Bitcoin stalls at $94k, VanEck dreams of $53m… by 2050

Bitcoin’s long-term upside may be staggering, but in the short term the world’s largest cryptocurrency remains stuck in a holding pattern.

Bitcoin (BTC) could surge to $53 million by 2050 if it becomes a settlement currency for global trade, according to a new analysis from VanEck, even as the asset struggles to break out of a broad consolidation range after repeated rejections near $94,000.

In a note to investors dated January 8, the $181 billion asset manager outlined three scenarios for Bitcoin’s future. Its bull case assumes Bitcoin achieves parity with—or surpasses—gold as a global reserve asset, ultimately accounting for nearly 30% of global financial assets, analysts Matthew Sigel and Patrick Bush wrote. VanEck’s base case pegs Bitcoin at $2.9 million by 2050, while its bear case still envisions a rise to $130,000.

The forecast underscores how traditional finance firms are becoming increasingly comfortable making aggressive long-term bets on crypto, a sharp shift from years of skepticism toward digital assets.

Yet, near-term price action tells a more cautious story

After multiple failed attempts to reclaim the $94,000 highs, market structure suggests distribution, with sellers consistently absorbing demand at the upper end of the range. That dynamic has kept Bitcoin locked in a broader consolidation phase, even as the market stabilizes following October’s liquidation-driven selloff that wiped roughly $1 trillion from total crypto market value.

For now, Bitcoin appears caught between bold institutional conviction about its future role in global finance and a market still searching for the momentum needed to break higher.

The $94,000 region appears to have served as a persistent resistance since early December. Despite multiple attempts to reclaim this area, price has failed to close above it on a sustained basis, reinforcing the idea that supply remains dominant at higher levels.

Bitcoin price key technical points

• Bitcoin has been rejected multiple times from the $94,000 range high
• Price is now trading below the Point of Control, weakening short-term structure
• Continued rejection opens the probability of a rotation toward $80,000 range low

Distribution phases

Distribution phases typically occur when price trades near the upper boundary of a range without sufficient volume expansion to drive continuation.

In Bitcoin’s case, rallies into resistance have lacked decisive follow-through, while selling pressure has consistently emerged at similar levels.

This behavior suggests that larger market participants may be distributing positions rather than aggressively accumulating.

The inability to close above $94,000 on a higher time frame further supports this view. Without acceptance above resistance, price remains vulnerable to rotational moves lower within the range, a dynamic unfolding as Colombia mandates crypto exchanges to report Bitcoin, Ether, and stablecoin users, adding a layer of regulatory pressure to market sentiment.

Point of control and market balance

A key development following the most recent rejection is Bitcoin’s acceptance back below the Point of Control. From a market profile perspective, the Point of Control represents the price level where the highest volume of trading has occurred and often acts as a pivot for market balance.

Trading below this level shifts short-term control back to sellers and increases the probability that price will explore lower value areas. Acceptance below the Point of Control suggests that the market is no longer comfortable sustaining higher prices, reinforcing the distribution narrative.

As long as Bitcoin remains below this level, upside attempts are more likely to be corrective rather than impulsive, keeping the broader structure range-bound.

Downside liquidity and range rotation

With resistance holding and price trading below the Point of Control, the next logical technical move is a rotation toward the lower end of the range. The range low near $80,000 represents the next major area of interest, where demand previously entered the market and halted downside momentum.

From a liquidity perspective, there is comparatively less traded volume between current price and the range low, making downside rotations more technically efficient. Markets often move toward areas of lower liquidity to rebalance supply and demand, particularly when higher levels fail to attract sustained buying interest.

A move toward $80,000 would not necessarily signal a breakdown, but rather a continuation of the existing range structure that has defined Bitcoin’s price action in recent months.

What to expect in the coming price action

As long as Bitcoin remains capped below the $94,000 resistance and continues to trade beneath the Point of Control, the probability of further downside rotation remains elevated. The $80,000 region stands out as the next key support level to monitor if selling pressure persists.