Bitcoin Bears Revive $10,000 Warnings, But Market Flows Undercut The Argument

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Speculation that Bitcoin could collapse below $10,000 has re‐emerged, even as the cryptocurrency continues to trade well above the $71,000 mark.

As of March 15, Bitcoin is priced at $71,456.76, according to real‐time data from Binance, extending a period of relative stability despite ongoing global tensions. Price data from StatMuse further shows Bitcoin closing at $71,214.63 on March 14 and rising 6.3% over the month.

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Yet while some analysts warn of a potential crash back to five‐digit lows, most industry specialists believe such predictions are out of step with current market fundamentals.

Ryan Lee, Chief Analyst at Bitget, strongly disputes the idea.“I believe Bitcoin falling to $10,000 in the near term is highly improbable, even in the face of macro uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. While some analysts have revived this scenario, many market participants argue such a collapse would require an extreme systemic shock such as a global liquidity crisis, nuclear conflict, or a breakdown of internet infrastructure, rather than typical market cycles,” he said.

He added that the market structure is pointing in the opposite direction, noting consistent inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs - even during geopolitical escalations - which he sees as reinforcing Bitcoin's role as a 24/7 geopolitical hedge rather than a speculative asset.“At the same time, the cost of mining has risen sharply alongside higher energy prices, now estimated around $70,000 per BTC, which significantly reduces the incentive for miners to sell aggressively at lower levels,” Lee said.

Beyond economics, Lee also emphasised Bitcoin's expanding technological relevance:“Blockchain networks provide borderless infrastructure for AI‐driven payments, settlements, and tokenised compute... positioning crypto assets as a natural medium of exchange in the emerging AI economy.” For the price to crash toward $10,000, he said, would require“an unprecedented disruption to the ecosystem itself rather than standard liquidity events.”

Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget, attributes recent market behaviour to a deeper institutional shift.“The divergence in ETF flows between Bitcoin and gold during the Iran conflict signals a meaningful shift in institutional capital behavior,” she said. Institutions, she added, increasingly view Bitcoin as a resilient store of value under geopolitical stress. Rising energy costs may push miners to retain supply, strengthening Bitcoin's long‐term scarcity dynamics.

Chen also sees the current downturn as“structurally different” from previous cycles.“Rather than a sharp capitulation, the market appears to be undergoing a more gradual reset as capital reallocates and speculative excess is absorbed,” she said. Technologies such as AI‐driven payments are expanding crypto's real‐world utility, which she argues will support long‐term growth. Anticipated Federal Reserve easing, she added, may further accelerate an institution‐led recovery.

Adding weight to the bullish counter‐narrative, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao recently projected a break from Bitcoin's historic price patterns.“Bitcoin will 'break' the traditional four‐year cycle as global political acceptance accelerates, paving the way for new highs this year,” Zhao said, according to CoinDesk.

His comments highlight a broader industry view that Bitcoin's behavior is increasingly shaped by political normalisation, integration into global financial systems, and institutional adoption - factors that diminish the likelihood of an extreme downturn.

Despite the noise surrounding bearish forecasts, the market environment today is markedly different from that of earlier cycles. With rising mining costs, strengthening institutional demand, expanding real‐world utility, and prominent industry figures projecting new highs rather than new lows, the argument for a sudden collapse below $10,000 appears more speculative than structural.

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