Historic Crypto Bull Market in Next 18-24 Months – Here’s What To Expect

In a recent letter from Pantera Capital, a leading blockchain investment firm, a bold prediction about the imminent crypto market surge marked the onset of what they deem the fourth-largest cycle in history. 

The forecast anticipates a crypto market bull run lasting 18 to 24 months, supported by several key factors as lined out below – 

The Absence of Bad Things

Pantera’s letter emphasizes the positive impact of the absence of adverse events, citing the tumultuous years of 2022 and 2023, marked by unprecedented global market swings. 

Despite challenges, the cryptocurrency space, including blockchain markets, withstood a 70% decrease in total market capitalization.

The letter states, “Since none of those could kill blockchain, the absence of those super bad things is, on the margin, a massive positive.”

The letter underlines the positive legal developments, including rulings favoring blockchain clarity, such as Ripple’s XRP and Grayscale’s lawsuit victories. With institutional adoption gaining momentum post-the-spot bitcoin ETF launch, Pantera sees these developments converging with the upcoming Bitcoin halving, creating a favorable environment for the most outstanding crypto bull market.

Kristin Smith, CEO of Blockchain Association, believes that “Whether it be the SEC or the CFTC, they don’t have a lot of tools at their disposal. And so using enforcement actions to try to find the line is one of the present tools that they have at their disposal.”

Bitcoin’s Programmability and DeFi Potential

Pantera Capital’s Franklin Bi highlights Bitcoin’s untapped potential, branding it as the most neglected asset globally. He has explained Bitcoin’s evolution as both an asset and technology in detail, exploring its programmability challenges. 

Bi suggests  Bitcoin’s recent developmental trajectory, referring to upgrades like Taproot and BRC-20 tokens, signaling a potential breakthrough for decentralized finance (DeFi) on the Bitcoin network.

The letter addresses DeFi’s potential with Bitcoin as a “Half Trillion Dollar Opportunity.” The potential value of DeFi applications on Bitcoin is to be worth $225 billion if it mirror Ethereum’s proportions. The leading DeFi application on Bitcoin could eventually be valued at $20 billion, representing a substantial untapped market within the crypto ecosystem.

Neel Maitra, Partner at Wilson Sonsini comments, “I think globally, you’re going to see some serious attempt to put forward a regulatory framework for DeFi.”

Bitcoin Halving Impact

Pantera revisits the impact of Bitcoin halving, projecting a price surge based on historical analysis. Despite Efficient Markets Theory suggesting pricing anticipation, Pantera asserts, “Even if we think everybody knows something, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a ton of money to be made.”

Moreover, Pantera’s letter shows its efforts in exploring tokenized U.S. treasuries within the growing realm of real-world assets on the blockchain. The joint letter emphasizes the benefits, including enhanced liquidity and global accessibility. The discussion on regulatory developments features insights from Pantera’s Chief Legal Officer, Katrina Paglia, and key players in Washington D.C.

All in all … 

Pantera Capital’s comprehensive analysis has given us a detailed picture of the reasons shaping a strong crypto bull market in the coming 18 to 24 months. The study highlights strong factors like legal developments, institutional adoption, Bitcoin’s programmability, and the untapped potential of DeFi.