Bitcoin (BTC) is on the verge of entering ‘the euphoria phase,’ according to a popular on-chain analyst.

The pseudonymous analyst known as Checkmate says in a new interview on the What Bitcoin Did podcast that a few dynamics are starting to materialize that indicate the current BTC bull run could be “bulletproof.”

Says Checkmate,

“We’ve got the bear market recovery, where there’s a lot of PTSD. This is really 2023. Everyone was like fearing the ghost of Sam Bankman-Fried was going to come back, and we’re going back to zero. But we just never got that lower high, and it just kept drifting higher. Then we got the excitement phase, you start getting up towards the all-time high. I thought that we would’ve moved into the euphoria phase already, because in past cycles we have, but I think we’re getting there. Look at the treasury company trend. Derivatives leverage is pretty much at an all-time high. We’re closing on like 5.8% of the Bitcoin market cap for futures and options. So it’s getting leverage. As I said, I’ve had people call me saying, ‘How do I lever up my Bitcoin to buy more Bitcoin?'”

Checkmate notes that leaving a stair-stepping pattern and gaining “serious momentum to the upside” will make the chart unsustainable and start bringing BTC “closer to a meaningful top.”

Bitcoin is trading at $114,833 at time of writing.

Follow us on X, Facebook and Telegram

Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Check Price Action

Surf The Daily Hodl Mix





Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: FLUX

Bitcoin on Cusp of Entering Euphoria Phase As ‘Bulletproof’ Bull Market Expands, Says On-Chain Analyst

Today in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm was found guilty of the second count on his indictment, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

The Tornado Cash trial has concluded.



Roman Storm has been found guilty of the conspiracy to operate an unlicensed MTB charge.



Here are my thoughts on the outcome, the government’s (rejected) motion to remand Storm, and what comes next. pic.twitter.com/T41TtEL9Kh — Frank Corva (@frankcorva) August 6, 2025

The jury did not come to a unanimous verdict on the other two counts — conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate sanctions.

The jury arrived at this guilty verdict after three and half days of deliberation and after a trial that began in the middle of last month.

As a result of the guilty verdict on the money transmission charge, Storm now faces up to five years in prison.

Judge Failla Rejects Motion To Remand Roman Storm

In the wake of the verdict being issued, the prosecution made a motion to remand Storm into custody, claiming that he was a flight risk.

The defense’s Ms. Klein pushed back on the government’s assertion, stating that Storm has little reason to flee the United States, especially considering that his home in Washington state is tied up in a $2 million bond; that his daughter, of which he has partial custody, and girlfriend are based in the U.S. and his parents are green card holders; and that much of the crypto community that’s supported Storm is based in the U.S. and that they’ll hopefully continue to support Storm as he appeals the case.

The prosecution claimed that now that Storm has been convicted of a crime, he has more incentive to flee, but the judge wasn’t convinced.

She claimed that the “stability of the verdict is still in play” (likely referring to the notion that Storm will appeal the verdict), before adding that his “incentives have shifted tremendously” and denying the prosecution’s motion to remand him.

U.S. Attorney for the SDNY Chimes In

Shortly after the verdict was issued, U.S. Attorney for the SDNY (and former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chair) Jay Clayton issued a statement on the verdict.

“Roman Storm and Tornado Cash provided a service for North Korean hackers and other criminals to move and hide more than $1 billion of dirty money,” said Clayton.

“The speed, efficiency, and functionality of stablecoins and other digital assets offer great promise, but that promise cannot be an excuse for criminality. Criminals who use new technology to commit age old crimes, including hiding dirty money, undermine the public trust, and unfairly cast a shadow on the many innovators who operate lawfully,” he added.

“This Office and our partner agencies are committed to holding accountable those who exploit emerging technologies to commit crime.”

Clayton did not acknowledge the memo issued by U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in which Blanche stated the U.S. Department of Justice will “stop participating in regulation by prosecution” in the crypto space and that it will no longer target virtual currency mixing services for the acts of their end users, nor did he mention that the vast majority of Tornado Cash users weren’t proven to be criminals.

Tornado Cash Trial Concludes: Roman Storm Found Guilty of One of Three Counts

A man from the United Kingdom who accidentally misplaced his crypto wallet containing a $1 billion stash of Bitcoin (BTC) is launching a new bid to tokenize his missing stash.

In a post on the social media platform X, James Howells – a man who mistakenly threw away his crypto wallet containing the BTC nearly a decade ago – says he’s not giving up despite being rejected numerous times by the Newport City Council to launch a search to find the coins.

“For over 12 years, I tried everything to engage with Newport City Council: public proposals, percentages, mediation, legal action, and a formal $25 million offer. $1 Billion and they ignored it all. No response. No logic. No leadership. They want me to give up, but I am done asking for permission.”

Howells says he’s going to tokenize the entire missing wallet, which contains 8,000 BTC, by launching a new blockchain called Ceiniog Coin (INI) that is set to launch in late 2025.

“I’m tokenizing the entire wallet – 8,000 BTC – into 800 billion Ceiniog Coin (INI) – 1:1 satoshi value match.

• Built on Bitcoin

• Powered by OP_RETURN

• Integrates with Stacks, Runes, Ordinals

• Launching Late-2025

To the established and distinguished gatekeepers who blocked me for over a decade: You can block the gates. You can pack the courts. But you cannot block the blockchain. Crypto already won. Ceiniog is coming – and your world is collapsing.”

According to previous reports, Howells offered the city council $70 million in 2021 for permission to search the landfill to recover his hard drive, but was rejected due to environmental concerns.

In February, the city council announced that the landfill was formally closing down sometime during the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

BTC is trading for $115,429 at time of writing, a 2% gain on the day.

Follow us on X Facebook and Telegram

Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney

Man Who Lost Nearly $1,000,000,000 In Bitcoin in Landfill Launches Bid To Tokenize 8,000 BTC Stash

Crypto asset management giant VanEck says that one altcoin project is flashing major signs of institutional adoption.

In a new report, VanEck highlights the growth of the Hedera (HBAR) ecosystem, which the firm notes in July, saw a price increase of over 70% due to a “wave of partnerships, network growth, and broadening institutional legitimization.”

VanEck named several examples of notable adoption of the Hedera network in July, including the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Project Acacia, which aims to explore the development of Australian wholesale tokenized asset markets.

Archax, the first regulated global digital asset exchange in the UK, also announced it would begin using the Hedera network for settlement purposes, VanEck notes.

“Institutional tokenization activity is also emerging. In late July, Archax created Hedera token contracts named after BlackRock, Fidelity ILF, State Street, Aberdeen Investments, and LGIM. Archax’s CEO confirmed these represent money market funds that could soon transact in HBAR, signaling early but still prelaunch interest in real-world asset tokenization on the network.”

And according to VanEck, stablecoin supply has exploded on Hedera. DefiLlama data shows that Hedera’s stablecoins are almost entirely driven by Circle’s USDC.

“Hedera’s on-chain activity was strong as Hedera’s transactions surged as did the supply of stablecoins on its blockchain.”

At time of writing, HBAR is trading at $0.24 with a market cap of $10.3 billion.

Follow us on X, Facebook and Telegram

Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Check Price Action

Surf The Daily Hodl Mix





Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney

VanEck Says One Altcoin Ecosystem Seeing Early Institutional Tokenization Interest Amid Surge in Stablecoins

Bitcoin doesn’t scale.

That shouldn’t be read to mean that Bitcoin, the asset, or different ways to use it don’t scale. But Bitcoin’s blockchain does not scale. This is a fundamental and undeniable reality of its architecture. We’ve known this definitively since the Blocksize Wars (well, Bitcoiners have known this). Some people, such as James A. Donald — an anonymous cryptographer who was the first person to reply to Satoshi on the cryptography mailing list — and Hal Finney himself, knew this from the very beginning.

It is not possible for every person on Earth to have to receive, verify and retransmit the transactions of every other person on the planet. The notion that this is a viable idea is actually quite insane.

But this is fundamentally how Bitcoin works. Its security and integrity is only guaranteed through the process of every user receiving and verifying the activity that is processed on the blockchain. So how do we reconcile these two contradictory things?

We find inventive ways to commit to transactions without using the blockchain, essentially “caching” them until an appropriate time to actually engage in final settlement on-chain.

The Lightning Network is the first and most mature example of a system designed to accomplish this reconciliation in a decentralized fashion.

Lightning has not exactly evolved as we hoped it would — a pure end-user payments network — but it has undeniably demonstrated itself as the first viable second-layer scaling solution for Bitcoin. It might wind up becoming more of an aggregate settlement layer, or a network more suitable for businesses and services than end users (though not impossible for them to use), but it is so far a resounding success.

It has been an absolute pleasure and honor to act as the Editor-in-Chief for this issue, as this topic is something very close to me personally. Bitcoin is something that must scale in order to create the positive and impactful change that I want to see it create.

I’d like to thank all the contributors and team members who have made this issue happen, and, most importantly, Aaron van Wirdum’s stewardship and help during the process of passing the torch to me.

I hope you all enjoy gaining a better understanding of one of the most important projects in this space since Bitcoin itself was launched.

Shinobi

Don’t miss your chance to own The Lightning Issue — featuring an exclusive interview with Lightning co-creator Tadge Dryja. It dives deep into Bitcoin’s most powerful scaling layer. Limited run. Only available while supplies last.

This piece is the Letter from the Editor featured in the latest Print edition of Bitcoin Magazine, The Lightning Issue. We’re sharing it here as an early look at the ideas explored throughout the full issue.

The Lightning Issue: Letter From The Editor

Fundstrat co-founder and managing partner Tom Lee says that Micheal Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) has the potential to become the largest company in the entire stock market.

In a new interview with crypto influencer Natalie Brunell on her YouTube channel, Lee says Saylor’s strategy of accumulating as much Bitcoin (BTC) as possible is “changing the reality of the stock market,” comparing the firm to Exxon Mobile, one of the biggest stocks of the last generation.

“Michael Saylor is changing the reality of the stock market and the reason is that he probably will end up being potentially the largest company in the stock market, especially if Bitcoin goes to $1,000,000, yet he doesn’t generate gap-net income to justify it.

He’s based solely on the value of his balance sheet, but that’s not new to history because when I graduated college, the biggest stock in the S&P, a top five name, was Exxon Mobile. And it was top 5 for 28-30 years, an entire generation.

I graduated, worked at Wall Street, and a top five name was a company that was only valued on the value of its oil, not on its net income. So Strategy is replacing Exxon in lore. Because for a whole generation, people were saying Exxon is the biggest company, but you didn’t value it on earnings.

Strategy couldn’t be one of the biggest companies in the world, and it’s valued on its Bitcoin.”

Strategy – formerly known as MicroStrategy – is the largest corporate holder of the top crypto asset by market. According to data from BitcoinTreasuries, Strategy currently holds 628,791 BTC worth $72.48 billion with an average price of $73,277 per token.

BTC is trading for $114,984 at time of writing, a 2% increase on the day, while MSTR is valued at $380 per share.

Follow us on X Facebook and Telegram

Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney

Michael Saylor’s Strategy (MSTR) Could Become Biggest Company in the Stock Market: Tom Lee

One trader is seeing million dollar profits on a Solana (SOL)-based memecoin in just months, according to on-chain data.

Blockchain tracking firm Lookonchain says that one investor in TROLL is looking at a gain of more than 130,000% after the memecoin inspired by the internet trolling culture had an explosive rally over the last month.

“From $2,900 to $3.78 million in just 3.5 months – a 1,300x return!

Trader ‘frostx.sol’ spent $2,900 to buy 20.91 million TROLL three months ago, sold 2.55 million for $50,700 and still holds 18.36 million TROLL ($3.73 million). With TROLL’s recent surge, his position has flipped nearly 1,300x, with a profit of $3.78 million.”

TROLL hit an all-time high on Wednesday at $0.2018, an increase of more than 423% from its seven-day low of $0.0403. TROLL has since retraced from its ATH and is trading for $0.1669 at time of writing, up 15.2% on the day.

With a market cap of $175 million, TROLL is the 344th largest crypto project.

Meanwhile, Solana, which has gained network activity from the memecoin craze, may be losing investor interest, according to crypto analytics platform Glassnode.

Glassnode says that one key metric suggests that Ethereum (ETH) may be suddenly attracting more investors at the expense of Solana. The firm uses the Hot Realized Cap metric, which measures the capital held by accounts that have been active in the last seven days, to track the capital inflow of new investors.

“The SOL/ETH hot capital ratio is in a clear downtrend, now at its YTD low of 0.045. ETH saw record short-term inflows on July 29th, while SOL hit a local peak – but both are now decelerating. The cooldown is sharper for SOL, signaling a fading but notable ETH-led rotation.”

ETH is trading for $3,649 at time of writing, up 1.7% in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, SOL is trading for $167 at time of writing, up 2.6% on the day.

Follow us on X, Facebook and Telegram

Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Check Price Action

Surf The Daily Hodl Mix





Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney

Trader Sees 1,300x Returns As Solana Memecoin Goes on Explosive Rally: Lookonchain

Today, Acacia Research Corporation (Nasdaq: ACTG) has announced a new partnership with Unchained and Build Asset Management, focusing on a Bitcoin-backed commercial loan strategy designed to offer attractive, risk-adjusted returns while expanding Acacia’s exposure to the rapidly growing Bitcoin ecosystem.

“We are very excited to partner with Unchained and Build for this Bitcoin-backed loan strategy,” said Martin (“MJ”) D. McNulty, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Acacia. “Investors around the world are increasingly looking to capitalize on the value Bitcoin provides as a secure source of quality collateral.”

According to the press release, the partnership will see Acacia purchasing commercial whole loans that are fully collateralized by Bitcoin. These loans will be originated by an affiliate of Unchained and sold to a wholly owned subsidiary of Acacia. Build Asset Management will provide administrative and related services for the holding and management of these loans.

McNulty further explained the structure and benefits of the strategy, stating, “We believe the loans will provide attractive risk-adjusted returns given their healthy interest rates, low loan-to-value metrics, and the protection and innovation in the institutional custody solutions for the Bitcoin backing these fully recourse loans.”

Acacia, known for acquiring and operating businesses in the industrial, energy, and technology industries, continues to apply its strategic capital and operational expertise to emerging opportunities like Bitcoin.

“This partnership allows us to participate in the Bitcoin ecosystem in a way that enables holders dollar liquidity while maintaining their Bitcoin ownership,” McNulty added. “Our team constantly explores creative ways to generate value for shareholders, and we believe this partnership will do exactly that.”

Unchained, founded in 2016 and based in Austin, Texas, has become a major player in Bitcoin financial services. The company has secured over $12 billion in Bitcoin assets and originated $1 billion in loans with zero rehypothecation, thanks to its innovative collaborative custody model.

Build Asset Management, launched in 2018, brings investment expertise in Bitcoin-focused credit strategies, having launched a private credit fund in 2023 targeting small and medium-sized businesses.

Together, the three firms aim to leverage Bitcoin’s value as collateral to unlock new financial products and investment avenues, aligning with the evolving landscape of modern finance.

Acacia Partners With Unchained and Build on Bitcoin-Backed Loan Strategy

The Trump White House has reportedly set its sights on punishing banks it believes have been debanking conservatives.

The Wall Street Journal says it has reviewed a draft executive order that would instruct banking regulators to probe banks that may have violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

Regulators would also be directed to investigate whether the financial institutions have broken antitrust and/or consumer financial protection laws.

Anonymous sources “familiar with the matter” tell the WSJ that President Donald Trump could pass the order this week.

The order, which would subject violators to fines, doesn’t name banks but reportedly alludes to an instance where Bank of America allegedly debanked a Christian organization over its religious beliefs. BofA says it shuttered the organization’s account because it doesn’t provide services to small businesses operating abroad.

BofA CEO Brian Moynihan argued in an interview with Face the Nation over the weekend that the regulators are to blame, not his bank.

“We have 70 million consumers and we’re one of the biggest small business lenders. So that’s not it. The issue they’re focused on is the regulators’ impact on this industry, and you heard Senator [Tim] Scott talk about this this week. This reputation, this after-the-fact look that you banked X, and now, after the fact, you’re going to say X didn’t turn out to be what you thought, so we look at it, we look at it based on risk.”

Follow us on X Facebook and Telegram

Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney

White House Looking To Ban Banks From Discriminating Against Certain Clients, Including Crypto Companies: Report

Today, Sazmining announced it has become the first mining-as-a-service company to integrate Square’s payment platform, offering customers a faster and more reliable way to purchase mining hardware and services.

According to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine, the integration allows payments via credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay, ACH and also supports Bitcoin, Lightning, Tether and wire transfers.

The move comes as Sazmining reports 350% year-over-year growth with active mining sites in North America, South America, and Europe. By using Square’s APIs through Zaprite, the company continues simplifying the Bitcoin mining process for individuals and businesses.

“As more governments and companies move to create Bitcoin treasuries, the value of Bitcoin is becoming increasingly clear to the broader public,” said the CEO and Co-Founder of Sazmining Kent Halliburton. “But building a bitcoin treasury starts with acquiring bitcoin. With Sazmining, individuals and businesses alike can now create a native treasury more easily and affordably—thanks to our implementation of Square.”

Sazmining has also launched an equity crowdfunding campaign to raise $618,000 aimed at helping more people mine Bitcoin directly instead of relying on exchanges.

More information about Sazmining here.

Sazmining Becomes First Bitcoin Mining Firm to Integrate Square for Payments

Florida police have arrested a Tampa woman who allegedly orchestrated a massive bank fraud scheme.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) alleges Janetcilize Martinez, 24, advertised “tap-in” services, a type of fraud where a scammer uses debit cards to deposit bad checks from account holders who are also in on the scheme.

The scammers then withdraw the funds before the checks show up as fraudulent.

HCSO detectives discovered Martinez through social media posts and served a search warrant at her house in July, discovering 117 credit cards issued to other people.

They also say they found tools and accessories to produce counterfeit credit cards, $6,292 in US currency, 78 grams of marijuana drug paraphernalia and a semi-automatic firearm.

Martinez faces charges of possession of credit card making equipment; unlawful possession of personal identification of another (five or more); fraudulent use of personal information; possession of drug paraphernalia; possession of cannabis (more than 20 grams) and possession of cannabis with intent to sell, manufacture, or deliver.

Says Sheriff Chad Chronister,

“Theft is not a victimless crime. It affects real people and real businesses. This individual thought she could cash in on a criminal scheme, but now she will pay the price for her actions. If you choose to steal, know that we will catch you and hold you accountable.”

Follow us on X Facebook and Telegram

Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney

Woman Arrested With 117 Stolen Credit Cards After Orchestrating ‘Tap-In’ Bank Fraud Scheme on Social Media

DoubleLine Capital CEO Jeffrey Gundlach says the US government’s economic data now appears to be largely fabricated out of thin air.

In a new interview with Bloomberg Television, Gundlach says data used by the Fed to determine rates is full of estimates, including the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the cost of a basket of goods, and jobs reports.

“I feel like this data that is coming out is getting much less reliable, and this has been building for a long time. People are saying that the surveys that get sent out to be filled out for the jobs report, only 60% are being responded to, and that’s been rising over time.

Also, the CPI data is getting kind of suspect. Several years back, about 8% of CPI input prices were estimated. Now it’s 35%. It’s jumped way up. So 35% in the most recent CPI report of the inflation inputs are just kind of made up, and so people are starting to get really worried about the reliability of a lot of this data.”

The Fed’s data has gained a lot of attention lately after the most recent jobs report showed jobs grew by just 73,000 last month, short of the expected 100,000, while July and May job numbers were drastically revised downward by a combined 258,000. The revisions have lead some to suspect the US economy is suddenly flashing a recession.

Gundlach says that Fed will likely cut rates at its next meeting in September given the jobs data, and make at least one other cut before the year’s end.

“I think it’s a virtual certainty that the Fed is going to cut rates. And in fact, now, even though there’s not that many meetings left in the year, we’re starting to see market pricing of perhaps as many as three rate cuts this year. I’m skeptical of that.

One thing I’ve been consistent with all year is I think two rate cuts maximum here in 2025. Now I think that the data has weakened so substantially with these revisions that it’s possible that we get a third, but I still think my base case is two rate cuts this year.”

Follow us on X Facebook and Telegram

Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Generated Image: Midjourney

Bond King Jeffrey Gundlach Says Fed Rate Cuts Incoming, Warns US Inflation Data Appears To Be ‘Made Up’

In Bitcoin’s humble beginnings, it wasn’t possible to buy bitcoin, as there were no exchanges. There were no hardware wallets to store it and no influencers or the BlackRock marketing team even promoting it.

Just Satoshi, some cypherpunks, libertarians, geeks — and a protocol that most dismissed as a nerd experiment.

The tech was in its infancy. The code had numerous issues and the future was just a cypherpunk dream. The idea was absurd to most — and frankly, it still is… to most.

You see, bitcoin didn’t even have a price for its first year. It was mined, shared and bartered. The code was open, the incentive was to experiment, and try this thing out.

That all changed with one simple act: a man bought pizza.

Today, with the price hanging by a thread at $114,000 — despite a brief weekend drop to $111K and continually rising geopolitical tensions — bitcoin’s broader uptrend remains technically intact, that is of course according to the “bitcoin charts”. You might be wondering: is this the top, or is the next historical opportunity already here?

The 7 Best Times To Buy Bitcoin

1. When It Was Worthless (2009–2010)

Bitcoin Price Range: $0.00 to $0.01

Return to $100K: ~+1,000,000,000%

For bitcoin’s first nine months, it had no price. No one sold it. No one bought it. It was mined, discussed on forums, and mostly unnoticed by the outside world.

In October 2009, the NewLibertyStandard Exchange published a method to calculate bitcoin’s value based on electricity costs — pegging 1,309 BTC to $1. It wasn’t a functioning exchange in the modern sense, but it helped establish a reference price.

On October 12, 2009, the first known exchange of bitcoin for fiat occurred: 5,050 BTC for $5.02 via PayPal — an implied price of $0.00099 per BTC. That was the first moment bitcoin touched the real-world economy.

Then came Laszlo Hanyecz.

On May 22, 2010, he traded 10,000 BTC for two Papa John’s pizzas — the first recorded exchange of bitcoin for a physical good. At roughly $41 in value, it set the first open-market price: ~$0.0041 per BTC.

From that moment, Bitcoin transcended bits and bytes. It became money, or at least that process had begun.

If you bought (or mined) back then, you weren’t chasing yield. You were taking a leap of faith on an anti-central banking monetary system few people understood. The 2010 overflow bug had just been patched. There were no wallets. No legal clarity. Just raw conviction.

If you bought bitcoin here, you are a certifiable legend.

This was a good time to buy bitcoin.

2. During The Dollar Parity Era (2011)

Bitcoin Price Range: $1 to $30

Return to $100K: ~+10,000% to +100,000%

When bitcoin reached $1 in February 2011, it hit a psychological milestone. Suddenly, it was “worth something.”

But the price didn’t stay there for long. Within months, it rocketed to $30 — before crashing 90% down to $2.

Meanwhile, Satoshi quietly exited the project. Mt. Gox dominated exchange volume but was already showing signs of instability. Those who held through this didn’t have “diamond hands” — they had nothing else like it to believe in. They were early adopters, not tourists. They bought not because it was safe, but because the alternative — fiat — was already proven to fail.

This was a good time to buy bitcoin.

3. After The Mt. Gox Collapse (2014–2015)

Bitcoin Price Range: $250 to $315

Return to $100K: ~+31,000%

In 2014, Mt. Gox — which once handled 70% of global bitcoin trades — imploded. 850,000 BTC vanished. Bitcoin fell from $1,100 to under $300. The headlines read “Bitcoin is dead.” Again.

But Bitcoin kept on churning out new blocks. Tick tock, as the saying goes.

If you understood that Mt. Gox wasn’t Bitcoin — that centralized exchanges don’t define the network — you were able to buy during one of the most misunderstood crashes in financial history. The risk was real, the opportunity was unreal.

This was a good time to buy bitcoin.

4. After the ICO Mania Implosion (2018–2019)

Bitcoin Price Range: $3,200 to $7,200

Return to $100K: ~+1,300% to +2,000%

2017 was a blur. ICOs, Ethereum, shitcoins everywhere. Talk of lambos and moon shots.

But by January 2018, the bubble burst. bitcoin crashed over 80%. Most altcoins crashed 95%+. Regulators cracked down, and the whole space entered a deep bear market.

Bitcoin bottomed at $3,200 in December 2018. Most had left. Many never returned.

Yet quietly, something important was happening. Custody improved. Lightning Network came online. Institutions were watching. And beneath the silence, the next cycle was brewing.

If you stacked then, you understood where this train was going.

This was a good time to buy bitcoin.

5. During The COVID Crash (March 2020)

Bitcoin Price Range: ~$4,000

Return to $100K: ~+2,400%

The world turned upside down in March 2020. Markets imploded and bitcoin dropped over 50% in a day, from $8,000 to below $4,000.

Those with macro or trading experience — or had their ears to the ground may have been ready for this one. For others, it was a wake-up call. This was the moment when the fragility of the fiat system became abundantly clear, just months after the repo market cracks were causing the markets concern..

By August, MicroStrategy entered the scene. Michael Saylor labelled cash “a melting ice cube” and converted his balance sheet into BTC, starting with $250 million.

That move sparked the institutional dominoes. Square, Tesla, banks, and sovereigns followed.

If you bought during the March crash, you saw what others couldn’t: that Bitcoin was the solution, and not part of the problem.

This was a good time to buy bitcoin.

6. When FTX Collapsed (Late 2022)

Bitcoin Price Range: $15,500–$17,000

Return to $100K: ~+588% to +666%

The 2021/22 bull market didn’t have the usual blow-off top. Instead, it slowly bled out, catching many people off guard. As the bleeding seemed to be coming to an end, FTX collapsed. In 48 hours, Sam Bankman-Fried went from darling of the media (and grifter to the Bitcoin community) to complete fraud by everybody. bitcoin crashed to $15,500 in November.

FTX had risen out of nowhere. Its fall was as quick as it was inevitable, in hindsight.

I remember Preston Pysh catching that falling knife. Military vets are built differently. If you stacked at this point in time, you weren’t listening to Gareth Soloway’s $10k calls. You trusted yourself. You tuned out the noise — and got your just desserts.

This was a good time to buy bitcoin.

7. Before The ETF Approval (January 2024)

Bitcoin Price Range: $43,000–$50,000

Return to $100K: ~+100% to +132%

For over a decade, retail carried bitcoin on its back. Developers, plebs, miners, and maxis — they were the early adopters. The true believers. They bought, held, and educated while Wall Street laughed from the sidelines.

Then in January 2024, the dam broke.

After years of legal battles and delays, the SEC approved 11 spot bitcoin ETFs. The fastest-growing ETF launch in history followed. Blackrock, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton piled in. The “wall of money” had arrived.

The smart money wasn’t buying Blackrock & Co’s financial products. It was the retail stackers who front-ran them – The ones who bought when CNBC still called it tulips. The ones who understood that ETFs don’t change Bitcoin’s fundamentals — they just unlock new capital.

Buying under $50K — before the ETFs were rubber-stamped — was a calculated act of foresight. You weren’t late. You were early. Again.

This was a good time to buy bitcoin.

So… What About Now?

Bitcoin’s price is hovering just above $100,000. For many, it feels like the big opportunity has passed.

But that’s a short-sighted view.

According to Power Law Theory (PLT) — a mathematical model that maps bitcoin’s price against time, adoption, and network effect — we may only be halfway through the current cycle’s journey, and a mere fraction of the way to full global monetization.

The PLT formula is: Price = Age^(5.7). For example:

Age 8 → ~$1.4K

Age 12 → ~$14K

Age 16 → ~$73K

Age 24 → ~$737K

We’re now in year 16.

Notably, doubling Bitcoin’s age results in approximately 50x price growth, while increasing its age by 50% leads to a 10x increase. If Power Law continues to track — as it has for over a decade — then we’re looking at a possible 10x over the next eight years.

And that’s just one of several long-term models that point in the same direction.

To explore PLT in more depth — along with stock-to-flow, the quantile model, Metcalfe’s Law, and other forecasting methods — check out our bitcoin price predictions. It’s designed to give you the tools, charts, and models to zoom out, take a breath, and think in decades — not days.

You’re not late. You’re just early… with better information and a longer time horizon, you should expect to see bitcoin to continue to grow in value.

So yes, now is a good time to buy bitcoin.

Bitcoin on Cusp of Entering Euphoria Phase As ‘Bulletproof’ Bull Market Expands, Says On-Chain Analyst

Related Post

Follow Us: