Bitcoin’s price may be sliding, but the mood among market participants is anything but bearish. Crypto analyst TheModernInvestor noted this week that most people still believe Bitcoin can rally higher, with Google searches for the asset climbing as investors look for buying opportunities in the downturn. The surge in optimism, the analyst said, stems from the CLARITY bill and expectations of an interest rate cut — plus a flurry of bold predictions from heavy hitters like Cathie Wood, Fidelity, and Michael Saylor.
Why the mood is shifting
TheModernInvestor argued that the market has reached a point where institutions, firms, and “almost everyone” are calling a fresh bull cycle. Some investors suggest the bear market or crypto winter is over. Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest, predicted Bitcoin could hit around $1 million per coin in the next few years. Asset manager Fidelity and MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor made similar bullish calls. The analyst pointed to a historical parallel: in 2017, when Larry Fink spoke about Bitcoin, the market moved largely on institutional signals. This time, it’s the same story — just louder and bigger.
The quantum-ready push
While optimism builds, a technical debate is brewing. Many top blockchains — including Ethereum, XRP, and Cardano — have announced plans to make their networks more quantum-resistant. Bitcoin developers are taking a different approach: they want to freeze older wallets, which they say makes the blockchain less secure if left untouched. That plan appears to target the wallet of Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, which holds roughly 1 million BTC. The move has sparked concern about the precedent it sets.
A warning from Galaxy Digital
Alex Thorn, Head of Firmwide Research at Galaxy Digital, warned that Nakamoto’s wallet must remain strictly untouched — even if Bitcoin’s price crashes 50% and altcoins drop 90%. Touching that stash, Thorn argued, would undermine Bitcoin’s fundamental principle of immutability. The debate pits security upgrades against the core ethos of the network.
What retail investors face
TheModernInvestor also had a sobering message for the crowd: this cycle could be one of the most difficult for retail investors. Even those already holding crypto may be surprised by developments through 2026. But the analyst expressed confidence that this decade will be one of the most remarkable periods for investing — if you can hold on through the turbulence.
No timeline has been set for the wallet-freezing proposal, and the industry remains split. For now, the optimism is real, but so are the unresolved questions about how far Bitcoin’s guardians will go to secure the network’s future.
