Cryptocurrency
Why Bitcoin could reach $500,000
Bitcoin has already made significant ground on gold —going from whitepaper to over $200 billion.
It’s no longer news that the world’s most valuable crypto has become a trending financial instrument. Just recently, the founders of a leading American crypto exchange, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, gave an in-depth analysis on how Bitcoin could be worth over $500,000, within a couple of years.
If global central banks start to diversify their foreign fiat holdings into crypto, say 10%, then 45x gets revised upward towards 55x or $600,000 USD per bitcoin.
Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss went on to discuss major fundamental factors such as the likely return of higher Inflation. Cash stored in banks, according to them, will get run over.
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Money invested in assets like real estate or the stock market will keep pace. Money stored in gold or bitcoin will outrun the scourge. And money stored in bitcoin will run the fastest, overtaking gold.
The Gemini Exchange founders further illustrated the advantages bitcoin had by saying:
“Bitcoin has a significant first-mover advantage not only because it’s the first crypto as we know it, but because it was the first one with a gold-like store of value properties.
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“As such, it enjoys tremendous network effects (not dissimilar to those experienced by social networks like Facebook and Twitter) due to its vibrant community of users, developers, miners, exchanges, custodians, etc.
“Nothing demonstrates this better than the fact that Bitcoin is an open-source project that can be copied or forked by anyone in the world at any moment. And yet despite being forked many times over the years, it remains the dominant crypto (store of value or otherwise) both in terms of market capitalization and liquidity. This race is Bitcoin’s to lose.”
The Winklevoss brothers also spoke about the exponential growth in the world’s flagship Gemini Exchange market, by concluding with:
“Bitcoin has already made significant ground on gold — going from whitepaper to over $200 billion in market capitalization in under a decade.
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“Today, the market capitalization of above-ground gold is conservatively worth $9 trillion.
“If we are right about using a gold framework to value bitcoin, and bitcoin continues on this path, then the bull case scenario for bitcoin is that it is undervalued by a multiple of 45.”
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ABCON asks CBN to check impact of cryptocurrencies on diaspora remittances
The association also noted that the apex bank needs to address other issues driving the patronage of cryptocurrency exchanges for remittance transfers.
The Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to introduce measures that will neutralize the positive effects of cryptocurrencies as a channel for diaspora remittances.
This is to redirect diaspora remittances away from cryptocurrency exchanges to official channels and also protect such against potential disruptions.
This call was made by ABCON during its Quarterly Economic Review for the first quarter of 2021 where it commended the CBN for the N5/$ rebate scheme introduced to encourage diaspora Nigerians to use official channels to remit their funds.
However, the association noted that the apex bank needs to address other issues driving the patronage of cryptocurrency exchanges for remittance transfers.
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What ABCON is saying in their statement
The association in its statement said, “It is noteworthy that public acceptability for cryptocurrency exchanges are rising which could be quite accountable for the wide drop in diaspora inflows to Nigeria. Insecurity in the country is giving it greater prominence as investors and citizens are finding Cryptocurrency a safe haven for their wealth in case of any eventuality.
In most Emerging Markets Bitcoin transfers surged last year, as the pandemic exposed the cheaper and more efficient digital remittance services. Migrants sending money across borders to their families prefer the minimal transaction costs of cryptocurrency exchanges against the exorbitant costs of traditional money transfer companies like Western Union.”
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According to ABCON, “Cryptocurrency transactions are faster than the conventional transfers, which require passing through banks reliant SWIFT, the sluggish, half-century-old interbank messaging system that handles cross-border payments.
These exchanges override the political complications of official channels. The global reach of cryptocurrencies avoids the inflation risk inherent to official currencies, especially in politically unstable countries reliant on fickle foreign investors.
Thus, while we commend the efforts of CBN in introducing the package of Five Naira for One Dollar transfer, it can be seen from the analysis above that the challenges exceed just non-payment of foreign currency by the IMTCs and the exchange rate. Strategies that satisfy the most sensitive of these advantages of Cryptocurrency exchanges must be introduced to redirect flows to the official channel.”
ABCON also expressed concerns over the country’s huge unemployment rate, urging the government to apply radical approaches with the use of both conventional and unconventional economic and political tools to redress the trend.
READ: Afreximbank President reveals ways Nigeria can boost diaspora participation in economy
What you should know
- It can be recalled that the apex bank had about 2 months ago, warned the Deposit Money Banks, Non-Financial Institutions and other Financial Institutions against doing business in crypto and other digital assets.
- The CBN directed financial institutions to immediately close the accounts of persons or entities transacting in or operating cryptocurrency exchanges, warning of severe regulatory sanctions in the event of any breach of the directive.
- The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had a few days ago, revealed that it is working with the CBN for a better understanding and regulation of cryptocurrencies in the country.
