EMJ Capital CEO Eric Jackson has issued one of the most ambitious long-term forecasts yet for Bitcoin.
He suggests that the cryptocurrency could reach $50 million per coin by 2041 and evolve into a foundational pillar of the global financial system.
In an interview with financial journalist Phil Rosen, Jackson said Bitcoin’s future role may extend far beyond its current reputation as a digital store of value. Instead, he believes it could ultimately function as core financial infrastructure underpinning sovereign balance sheets and global liquidity.
Key Points
- Eric Jackson projects Bitcoin could reach $50 million per coin by 2041.
- He believes Bitcoin may serve as core financial infrastructure for sovereign balance sheets and global liquidity.
- Jackson compares Bitcoin to gold, noting its scarcity, independence from political control, and programmability.
- His “Vision 2041” sees Bitcoin as a neutral, apolitical reserve asset underpinning existing currencies and bonds.
From Contrarian Investing to a Bitcoin Thesis
Jackson compares his Bitcoin thesis to the same contrarian investment philosophy that guided his earlier successes, what he calls the “hundred bagger” strategy. The approach focuses on identifying assets that appear fundamentally broken in the short term but retain strong long-term potential.
He pointed to Carvana as a defining example. In 2022, the company’s stock collapsed from roughly $400 to about $3.50 amid widespread pessimism.
Despite the sharp decline and negative sentiment, Jackson believed the company’s core platform remained valuable. Customers continued to rely on its convenience, and he saw a path to recovery through operational improvements and debt restructuring.
For Jackson, the episode reinforced a key lesson: markets exaggerate fear during downturns. He now sees similar emotional extremes influencing Bitcoin, with both critics and advocates contributing to distorted expectations.
Moving Beyond the “Digital Gold” Narrative
Jackson argues that Bitcoin’s long-term significance is often obscured by short-term price volatility and polarized debate. While some skeptics dismiss it entirely, he says others promote unrealistic forecasts that undermine serious analysis.
Furthermore, he drew the familiar comparison to gold, which continues to serve as a reserve asset for central banks and sovereign governments. Bitcoin, he noted, shares several key characteristics, including scarcity and independence from political control. However, unlike gold, Bitcoin is fully digital and programmable, offering potential advantages in a modern financial system.
At the same time, Jackson acknowledged Bitcoin’s limitations as a transactional currency. Although early examples, such as the well-known 2011 pizza purchase, demonstrated its use in payments, widespread adoption in everyday commerce has remained limited.
Vision 2041: Bitcoin as a Global Collateral Layer
Jackson’s most ambitious projection stems from his analysis of the historical evolution of global finance. Gold once anchored monetary systems, but its influence diminished as new financial structures emerged. For context, beginning in the 1960s, offshore dollar markets reshaped global liquidity, and sovereign debt eventually became the primary collateral supporting modern financial systems.
Today, governments rely heavily on sovereign bonds to finance operations and maintain liquidity. Jackson believes this structure contains inherent vulnerabilities, therefore creating an opening for a neutral, digitally native reserve asset.
Under what he calls “Vision 2041,” Bitcoin could emerge as that neutral base layer. Rather than replacing existing currencies, like the U.S. dollar, or bond markets, he envisions Bitcoin serving as foundational collateral beneath them. Its decentralized and apolitical design, he argues, makes it uniquely suited for this role.
Given the immense scale of global sovereign debt markets, Jackson believes Bitcoin’s value would need to rise dramatically to support such a function. This reasoning underpins his $50 million price target by 2041.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $68,582, down 3% over the previous 24 hours. The price also remained 46% below its October peak of $126,080.
DisClamier: This content is informational and should not be considered financial advice. The views expressed in this article may include the author’s personal opinions and do not reflect The Crypto Basic opinion. Readers are encouraged to do thorough research before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Basic is not responsible for any financial losses.