the near term (2025) to $1 million or more by 2030. Factors such as expanding money supply, sovereign accumulation strategies, and Bitcoin’s unique scarcity support these forecasts. However, price growth will likely remain volatile and subject to macroeconomic and geopolitical variables.