At present, Bitcoin trades at roughly $96,770 on May 7, 2025, reflecting a modest upswing amid sideways consolidation (CoinMarketCap via finance data)
, while the total cryptocurrency market capitalization hovers near $3.09 trillion, up just 26.5 percent year-over-year (CoinGecko) . Changpeng Zhao’s bold projection that Bitcoin could soar to $500,000–$1 million this cycle, pushing the entire market cap to $5 trillion, assumes an almost doubling of total market value within eight months—a scenario that clashes with prevailing analyst estimates. To hit even $500,000, Bitcoin’s market cap alone would need to expand to about $10 trillion, far exceeding a $5 trillion ceiling for all digital assets combined (circulating supply × price). By contrast, respected forecasters such as Bitwise, Standard Chartered, and VanEck anticipate Bitcoin reaching between $180,000 and $500,000 by 2025, contingent on continued ETF inflows and macro-policy support . Personally, I view a more attainable peak this cycle in the $200,000–$250,000 range, driven by the upcoming halving and incremental institutional adoption rather than a meteoric “moonshot” surge.
