Key Points
Bitcoin has dropped 40% from its all-time high.
But it’s still built to keep growing as the fiat currencies fizzle out.
Bitcoin(CRYPTO: BTC), the world's most valuable cryptocurrency, reached its all-time high of more than $126,000 last October. But as of this writing, it trades at about $76,000. Let's see why Bitcoin stumbled over the past six months -- and why it could still generate millionaire-making gains for patient investors who can stomach the near-term volatility.
Why did Bitcoin's price pull back?
In 2024 and 2025, three catalysts drove Bitcoin's price higher: the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) finally approved Bitcoin's first spot price exchange-traded funds (ETFs), its latest "halving" cut its mining rewards in half, and the Fed cut its benchmark rates six times.
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Those tailwinds supported the bullish argument that Bitcoin was "digital gold", and it attracted a lot more attention from institutional, corporate, and government investors. Expectations for additional interest rate cuts in 2026 and beyond amplified those gains.
But with most of those catalysts in the rearview mirror, Bitcoin faced tougher challenges in 2026. Inflation and new geopolitical conflicts prompted the Fed to pause its rate cuts, prompting investors to sell their Bitcoin and pivot back toward more conservative investments. Bitcoin's declining price also triggered leveraged liquidations, further exacerbating its losses.
Why could Bitcoin still be a millionaire-maker?
Bitcoin faces many near-term challenges, but it's designed to become scarcer and more valuable -- which arguably makes it comparable to gold, silver, and other hard commodities. Bitcoin has a supply cap of 21 million tokens, and nearly 20 million have already been mined.
With every four-year halving, it becomes increasingly difficult to mine Bitcoin profitably. The last token will likely be mined in 2140. Those hard limitations make Bitcoin easier to value than other cryptocurrencies, many of which have unlimited supplies.
Bitcoin's bulls believe the token, along with gold and other precious metals, will become more valuable as expansionary monetary policies devalue the leading fiat currencies. Strategy's (NASDAQ: MSTR) co-founder and chairman, Michael Saylor -- one of Bitcoin's most outspoken "Maximalists" -- expects its price to hit $21 million by 2046 as the U.S. dollar collapses.
That's a bold prediction -- but the U.S. dollar has already lost about 30% of its purchasing power over the past decade, while Bitcoin's price has skyrocketed by 16,940%. If Bitcoin's price rises to $21 million, a $10,000 investment today could eventually be worth $2.8 million.
Saylor's outlook might be too bullish, but Bitcoin clearly has more long-term catalysts than other cryptocurrencies. It's valued for its scarcity, is increasingly adopted by big investors, and will likely attract more investors as a hedge against withering fiat currencies. Therefore, it might be smart to buy more Bitcoin before it bounces back to $100,000 and soars even higher.
Should you buy stock in Bitcoin right now?
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Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
