Investor Kevin O’Leary said Bitcoin could climb as high as $200,000, linking the forecast to the potential passage of a comprehensive U.S. regulatory framework for digital assets.
“The point is, it is worth more to tenants than Bitcoin until Bitcoin becomes a regulated security through the Clarity Act and gets up to $150,000 — or maybe $200,000,” O’Leary said in a recent Fox interview.
The forecast aligns with other bullish calls from prominent investors. Venture capitalist Tim Draper has reiterated a $250,000 price target, while Maelstrom Fund founder Arthur Hayes sees Bitcoin reaching $200,000 on the back of what he terms renewed money printing by the Federal Reserve.
The path to higher prices hinges on regulatory progress, with the proposed Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act facing delays in the U.S. Senate. Sygnum Bank investment strategist Luca Köymen told DL News the act’s passage is a key structural signal, alongside potential leadership changes at the Federal Reserve.
O’Leary, a famed “Shark Tank” personality, reiterated that he sees value in just two digital assets, dismissing the rest of the market as speculative and unworthy of institutional investment.
“All you need to own is Bitcoin and Ethereum, and you own 97% of the volatility of all the other poo-poo coins,” he said, arguing that thousands of smaller tokens that failed to recover from the last market downturn had their “true poo-poo-ness will be made obvious.”
The stance marks a significant reversal from his 2019 position, when he called Bitcoin “garbage” and a “useless currency.” He said his opinion shifted as regulatory acceptance grew in countries like Canada and Switzerland. “Facts changed,” he said, explaining his decision to invest. That move included an investment in the now-defunct FTX exchange, which resulted in a loss of about $9.7 million.
The CLARITY Act, a key piece of legislation for the sector, has been delayed in the Senate Banking Committee, with Senator Thom Tillis suggesting a May timeline for markup. The delay stems from divisions between banking lobbyists and crypto firms over the treatment of stablecoins.
Anil Oncu, CEO of payments firm Bitpace, warned that a prolonged deadlock could produce compromised regulation that “satisfies nobody and protects nothing.”
The focus on U.S. regulation mirrors growing political engagement with Bitcoin in the UK. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss recently endorsed Bitcoin as a tool for economic freedom, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has invested £215,000 in a Bitcoin-focused investment company.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
