Even a tiny share of speculative capital from gold or tech stocks could double crypto’s $3 trillion market cap.
Bitcoin (BTC) bulls and skeptics clashed on X on Tuesday after analyst CrediBULL Crypto pushed back against the popular claim that digital assets are “just speculation,” pointing to gold’s $12 trillion climb over the past year as proof that every major market runs on expectations and momentum.
This defense comes at a time when the crypto market, with a total value of about $3 trillion, is trying to shake off a recent downturn and searching for catalysts to reignite growth.
In a thread posted on X, CrediBULL argued that critics misunderstand how value forms across global markets, noting that gold’s rise over the past 12 months came without any change to its underlying utility, and stating that sentiment drove most of the move.
“Fam you think the intrinsic value of a gold rock magically increased by 100% over the last year?” CrediBULL challenged. “The $12 trillion added to gold’s market value over the last 12 months was due to speculation.”
The market watcher extended the logic to tech stocks trading at high price-to-earnings ratios, asserting that speculation is a universal market force, not a crypto-exclusive flaw.
Their core thesis is that “tens of trillions of dollars of speculative capital” exist in these adjacent markets, and if even less than 1% flowed into crypto, it could double the sector’s total value.
“Why are you worried about some drawdown when we are sitting at a 3T marketcap which is peanuts in the grand scheme of things?” asked the trader.
The community reaction was mixed. Some users questioned the logic, with one asking for the simple reason that crypto should attract capital. CrediBULL responded that the best catalyst for speculative money is “green candles,” or rising prices, which can create a snowball effect.
Others argued that “90% of crypto is worthless,” to which the analyst retorted that investors should simply focus on the 10% with perceived value.
The discussion landed on the same day Fundstrat’s Tom Lee predicted that Bitcoin could reach a new all-time high by the end of January 2026. He said he expects equities to rebound with help from a more dovish Federal Reserve, which could improve sentiment across risky assets.
Furthermore, he likened the recent leverage wash-outs to the 2022 reset after the FTX collapse and believes crypto may be close to stabilizing.
Meanwhile, institutional interest has continued to gather pace. On December 2, Vanguard opened trading for BTC, Ethereum (ETH), XRP, and Solana ETFs to its 50 million clients, its first major shift toward the sector after years of reluctance.
The asset management giant’s announcement came even as ETF flows remain rather mixed. However, steady inflows into funds from Fidelity and ARK show that large players haven’t stepped back entirely despite the recent volatility.
