The price of bitcoin could reach $250,000-500,000 within 12-24 months due to an influx of investments and growing interest in the asset. This opinion was expressed by Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson. "This will lead to an ecosystem whose value will start to approach the market capitalization of gold, an asset that people have used as a means of savings for over 5,000 years. Bitcoin fulfills this role on the internet and will maintain it in the foreseeable future," said the entrepreneur.

According to him, the catalysts for demand for the first cryptocurrency will be DeFi and governments.

"No matter how good Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano are, let's be honest: authorities talk about strategic reserves exclusively in bitcoin. This is their entry point," emphasized Hoskinson.

He reminded that the layer of decentralized finance for the blockchain of digital gold was opened with the Taproot update. This allows the first cryptocurrency to turn into "an awakened giant that is four times larger than Solana and Ethereum combined."

"The reality is that when these gateways open, I believe DeFi in the bitcoin ecosystem will overshadow this segment in the entire industry within 24-36 months.