Why Cardano founder sees BTC surging above $250K

• Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson said Bitcoin could surge to $250,000.
• He also dismissed the recent tariff escalation as a short-term drag
• US spot bitcoin ETFs registered net outflows of $127.12 million on Wednesday.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson said Bitcoin could surge to $250,000 within a year, banking on regulatory clarity in the U.S. and a return of speculative interest once macroeconomic jitters ease.

In an interview with CNBC, Hoskinson said the crypto market may remain subdued for the next three to five months but forecasted a rebound starting in August or September, driven by new institutional entrants and improving market sentiment.

“That’ll carry through probably another six to 12 months,” he said.

He pointed to pending US stablecoin legislation as a critical turning point.

Both the Senate’s GENIUS Act and the House’s STABLE Act have passed their respective committees, signaling a potential regulatory green light that could bring major tech players, referred to as the “Magnificent 7,” including Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, into the dollar-pegged token space.

Hoskinson said the adoption of stablecoins by these firms could unlock a new phase of crypto legitimacy and integration.

Crypto will be the only option for business globalization, he added, arguing that rising geopolitical fragmentation makes decentralized financial systems increasingly attractive.

Not worried about Trump’s tariffs

He also dismissed the recent tariff escalation as a short-term drag.

“What will happen is that the tariff stuff will be a dud,” Hoskinson said, before President Trump’s April 10 decision to pause reciprocal tariffs on non-retaliating nations.

According to him, markets will eventually recognize that the dispute is centered largely on US-China tensions, not a global trade collapse.

Hoskinson believes that as the trade situation normalizes, the Federal Reserve could step in with rate cuts, restoring liquidity and further fueling crypto inflows.

The bullish prediction comes despite current headwinds. Bitcoin remains down about 24% from its January all-time high of $108,786, trading at around $81,703 even after a modest rebound following Trump’s tariff pause.

Supporting his outlook, Hoskinson cited a 13% year-over-year rise in global crypto adoption, with the user base reaching 659 million in 2024, according to data from Crypto.com.

Bitcoin ETFs see continued outflows

US spot bitcoin ETFs registered net outflows of $127.12 million on Wednesday, despite a broad crypto market rally.

BlackRock’s IBIT led the withdrawals, recording $89.71 million in outflows, while Grayscale’s GBTC saw $33.8 million exit, according to data from SoSoValue.

Products from VanEck and WisdomTree also experienced redemptions.

Bitwise’s BITB stood out as the sole gainer, drawing $6.71 million in net inflows.

The day’s withdrawals mark the fifth consecutive session of negative flows across US-listed spot bitcoin ETFs.