The “Bitcoin 5.3 Theory,” also known as Steve’s 5.3 Bitcoin Theory, has recently garnered attention within the cryptocurrency community. This theory suggests that the returns from Bitcoin’s price cycle bottoms to tops are diminishing by a factor of 5.3x. If this pattern continues, it posits that the next cycle peak for Bitcoin could reach around $77,000. This is based on an analysis of past cycles where the returns measured from cycle bottoms to tops showed an average diminishing factor close to 5.3x, with specific cycle returns being 5.34x, 4.96x, and 5.63x. When these figures are averaged, they align with the theory, presenting a potential next cycle top in the range of $73,522 to $81,675.
The theory also discusses the significance of Fibonacci extension levels, which have historically aligned with Bitcoin’s cycle tops. To reach a $100,000 cycle top, a different rate of diminishing returns would be required, specifically a lower rate than what has been observed so far. There’s speculation that the introduction of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could influence future market dynamics by potentially increasing demand and liquidity, which might alter the expected diminishing returns and lead to higher cycle tops than currently anticipated by this theory
To estimate a projected all-time high (ATH) for Bitcoin after the end of the reward halving system, using Steve’s 5.3 theory as a basis, we’d have to consider a few key assumptions and variables. The theory suggests that the returns from cycle bottoms to tops diminish by a factor of 5.3 times. Bitcoin halvings, events that reduce the reward for mining new blocks by half, occur approximately every four years and have historically been associated with significant price rallies in the months or years following the halving.
Given that the last Bitcoin halving is expected to occur around the year 2140, after which mining rewards will cease, projecting an ATH post this period requires extrapolating existing patterns far into the future. Such an extrapolation would inherently carry significant uncertainty due to the myriad of factors that can affect Bitcoin’s price dynamics over such a long timeframe, including technological, regulatory, and macroeconomic factors.
However, for the sake of this thought experiment, let’s follow the diminishing returns pattern suggested by Steve’s 5.3 theory. Assuming the pattern continues and the average return from each cycle post-halving diminishes by a factor of 5.3x, we can make a speculative projection.
The projected top after the last Bitcoin halving according to the 5.3 theory would be approximately 74,202,328,009,237 trillion USD, which is around 74 billion trillion USD. This is an extraordinarily large number that is well beyond any current economic total value, highlighting the limitations and speculative nature of extending such a theory over many decades into the future.