Former Coinbase CTO makes $2M bet on Bitcoin's performance

Former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan has made a millionaire bet on Bitcoin's (BTC) price over the next 90 days, predicting the cryptocurrency price will reach $1 million by June 17. 

The wager was initiated on March 17, when pseudonymous Twitter user James Medlock offered to bet anyone $1 million that the United States would not experience hyperinflation. A few hours later, the former Coinbase CTO accepted the bet.

Sir, I believe we have ourselves a deal https://t.co/9JYaLNo9Eq

— James Medlock (@jdcmedlock) March 18, 2023

Under the proposed terms, if Bitcoin's price fails to reach $1 million by June 17, Medlock will win $1 million worth of the dollar-pegged stablecoin USD Coin (USDC) and the 1 BTC. The same way, if Bitcoin is worth at least $1 million by the date, then Balaji can keep the 1 BTC and the $1 million in USDC. Srinivasan explained in the thread: 

“You buy 1 BTC. I will send $1M USD. This is ~40:1 odds as 1 BTC is worth ~$26k. The term is 90 days.”

Related: Banking crisis: What does it mean for crypto?

As per the thread, other Twitter users helped set up a smart contract with the betting terms. Srinivasan also disclosed that he would move another $1 million in USDC for another wager on the same topic: 

"I am moving $2M into USDC for the bet. I will do it with Medlock and one other person, sufficient to prove the point. See my next tweet. Everyone else should just go buy Bitcoin, as it'll be much cheaper for you than locking one up for 90 days."

Medlock and Srinivasan made the wager based on their different views of the U.S. economy's future amid ongoing uncertainty regarding the country's banking system.

Srinivasan argues that there's an impending crisis that will lead to the deflation of the U.S. dollar, and thus, to a hyperinflation scenario that would take the BTC price to $1 million. Medlock, on the other hand, is bearish about upcoming hyperinflation in the country.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin's price has reached $27,387 at the time of writing, with its market capitalization adding over $194 billion year-to-date to a 66% growth in 2023, outperforming Wall Street bank stocks amid fears of a global banking crisis.

Also, for the first time in a year, BTC's price has shifted away from United States stocks, rising about 65% compared to the S&P 500's 2.5% gains and the Nasdaq's 15% decline, Cointelegraph reported.