Is It Too Late to Buy Bitcoin?
Key Points
Wild price cycles are normal when it comes to Bitcoin.
From a fundamental perspective, this cryptocurrency continues to operate as it always has.
As a new form of money, its theoretical upside is huge.
Although it's getting almost no attention these days, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was a notable innovation when its white paper was released in 2008. For the first time ever, two parties could send and receive value with each other from anywhere without the need for a central party. Bitcoin went from being called funny internet money to a global financial asset.
In 2026, is it too late to buy this cryptocurrency? Here are three reasons there's a likelihood that its best days are yet to come.
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1. Boom-and-bust cycles come and go
Bitcoin is currently trading at around $62,000 (as of July 13). This price is about 50% below the all-time record, which was achieved in October last year. The bear market we've witnessed has supported the critics' argument that this cryptocurrency is a failure.
But history says something different. The crypto experiences boom-and-bust cycles that have occurred repeatedly in the past. No two cycles are the same, but past sizable drawdowns have always been followed by raging bull markets. Will this time be any different?
While it's impossible to predict when the pessimism shaping today's market will switch to optimism, I believe it's only a matter of time until the digital coin's price starts to trend higher.
2. Fundamentals aren't broken
With a relatively new technology like cryptocurrencies, security is a key issue. Fortunately, Bitcoin's blockchain has never been hacked in its nearly two-decade lifespan.
The network continues to operate as it always has, moving value between counterparties. According to research compiled by River Financial, a Bitcoin trading site, the crypto processed $3.6 trillion in volume in 2025, marking the fifth straight 13-figure year.
Developments in the Bitcoin ecosystem haven't stopped, either. New financial products are being introduced, like the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust.
And most importantly, its scarcity hasn't changed. The hard supply cap of 21 million bitcoins may be this blockchain network's most valuable feature. It's enforced by various stakeholders and supported by halving events that have happened roughly every four years.
3. The total addressable market is huge
At a high level, Bitcoin is nothing more than an entirely novel monetary system. Instead of a central bank, the network relies on math and software to operate without an entity in charge. It's a new form of money.
Consequently, its total addressable market is absolutely huge. This not only can include fiat currencies, but it also counts the market values of equities, fixed income, real estate, commodities, and anything else people use to store their wealth. This number is measured in the hundreds of trillions of dollars.
At its current market cap of $1.2 trillion, Bitcoin represents a tiny sliver of that figure. Even if it only captures 5% in the next 25 years, the upside is incredible.
Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.