Bitcoin Will Go To $85,000 Before a Dip but the Real Story Is Its Role in the AI Economy, Expert Argues

Bitcoin added about 20% in market capitalization in a week, yet a prominent expert argues its investment case goes far beyond a reflexive short squeeze.Speaking with Scott Melker in a podcast on Sunday, Abra CEO Bill Barhydt pointed to U.S. Treasury efforts to support the long end of the bond market, a weaker dollar and a changing yield curve as signs that financial conditions are becoming more supportive of risk assets.Barhydt sees Bitcoin reaching $85,000 before a leverage reset pulls it toward the low $70,000s, followed by a gradual climb to $100,000 to $110,000.He also expects altcoins to begin outperforming once Bitcoin moves beyond that initial leverage-driven phase.Why BTC Sits Under An AI-Driven Financial SystemBarhydt’s longer-term thesis goes well beyond Bitcoin price action.Abra has launched USDAF, a yield-bearing stablecoin token, and is testing BTCAF, a Bitcoin-based yield product. Barhydt said the broader goal is to create cross-chain assets that can function as collateral across lending, perpetual futures and other financial markets.Barhydt believes stablecoins may initially dominate machine payments, but Bitcoin could eventually emerge as the preferred reserve collateral underneath those transactions.As Bitcoin volatility declines and cross-chain infrastructure improves, AI systems could hold BTC while borrowing or transacting through dollar-denominated assets."Bitcoin becomes the pristine collateral," Barhydt said, arguing that its fixed supply could become increasingly attractive in an AI-driven economy.Ethereum, Solana Boast Specialized Use CasesBarhydt expects Ethereum to remain important for institutional blockchain adoption, while Solana could dominate consumer-facing applications and other networks develop specialized use cases.He added that Ethereum’s macro setup "couldn’t be better," with the network remaining the preferred chain for institutional adoption.Barhydt added that Solana is "winning mindshare" for retail dApps due to its low costs and high performance.Image: Shutterstock