Crypto
Billionaires Are Buying This Cryptocurrency That Could Soar 116% by Year's End, According to This Analyst
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) can be a volatile asset. But that hasn’t stopped some analysts, experts, and billionaires from turning extremely bullish on the world’s largest cryptocurrency and buying huge amounts of it. After recent purchases the other day, billionaire Michael Saylor’s company MicroStrategy Incorporated owned 1.17% of all Bitcoin outstanding. Other billionaires, including Elon Musk and the Winklevoss twins, have also purchased huge amounts of Bitcoin.
These billionaires seem to be in line with one Wall Street analyst who recently issued a research note suggesting the price of Bitcoin could jump 116% from current levels and hit $125,000 by year’s end. Let’s take a look.
Impact of the election
In a recent report by the investment bank Standard Chartered, a team of analysts said that Bitcoin is poised to hit a new high by the end of the year, which is only a few months away. The bank considered several economic and political factors in reaching this conclusion.
First, Standard Chartered looked at how the presidential election might affect Bitcoin, ultimately determining that the outcome is less important than people think.
“Progress on relaxing regulations — particularly the repeal of SAB 121, which imposes stringent accounting rules on banks’ digital asset holdings — will continue in 2025 no matter who is in the White House,” Geoff Kendrick, global head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, wrote in his note. Still, Kendrick thinks crypto deregulation will move faster if former President Donald Trump wins rather Vice President Kamala Harris, although he still thinks it would eventually happen under a Harris presidency, too.
Kendrick believes that a Harris victory would likely lead to an initial decrease in the price of Bitcoin but that it wouldn’t last long due to other external factors. Kendrick assigned Bitcoin a $125,000 price target if Trump wins and a $75,000 price target if Harris wins.
The economic impact
Aside from the election, Kendrick also thinks Bitcoin will start “building positive momentum” as the yield curve un-inverts after more than two years and starts to steepen, with long-term yields exceeding short-term yields.
That certainly makes sense from a historical perspective because Bitcoin has performed well in falling-interest-rate environments, which tend to increase investment in riskier assets because Treasury bills no longer yield as much. Additionally, lower interest rates typically result in a weaker U.S. dollar, creating another environment in which Bitcoin has performed well because it is viewed as an alternative to traditional currencies like the dollar.
Bitcoin Price data by YCharts
As you can see above, Bitcoin has performed very well in a lower-interest-rate environment. Recently, it’s also been resilient in the higher-rate environment.
Bitcoin and price targets
Price targets are difficult to predict for even the oldest blue-chip stocks, but they are especially difficult for an asset like Bitcoin, which can be more volatile than a traditional stock. We are also still in the process of learning more about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Now, the billionaires who own Bitcoin have predicted some pretty outlandish price targets. For instance, Saylor thinks the price of Bitcoin could hit $13 million by 2045. Maybe, but it seems like an aggressive call. The good news about price targets from Wall Street is that they are usually placed 12 to 18 months out and are therefore a little more realistic.
I couldn’t tell you whether Bitcoin will hit $75,000 or $125,000 by year’s end. But I do think Bitcoin has long-term upside and can be a part of your portfolio.
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Bram Berkowitz has a position in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool recommends Standard Chartered Plc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Billionaires Are Buying This Cryptocurrency That Could Soar 116% by Year’s End, According to This Analyst was originally published by The Motley Fool
Crypto
British Airline Jet2 Shares Jump 9% After $536M Fuel Hedge Gain Offsets Middle East Travel Fears
Key Takeaways
- Jet2 recorded a $536 million balance sheet windfall on July 8 after locking in low-cost fuel derivatives.
- The Middle East conflict triggered a 67% decline in annual cash inflows as travelers delayed holiday bookings.
- CEO Steve Heapy announced a $335 million buyback program and expanding operations at London Gatwick Airport.
Sector Resilience Amid Fuel Volatility
British airline and package holiday provider Jet2 defied intense geopolitical instability and travel sector panic triggered by the Middle East war by reporting a more than $500 million balance sheet boost, fueled by the rising price of jet fuel.
As the conflict in the Middle East escalated, spiking fuel rates caused the value of the company’s fuel derivatives to soar. According to Jet2’s full financial results released July 8, an extra $536 million in income was primarily driven by these favorable fair value movements.
The financial buffer comes after widespread fears earlier this year that rising energy costs could push airlines into bankruptcy and force massive summer holiday cancellations. In the United States, higher fuel prices contributed to the collapse of low-budget airline Spirit in May. The United Kingdom had been labeled as the nation “most exposed” to the jet fuel crisis, forcing government ministers to scramble to protect airline fuel access and temporarily suspend airport capacity rules.
While Jet2 was able to mitigate the price shock, the broader conflict still took a toll on booking behaviors. The airline conceded that ongoing travel uncertainty from the war caused holidaymakers to delay their trips and book much closer to their departure dates than usual. As a result, Jet2’s cash inflow plummeted by 67% to approximately $103 million for the fiscal year ending March 31.
Financially, Jet2 reported mixed full-year results. Group revenue climbed 4% to $10.05 billion, but pre-tax profit slipped 7% to $738.6 million, hit hard by lower income earned on its cash deposits.
Despite the profit dip, operational metrics showed strong consumer demand. Jet2 increased its total seat capacity by 8% to 24 million and flew 20.8 million passengers — a 5% increase year-over-year. The company also announced a new $335 million share buyback program, pointing to robust liquidity and confidence in its midterm outlook.
On the stock market, shares of the AIM-listed company jumped 9% to $19.92 at Wednesday’s opening bell, leaving the stock up 5% for the year.
Chief Executive Issues Tax Warning
The financial report coincided with an aggressive political warning from Jet2 Chief Executive Steve Heapy. Speaking to shareholders, Heapy cautioned political figures — specifically naming prominent politician Andy Burnham — against treating the aviation and holiday industry as a “cash cow.”
Burnham is widely anticipated to enter Downing Street later this month following recent political shifts.
“Don’t treat the aviation or holiday industry as a cash cow, because taxes increase the price of flying,” Heapy said, pointing out that Jet2 had to absorb $67 million in additional regulatory and tax costs over the last year. “I think, you know, enough is enough.”
Operationally, Jet2 is pushing a major expansion strategy designed to challenge the UK’s dominant legacy carriers. In March, the airline launched a six-aircraft hub at London Gatwick Airport, signaling an aggressive move out of its traditional northern England strongholds. The company notes it now operates within a 90-minute drive of more than 90% of the UK population.
Key Takeaways
- LAB token cratered 90% over 48 hours, wiping out billions in market cap.
- ZachXBT slammed top centralized exchanges for failing to halt the July manipulation.
- Investors surged to avoid trading LAB as team token unlocks are set for later in July 2026.
LAB Trade Blames ‘Large Market Participants’
LAB, the native token of the multi-chain trading platform LAB Trade, suffered a catastrophic collapse this week, plunging from just over $7 to $1.25 on Wednesday—a staggering 80% decline in under 24 hours. This crash followed an equally brutal sell-off on Tuesday, which saw the token slide from nearly $17. In total, LAB wiped out nearly 90% of its value in just 48 hours.
The financial fallout was swift: a market capitalization that exceeded $5 billion on Tuesday morning evaporated to just $390 million by 3:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday. The freefall prompted the LAB Trade team to address the panic on X, where they expressed disappointment and deflected blame toward external heavy-sellers:
“While today’s market activity is disappointing, our product roadmap and long-term focus remain unchanged. We’re seeing significant selling pressure from large market participants. Several independent trading firms also hold substantial LAB positions that are not affiliated with our team. We’re working closely with our liquidity partners and continue to monitor market conditions,” the team said on X.
With this crash, LAB joins a notorious lineup of volatile tokens, such as RAVE, RIVER and SIREN. Each of these projects experienced meteoric rises followed by near-instantaneous erasures, sparking widespread “pump-and-dump” allegations against their respective teams and murky distribution networks.
Crypto Sleuth Slams Centralized Exchanges
Prominent on-chain detective ZachXBT, who previously flagged suspicious insider loans and market-maker coordination back in May, blasted major centralized exchanges ( CEXs) for failing to protect retail investors. Taking to X, ZachXBT criticized the lack of proactive intervention:
“Disappointing to see how no action was taken by Binance, Bitget, and Gate earlier to prevent it. If CEXs cared, profits from the accounts manipulating the price would be distributed to users at a minimum. Unlocks for investors were scheduled to begin later this month, however, multiple late vesting changes occurred in the past.”
ZachXBT reiterated his previous warnings that insiders have effectively controlled the entire circulating supply, allowing market makers to orchestrate extreme price manipulation on major exchanges. His final advice to the community was blunt: avoid trading LAB under any circumstances.
ZachXBT Names RAVE, RIVER, SIREN, and LAB as Victims of Bitget-Enabled Market Maker Fraud
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has renewed his assault on Bitget, accusing the exchange of knowingly enabling market makers to run supply…
ZachXBT Names RAVE, RIVER, SIREN, and LAB as Victims of Bitget-Enabled Market Maker Fraud
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has renewed his assault on Bitget, accusing the exchange of knowingly enabling market makers to run supply…
ZachXBT Names RAVE, RIVER, SIREN, and LAB as Victims of Bitget-Enabled Market Maker Fraud
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has renewed his assault on Bitget, accusing the exchange of knowingly enabling market makers to run supply…
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