Cryptocurrency Expert Predicts Bitcoin Could Skyrocket Over 1,300% in Next Decade
By Adam Levy, March 21, 2026
After the cryptocurrency market’s significant downturn in early 2026, investors might find promising opportunities ahead. Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, an expert analyst in digital assets, forecasts that Bitcoin (BTC) could soar by more than 1,300% within the next ten years—potentially reaching a staggering $1 million per coin.
Bitcoin’s Current Market Situation
Following new all-time highs in the market throughout 2025, the crypto sector has cooled, with the CoinMarketCap 20 Index down over 30% since November. Despite the volatility, the cryptocurrency landscape continues to attract investors due to its potential for extraordinary long-term returns.
Bitcoin, currently priced around $68,871, faces skepticism as many in the crypto world have seen the landscape evolve. While initially marketed as “digital cash,” Bitcoin’s most compelling use today might be as a digital store of value — analogous to gold.
Bitcoin: From Digital Cash to Digital Gold
Hougan explains that blockchain innovations inspired by Bitcoin have created newer cryptocurrencies more suited for everyday transactions and smart contracts. Therefore, Bitcoin’s primary value proposition is shifting away from transactional use.
Instead, it’s becoming regarded as “digital gold” — a reliable store of value in a volatile financial world. The rationale: if investors extrapolate the potential size of the store-of-value market and Bitcoin’s share of that market, they can estimate Bitcoin’s future market capitalization and price per coin.
According to Hougan, the existing store-of-value market is roughly $38 trillion, dominated by gold holdings worth approximately $36 trillion. Drawing on gold’s returns since 2004, Hougan expects this market to grow to nearly $121 trillion over the next decade. Bitcoin capturing merely 17% of this expanded market could push its price to $1 million per coin.
Key Assumptions and Market Realities
Hougan’s prediction hinges on two major assumptions:
- The store-of-value market will grow at a rate consistent with gold’s historical performance over the past 20 years.
- Bitcoin will increase its market share from about 4% today to 17%.
However, history suggests caution. The impressive rise in gold prices recently may not sustain, as markets tend to revert to the mean. Over the extended period from 2005 to 2023, gold’s average annual returns moderate to around 8%. Moreover, gold experienced a mixed performance following its bull run between 2007 and 2011. The challenge is that Bitcoin is not perfectly aligned with gold’s price movements; since the start of 2025, they have often moved in opposite directions. This poses risks to the idea that Bitcoin is recognized broadly as a store of value equivalent to gold.
Growing Institutional Interest May Drive Demand
Despite these risks, demand for Bitcoin could continue to rise for reasons beyond the store-of-value narrative.
Bitcoin ETFs, such as the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), have seen rapid institutional adoption, with filings showing nearly 1,800 funds holding this ETF—a significant increase since its launch. Many investors now view Bitcoin as a portfolio diversification tool to complement stocks and bonds, not unlike how gold is used.
This increasing acceptance by large money managers could fuel Bitcoin’s price growth over the next decade—even if the catalyst is diversification and liquidity rather than solely store-of-value demand.
Conclusion
While Bitcoin’s future remains unpredictable and highly volatile, expert analysis suggests a compelling case for potential massive growth in the coming years. Hougan’s forecast of a $1 million Bitcoin is grounded in reasonable historical assumptions but should be approached with guarded optimism given the uncertainties inherent in crypto markets.
For now, investors looking for exposure to this promising digital asset should consider both the risks and rewards, recognizing that Bitcoin’s trajectory might be influenced by evolving perceptions, regulatory environments, and broader adoption trends.
About the Author:
Adam Levy is a contributing stock market analyst at The Motley Fool, specializing in technology, consumer, and financial sectors. He brings expertise in how economic and policy trends affect personal finance and investment strategies.
Disclosure:
Adam Levy holds positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool also holds and recommends Bitcoin and the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF. For more information, see The Motley Fool’s disclosure policy.
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