A bold prediction from Strive strategist Joe Burnett suggests that Bitcoin could soar past USD 10 million within the next decade, reaching USD 11 million by the first quarter of 2036. This ambitious forecast hinges on a unique economic dynamic: the anticipated deflationary pressures brought on by artificial intelligence (AI), which Burnett argues will compel central banks to dramatically expand the global money supply.
The AI-Driven Deflationary Engine and Monetary Expansion
Burnett's core thesis revolves around what he terms an "AI deflation engine." He posits that rapid advancements in AI will lead to unprecedented productivity gains and a significant reduction in the costs of goods and services, thereby creating persistent deflationary pressure across the economy. In a debt-based fiat monetary system, sustained deflation poses a severe threat, as asset prices and wages can fall while nominal debt obligations remain fixed, straining credit markets. To counteract this potential economic spiral, Burnett predicts that central banks and fiscal authorities will respond by continuously injecting liquidity and expanding the money supply. This structural monetary expansion, he contends, will inevitably lead to a sustained increase in the amount of money relative to the supply of verifiably scarce assets, making a digital scarcity like Bitcoin an increasingly valuable store of wealth.
Bitcoin's Path to Dominance: Forecasts and Assumptions
Burnett's USD 11 million Bitcoin price target by 2036 is built upon several aggressive assumptions. These include Bitcoin growing to approximately 12% of the world's total financial asset value and global wealth increasing at an annual rate of 7% over the next decade. Such a scenario would imply an astonishing 176-fold increase in Bitcoin's market capitalization, pushing it to USD 230 trillion. As noted by Coin Bureau's Nic Puckrin, this forecast envisions Bitcoin becoming the dominant global reserve asset, necessitating a structurally loose monetary policy and implying a massive scale that would dwarf current US M2 money supply, stock market capitalization, and even global GDP. Furthermore, the report highlights the emergence of "digital credit" models, where companies with large Bitcoin treasuries issue securities to raise capital for further Bitcoin acquisition. Burnett believes this will create a "reflexive loop" between the demand for yield and Bitcoin accumulation, laying the groundwork for a new credit system founded on truly scarce money, thereby further fueling Bitcoin's ascent.
