Atlas Capital CEO Reza Bundy has a grim near-term forecast for bitcoin — a 70% crash — but he insists the cryptocurrency will eventually reach $500,000. Bundy, whose firm counts economist Nouriel Roubini as a backer, made the prediction in a interview this week, drawing on the same bearish macroeconomic lens Roubini is known for.
Who is Reza Bundy
Bundy runs Atlas Capital, a relatively young asset manager that positions itself at the intersection of macro risk and digital assets. The firm’s marquee backer is Nouriel Roubini, the economist who famously predicted the 2008 housing crash. Roubini has long been skeptical of crypto — he’s called bitcoin a “bubble” and a “Ponzi” in the past. That makes Bundy’s partnership with him an unusual one: a crypto bull and a permanent bear sitting on the same board.
The crash call
Bundy didn’t specify a timeline for the 70% decline, but the number itself is stark. If bitcoin were around, say, $70,000 today — we’re not quoting prices, just illustrating the magnitude — a 70% drop would take it below $25,000. That would be a wipeout of the kind the market hasn’t seen since the 2022 contagion. Bundy frames the crash as a cleansing move, a shakeout that clears weak hands before a monster rally to $500,000.
The $500,000 target isn’t new in crypto bull circles, but coming from a CEO backed by Roubini, it carries a different weight. It suggests that even the most bearish macro minds see a scenario where bitcoin absorbs enough shock to become a serious store of value.
What the market is watching
Bitcoin has been range-bound for much of 2026, with volatility compressing to levels that traders describe as “boring.” A Bundy-style crash isn’t priced in, but the prediction itself could become a self-fulfilling prophecy if enough leveraged players start hedging for it. The timing isn’t great — regulatory clarity in the U.S. is still patchy, and the Fed hasn’t signaled a rate pivot yet.
The real question is whether Roubini’s involvement means Bundy’s firm is shorting bitcoin along the way. Atlas Capital hasn’t disclosed its current positions, and Bundy didn’t say whether he plans to trade the crash. For now, the market has only his words — and the name of his famous backer — to chew on.
