Top Analyst Warns Bitcoin Price Could Plummet to $10,000 Amid Deepening Bear Market
Key Takeaways
- Bitcoin’s value could potentially drop to $10,000 as part of an imploding bubble, suggests a renowned strategist.
- The decline could result in an 85% depreciation from current prices, calling for a major reality check in the crypto space.
- Influencing factors include AI-related disruptions in tech and a post-inflation deflation cycle, adding broader market pressure.
- Mike McGlone of Bloomberg Intelligence highlights Bitcoin’s susceptibility to external shocks and its linkage with tech stocks.
- Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER), powered by Solana technology, offers an alternative with speedy transactions and low fees.
WEEX Crypto News, 2026-02-17 13:42:35
Bitcoin, the pioneering cryptocurrency, is facing intense scrutiny as it teeters on the brink of a potential collapse predicted by some of the industry’s leading financial analysts. The digital currency, which has become synonymous with market volatility and enormous potential gains and losses, is now being warned against as a bubble ready to burst. Mike McGlone, the Senior Commodity Strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, notably offered a grim forecast that paints a picture of Bitcoin tumbling down to $10,000—a stark descent from its heights.
Is the Bubble Finally Bursting?
The warnings about Bitcoin have come at an undeniable moment of tension in the financial markets. McGlone, who’s known for his astute market observations, cautions that the current trajectory of Bitcoin is not merely a healthy market correction. Instead, he describes a scenario that demands a sober reality check, alluding to the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies that could soon unravel.
The market is witnessing a significant capital shift, especially as investors seek refuge in what’s known as the ‘AI scare trade’. This shift diverts attention and funds away from traditional digital assets like Bitcoin, which once enjoyed a much broader base of speculative capital. The prominence of tech and AI in modern investing has turned from being a growth driver to a possible risk factor due to fears surrounding technological disruptions.
McGlone points out that Bitcoin’s historical correlation with technology stocks, a relationship that previously buoyed its performance, could now become a significant vulnerability. As tech stocks grapple with the complexities of AI integration and market saturation, the struggles are reflective in the valuations of Bitcoin and similar assets.
Bitcoin’s “Possible” Path to $10,000
Navigating through the recent analyses, McGlone identifies $64,000 as a critical threshold for Bitcoin. Should the cryptocurrency plummet below this level, he foresees a potential nosedive that could bring Bitcoin down to the $10,000 mark. This prediction is not without precedent, as similar conditions were observed during Bitcoin’s downturns in 2018 and 2022. These periods were marked by severe market corrections driven by forced deleveraging and widespread liquidity shocks, though those conditions aren’t currently mirrored in today’s credit markets.
A telling indicator of the market’s sentiment is the roughly $678 million that exited Bitcoin ETFs in February, continuing a sweeping sell-off that began months prior. Yet, this ETF outflow, while significant, should be contextualized by the overall volume of assets managed across major investment vehicles. Despite this bearish outlook, many of these holdings still surpass levels seen before the approval of such investment funds, underscoring a complex layer of investor behavior.
On a more optimistic note, some on-chain models suggest Bitcoin’s bear market could bottom out near $55,000, offering a slightly more stable floor than the pessimistic $10,000 viewpoint. Nonetheless, McGlone’s perspective is entrenched in a harsher reality, influenced further by the aggressive selling activities observed in other risk asset categories such as gold and silver.
The Viability of Bitcoin Hyper as an Alternative
In this turbulent context, Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) emerges as a distinctive proposition. This emerging Bitcoin-centric Layer-2 solution, leveraging Solana’s technology, is designed to handle the unpredictable frothiness of the crypto world with its emphasis on speed, reduced transaction costs, and actual on-chain utility.
What sets Bitcoin Hyper apart is its avoidance of mere price speculation, offering a platform built for activity amidst the volatility that Bitcoin undergoes. The rising traction is evident as its presale accumulates over $31 million, with $HYPER tokens initially priced at $0.0136751. This alternative is gaining popularity as it aims to weather macroeconomic fluctuations where Bitcoin’s resilience faces testing times.
Contextual Background
The involvement of cryptocurrencies in mainstream finance over the past decade has been tumultuous. Originating as an alternative to traditional fiat, Bitcoin and its peers have evoked both profound optimism and criticism. They offer a frontier of financial freedom and technological advancement but also engender skepticism due to their inherent volatility and the challenges of integration into existing financial systems.
Bitcoin has historically shown its strength in adapting and rebounding from market dips, providing substantial returns for those who weather the storms of uncertainty. Yet, its enduring dependence on broader economic dynamics, including liquidity trends and investor behavior, draws parallels to the conventional equities market.
The scenarios painted by analysts like McGlone are notable for their influence on investor psychology, often swinging market sentiment as newcomers and experienced traders alike react to predictions on such influential platforms.
Broader Implications for Investors and the Crypto Market
For potential investors and participants in this market, the implications are multifold. McGlone’s cautionary advice highlights the intricate dance of market forces that impact cryptocurrency valuations. While some see it as an invitation to ‘buy the dips’, a strategy popular since the 2008 financial crisis, others may view it as a signal to exercise greater caution or diversify their holdings.
The apparent rotation of capital into technology and AI offers a glimpse into current investor priorities, where adaptability and innovative trajectories matter as much as traditional value assessments. The rise of Bitcoin Hyper exemplifies this shift towards diversified utility and strategic foresight over mere speculative gains in individual asset prices.
As these discussions evolve in an ever-shifting global economy, the relevance of platforms like WEEX comes into sharper focus. Empirically grounded insights and strategic foresight in advising crypto market participants underscore the necessity for robust risk assessments and informed decision-making in a rapidly changing financial landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What could cause Bitcoin’s value to drop to $10,000?
Analysts such as Mike McGlone foresee a dramatic decline in Bitcoin due to factors like reduced liquidity in the market, its correlation with struggling tech stocks, and broader economic shifts that negatively impact speculative assets. Past macroeconomic resets and systemic liquidity risks are additional concerns.
How does Bitcoin’s relationship with technology stocks affect its price?
Bitcoin often mirrors the performance of tech stocks due to overlapping investor bases and shared market sentiments. When tech stocks face pressure due to factors like AI disruptions, Bitcoin can similarly experience declines as investor confidence wavers.
What is Bitcoin Hyper and how does it differ from Bitcoin?
Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) is a Layer-2 solution utilizing Solana’s technology to enhance transaction speed and lower fees, providing real on-chain utility. Unlike Bitcoin, it focuses on activity amidst volatility rather than mere price holding, aiming to maintain functionality irrespective of broader market movements.
How significant are ETF outflows in predicting Bitcoin’s future trajectory?
ETF outflows, like the $678 million seen exiting Bitcoin, signal market sentiment but should be considered alongside the total assets under management which remain robust compared to pre-approval levels. Hence, while concerning, they don’t necessarily predict a complete market collapse.
Why is capital shifting from digital assets to AI investments?
The ‘AI scare trade’ indicates that investors are reallocating resources into sectors perceived to be more resilient or offering innovative growth prospects, like AI, thereby reducing exposure to assets seen as more speculative or risky, including certain cryptocurrencies.
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Debunking the AI Doomsday Myth: Why Establishment Inertia and the Software Wasteland Will Save Us
Editor's Note: Citrini7's cyberpunk-themed AI doomsday prophecy has sparked widespread discussion across the internet. However, this article presents a more pragmatic counter perspective. If Citrini envisions a digital tsunami instantly engulfing civilization, this author sees the resilient resistance of the human bureaucratic system, the profoundly flawed existing software ecosystem, and the long-overlooked cornerstone of heavy industry. This is a frontal clash between Silicon Valley fantasy and the iron law of reality, reminding us that the singularity may come, but it will never happen overnight.
The following is the original content:
Renowned market commentator Citrini7 recently published a captivating and widely circulated AI doomsday novel. While he acknowledges that the probability of some scenes occurring is extremely low, as someone who has witnessed multiple economic collapse prophecies, I want to challenge his views and present a more deterministic and optimistic future.
In 2007, people thought that against the backdrop of "peak oil," the United States' geopolitical status had come to an end; in 2008, they believed the dollar system was on the brink of collapse; in 2014, everyone thought AMD and NVIDIA were done for. Then ChatGPT emerged, and people thought Google was toast... Yet every time, existing institutions with deep-rooted inertia have proven to be far more resilient than onlookers imagined.
When Citrini talks about the fear of institutional turnover and rapid workforce displacement, he writes, "Even in fields we think rely on interpersonal relationships, cracks are showing. Take the real estate industry, where buyers have tolerated 5%-6% commissions for decades due to the information asymmetry between brokers and consumers..."
Seeing this, I couldn't help but chuckle. People have been proclaiming the "death of real estate agents" for 20 years now! This hardly requires any superintelligence; with Zillow, Redfin, or Opendoor, it's enough. But this example precisely proves the opposite of Citrini's view: although this workforce has long been deemed obsolete in the eyes of most, due to market inertia and regulatory capture, real estate agents' vitality is more tenacious than anyone's expectations a decade ago.
A few months ago, I just bought a house. The transaction process mandated that we hire a real estate agent, with lofty justifications. My buyer's agent made about $50,000 in this transaction, while his actual work — filling out forms and coordinating between multiple parties — amounted to no more than 10 hours, something I could have easily handled myself. The market will eventually move towards efficiency, providing fair pricing for labor, but this will be a long process.
I deeply understand the ways of inertia and change management: I once founded and sold a company whose core business was driving insurance brokerages from "manual service" to "software-driven." The iron rule I learned is: human societies in the real world are extremely complex, and things always take longer than you imagine — even when you account for this rule. This doesn't mean that the world won't undergo drastic changes, but rather that change will be more gradual, allowing us time to respond and adapt.
Recently, the software sector has seen a downturn as investors worry about the lack of moats in the backend systems of companies like Monday, Salesforce, Asana, making them easily replicable. Citrini and others believe that AI programming heralds the end of SaaS companies: one, products become homogenized, with zero profits, and two, jobs disappear.
But everyone overlooks one thing: the current state of these software products is simply terrible.
I'm qualified to say this because I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Salesforce and Monday. Indeed, AI can enable competitors to replicate these products, but more importantly, AI can enable competitors to build better products. Stock price declines are not surprising: an industry relying on long-term lock-ins, lacking competitiveness, and filled with low-quality legacy incumbents is finally facing competition again.
From a broader perspective, almost all existing software is garbage, which is an undeniable fact. Every tool I've paid for is riddled with bugs; some software is so bad that I can't even pay for it (I've been unable to use Citibank's online transfer for the past three years); most web apps can't even get mobile and desktop responsiveness right; not a single product can fully deliver what you want. Silicon Valley darlings like Stripe and Linear only garner massive followings because they are not as disgustingly unusable as their competitors. If you ask a seasoned engineer, "Show me a truly perfect piece of software," all you'll get is prolonged silence and blank stares.
Here lies a profound truth: even as we approach a "software singularity," the human demand for software labor is nearly infinite. It's well known that the final few percentage points of perfection often require the most work. By this standard, almost every software product has at least a 100x improvement in complexity and features before reaching demand saturation.
I believe that most commentators who claim that the software industry is on the brink of extinction lack an intuitive understanding of software development. The software industry has been around for 50 years, and despite tremendous progress, it is always in a state of "not enough." As a programmer in 2020, my productivity matches that of hundreds of people in 1970, which is incredibly impressive leverage. However, there is still significant room for improvement. People underestimate the "Jevons Paradox": Efficiency improvements often lead to explosive growth in overall demand.
This does not mean that software engineering is an invincible job, but the industry's ability to absorb labor and its inertia far exceed imagination. The saturation process will be very slow, giving us enough time to adapt.
Of course, labor reallocation is inevitable, such as in the driving sector. As Citrini pointed out, many white-collar jobs will experience disruptions. For positions like real estate brokers that have long lost tangible value and rely solely on momentum for income, AI may be the final straw.
But our lifesaver lies in the fact that the United States has almost infinite potential and demand for reindustrialization. You may have heard of "reshoring," but it goes far beyond that. We have essentially lost the ability to manufacture the core building blocks of modern life: batteries, motors, small-scale semiconductors—the entire electricity supply chain is almost entirely dependent on overseas sources. What if there is a military conflict? What's even worse, did you know that China produces 90% of the world's synthetic ammonia? Once the supply is cut off, we can't even produce fertilizer and will face famine.
As long as you look to the physical world, you will find endless job opportunities that will benefit the country, create employment, and build essential infrastructure, all of which can receive bipartisan political support.
We have seen the economic and political winds shifting in this direction—discussions on reshoring, deep tech, and "American vitality." My prediction is that when AI impacts the white-collar sector, the path of least political resistance will be to fund large-scale reindustrialization, absorbing labor through a "giant employment project." Fortunately, the physical world does not have a "singularity"; it is constrained by friction.
We will rebuild bridges and roads. People will find that seeing tangible labor results is more fulfilling than spinning in the digital abstract world. The Salesforce senior product manager who lost a $180,000 salary may find a new job at the "California Seawater Desalination Plant" to end the 25-year drought. These facilities not only need to be built but also pursued with excellence and require long-term maintenance. As long as we are willing, the "Jevons Paradox" also applies to the physical world.
The goal of large-scale industrial engineering is abundance. The United States will once again achieve self-sufficiency, enabling large-scale, low-cost production. Moving beyond material scarcity is crucial: in the long run, if we do indeed lose a significant portion of white-collar jobs to AI, we must be able to maintain a high quality of life for the public. And as AI drives profit margins to zero, consumer goods will become extremely affordable, automatically fulfilling this objective.
My view is that different sectors of the economy will "take off" at different speeds, and the transformation in almost all areas will be slower than Citrini anticipates. To be clear, I am extremely bullish on AI and foresee a day when my own labor will be obsolete. But this will take time, and time gives us the opportunity to devise sound strategies.
At this point, preventing the kind of market collapse Citrini imagines is actually not difficult. The U.S. government's performance during the pandemic has demonstrated its proactive and decisive crisis response. If necessary, massive stimulus policies will quickly intervene. Although I am somewhat displeased by its inefficiency, that is not the focus. The focus is on safeguarding material prosperity in people's lives—a universal well-being that gives legitimacy to a nation and upholds the social contract, rather than stubbornly adhering to past accounting metrics or economic dogma.
If we can maintain sharpness and responsiveness in this slow but sure technological transformation, we will eventually emerge unscathed.
Source: Original Post Link

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