   
Nakamoto CEO David Bailey has predicted a strong recovery for Bitcoin, tipping the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization to close the year at $145,000. While several entities have forecast a strong finish to 2025, a sharp market decline in October has dampened enthusiasm as claims of a prolonged bearish rally deepen.
A strong recovery for Bitcoin in the coming months
David Bailey, founder of Bitcoin Magazine and CEO of Nakamoto, has predicted that the leading cryptocurrency will trade at $145,000 by the end of 2025. Bailey made the forecast in a x publicationnoting that Bitcoin will defy claims of a bear market to set a new all-time high before the end of the year.
Claims of a bear market reached frenetic levels in mid-October after Bitcoin fell from its all-time high of $126,198 to trade at $103,598. Bitcoin’s sharp decline brought the global cryptocurrency market capitalization below $4 trillion, with ETH, XRP, and SOL also recording double-digit declines.
As prices began a tentative recovery, Bailey is arguing for near-term bullish price action in Bitcoin. At the moment, BTC is trading at $114,000 and would need to rise 28% to reach Bailey’s price target by the end of the year.
“Bitcoin will be worth $145,000 by the end of the year, and you’ll all still be arguing whether this is a bear market,” Bailey said.
His comments have garnered support from various sectors, with Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas being the latest to support the projections. Balchunas urged investors to stay away and keep an eye on one- and three-year BTC returns, adding that leverage around ETF inflows may have contributed to the sharp drop.
Others are turning to technicals as evidence of a short-term Bitcoin rebound, with one analyst projecting a rally to $136,000. Meanwhile, Arthur Hayes refuted claims that Bitcoin will enter a short-term bear market, arguing that the “traditional four-year cycle is dead.”
Despite a growing list of bullish predictions for Bitcoin, several experts are predicting a prolonged streak of bearishness for the leading cryptocurrency. In an analysis, Standard Chartered revealed that a BTC price drop below $100,000 is “inevitable, with Peter Brandt stoking further downtrend with a prediction of a 50% drop.
