Analysis: Crypto market maturing, BTC projected to reach $148.5K by year-end

The cryptocurrency market is poised to enter a mature phase amid a favorable environment of increasing regulatory clarity and interest rate cuts, according to an analysis by crypto benchmark index provider CF Benchmarks. In a recent report cited by DL News, the firm projected that Bitcoin could reach $148,500 by the end of the year, representing a further 20% increase. The firm attributes this potential growth to several factors, including Bitcoin's role as a hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty and fiat currency devaluation. Other catalysts cited are a potential shift in regulatory policy under a second Trump administration, greater regulatory clarity, and increasing institutional adoption. The outlook is also supported by the U.S. Federal Reserve's recent interest rate cut, its first in nine months, which has created a more favorable environment for risk assets. Separately, the report forecasts that the market for tokenized real-world assets (RWA) will more than double from its current $40 billion size within the next 12 months.