JPMorgan projects Bitcoin could reach $170,000 within 12 months, driven by favorable volatility metrics versus gold and stabilizing futures markets post-October liquidations.
JPMorgan’s research team led by Managing Director Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou has set a Bitcoin BTC $89 815 24h volatility: 2.1% Market cap: $1.79 T Vol. 24h: $36.24 B price target of approximately $170,000 for the next six to 12 months. Bitcoin traded near $103,000 at the time of the projection, according to a Nov. 6 report exclusively obtained by The Block.
The valuation derives from a volatility-adjusted comparison between Bitcoin and private-sector gold investments, according to the Nov. 6 JPMorgan report. The team calculates that Bitcoin’s current market capitalization of approximately $2.1 trillion would need to rise 67% to match the roughly $6.2 trillion in private-sector gold investment on a volatility-adjusted basis.
The crypto market has corrected nearly 20% from recent highs, with the sharpest decline occurring during the Oct. 10 record liquidation event, followed by smaller liquidations on Nov. 3. Bitcoin reached an all-time high above $126,200 on Oct. 6 before the October selloff.
Volatility-Adjusted Gold Comparison Drives Valuation
The current Bitcoin-to-gold volatility ratio stands at approximately 1.8, meaning Bitcoin consumes about 1.8 times more risk capital than gold. This figure sits below the 2.0 level that Panigirtzoglou’s team cites in their analysis. The report states Bitcoin trades “$68,000 below JPMorgan’s volatility-adjusted fair value relative to gold” at present levels.
The research describes this calculation as a “mechanical exercise” that “implies significant upside for bitcoin over the next 6-12 months.” Recent increases in gold volatility have made Bitcoin more attractive to investors on a risk-adjusted basis, according to the report.
Deleveraging Phase “Likely Behind Us,” Report States
The JPMorgan team describes deleveraging in perpetual futures as “likely behind us” following the historic October liquidations. Perpetual futures open interest relative to total market value has returned to normal ranges after spiking above historical averages, the report notes.
The Nov. 3 liquidations occurred as investor confidence was shaken by a $120 million Balancer exploit in the decentralized finance sector. Despite the back-to-back selloffs, the report states that “perpetual futures are the most important instruments to watch in the current juncture, and the message from the recent stabilization is that deleveraging in perpetual futures is likely behind us.”
The team also noted modest exchange-traded fund redemptions in recent weeks compared with inflows during the weeks ending Oct. 3 and Oct. 10. In CME futures markets, the report found more liquidations occurred in Ethereum ETH $3 051 24h volatility: 2.6% Market cap: $368.07 B Vol. 24h: $17.88 B than Bitcoin futures. The $170,000 target updates previous JPMorgan projections of $165,000 issued in October and $126,000 issued in August.
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