I recently came across an interesting perspective—Cardano founder Hoskinson publicly predicted that Bitcoin could reach $250,000 by 2026. At first glance, it sounds like a pipe dream, but digging into the underlying data support, it doesn't seem so far-fetched.

The actions of institutions speak volumes. Traditional financial giants like Morgan Stanley are quietly guiding high-net-worth clients to allocate assets in crypto. This isn't retail investors chasing trends; it's genuine institutional-level behavior with real capital. The signal is clear—big money is entering the market.

But beyond price fluctuations, what's more worth noting is the changing perception of privacy needs in the market. Hoskinson's concept of "rational privacy" is quite interesting—it's not about underground transactions to evade regulation, but about giving users control over their data again. This is the real demand.

Think about it: as more institutions get involved, balancing compliance and privacy becomes crucial. Capable projects are starting to focus deeply on this—protecting user privacy while meeting regulatory requirements. This challenge isn't simple. Whoever can build this framework well will hold the discourse power in the next cycle.

Cardano's "cooperative chain" strategy also reflects this trend— the era of purely public chains is over; connectivity and interoperability between ecosystems will be the future competitive edge. Bridging traditional finance and the crypto world can't rely on a single chain; what’s needed is a reliable cross-chain infrastructure.

Back to reality, the immediate questions are: Can Bitcoin really approach $250,000? Where should your assets be stored to be truly safe at that time? When big institutions fully enter, what kind of entry points will they choose?

From current market trends, privacy protection and cross-chain security will become the focal points of this round of competition. Understanding this trend early is more important than chasing price swings.