{"id":41052,"date":"2026-04-15T14:30:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T14:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptomag.finance\/?p=41052"},"modified":"2026-04-15T14:30:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T14:30:45","slug":"bitcoins-market-potential-may-surpass-gold-amid-iran-us-war-bitwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptomag.finance\/?p=41052","title":{"rendered":"Bitcoin\u2019s Market Potential May Surpass Gold Amid Iran-US War: Bitwise"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 87% of Argentinians surveyed<\/a> in a January Coinbase poll said they view crypto and blockchain technology as a way to strengthen their financial independence \u2014 a sign that the role of Bitcoin in the global economy may already be shifting well beyond what markets have priced in.<\/p>\n

Bitcoin\u2019s Dual Role Draws New Attention<\/h2>\n

Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, made that case publicly this week. He said Bitcoin<\/a> could one day command a total addressable market larger than gold\u2019s $34 trillion valuation \u2014 but only if it manages to function both as a store of value and as an actual working currency.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a bigger claim than what Bitcoin bulls have traditionally made. For years, the comparison to gold<\/a> was the headline argument. Now, a war<\/a> is adding a new layer to that conversation.<\/p>\n

\n

https:\/\/t.co\/jxIcOn1e23<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Matt Hougan (@Matt_Hougan) April 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Iran has proposed allowing ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz to pay a toll in crypto<\/a>. The plan, reported in recent days amid escalating conflict<\/a> with the United States, is being watched closely by Bitcoin investors.<\/p>\n

To Hougan, it points to something larger. In a world where countries have turned financial systems into weapons, he wrote on social media, Bitcoin is emerging as an option that no single government controls.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A $1 Million Price Target \u2014 And Possibly Higher<\/h2>\n

Hougan previously put a number on his store-of-value thesis: if Bitcoin captures 17% of that market over the next decade, each coin could be worth $1 million.<\/p>\n

Based on his latest comments, that figure may need to be revised upward if Bitcoin begins functioning like a currency alongside its role as a savings vehicle.<\/p>\n

At the time of writing, Bitcoin trades around $74,150<\/a>, with a total market cap of roughly $1.4 trillion. Gold, by comparison, sits at $4,854 per ounce, with an estimated market cap exceeding $33 trillion.<\/p>\n

Corporate treasuries have also been buying in. Data shows private and public companies collectively hold more than 1.5 million Bitcoin, valued at over $116 billion.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nMerchant Adoption Remains A Work In Progress<\/p>\n

Still, the currency side of the equation has ground to cover. A study by academic publisher Springer Nature found roughly 11,000 merchants worldwide currently accept Bitcoin as payment \u2014 a relatively modest number for an asset of its size.<\/p>\n

Adoption has been strongest in countries where local currencies have collapsed. Citizens in Turkey and Venezuela, like those in Argentina, have turned to Bitcoin to protect savings against persistent inflation.<\/p>\n

Whether Iran\u2019s crypto toll proposal signals a turning point for Bitcoin as an international currency \u2014 or simply reflects one sanctioned nation finding a workaround \u2014 remains to be seen. What\u2019s clear is that Bitwise believes the story is bigger than gold alone.<\/p>\n

Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 87% of Argentinians surveyed in a January Coinbase poll said they view crypto and blockchain technology as a way to strengthen their financial independence \u2014 a sign that the role of Bitcoin in the global economy may already be shifting well beyond what markets have priced in. Bitcoin\u2019s Dual Role Draws New Attention […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41053,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-41052","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bitcoin"},"yoast_head":"\nBitcoin\u2019s Market Potential May Surpass Gold Amid Iran-US War: Bitwise - Cryptomag<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cryptomag.finance\/?p=41052\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bitcoin\u2019s Market Potential May Surpass Gold Amid Iran-US War: Bitwise - Cryptomag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"More than 87% of Argentinians surveyed in a January Coinbase poll said they view crypto and blockchain technology as a way to strengthen their financial independence \u2014 a sign that the role of Bitcoin in the global economy may already be shifting well beyond what markets have priced in. 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