The crypto industry is one of the most fragile industries in the world and is heavily dependent on market influencers. This is because the industry itself is quite young, and there’s a dearth of extensive and exhaustive data that could help interpret the market conditions. Thus, the role of influencers, especially those who are from technical backgrounds, is extremely crucial for the industry. One of the biggest names among such influencers is that of a computer scientist and anti-virus pioneer John McAfee.
McAfee, who himself is on the run from the US authorities, has been quite vocal about his views on cryptocurrencies and is the biggest proponents of Bitcoin and other cryptos. In fact, he is among the first persons to claim that BTC will touch the million-dollar mark in the next few years. As the year is about to end, we look at what McAfee had to say about Bitcoin in 2019, and what does he predict for 2020:
The tussle with Craig Wright
John McAfee was one of the prominent personalities that came out openly against self-proclaimed Bitcoin creator and Bitcoin SV chief Craig Wright. McAfee was among the firsts to debunk Wright’s claim of being Satoshi Nakamoto and did so in a hilarious manner saying,
“I am the real Craig Wright. I can prove it. Absolutely. I’m filing a patent on my existence as Craig Wright. I can prove I am him at a finger’s snap. But I’m not going to. You must simply believe me. I will be suing Craig, soon, for impersonating me. Unlike me, he is serveable.”
In turn, Craig Wright called McAfee a “scam artist,” and threatened to drag him to the court. However, McAfee had the last laugh as Wright’s own legal battle grew tragic for him. Currently, Bitcoin SV is going through a tough phase, and problems for Wright doesn’t seem to end anytime soon.
The $1 Million Prediction for Bitcoin
2018 was a disastrous year for Bitcoin as the apex crypto fell from its all-time peak of around $20,000 in December 2017 to less than $4,000 in January 2019. Things started to improve in February when Bitcoin broke its six months-long losing spree. Predicting a mega bull return, McAfee predicted that BTC would hit $1 million by the end of 2020, a claim which seems to be far from reality at the moment.
After a mini bull run till late July, BTC has come down steadily from its yearly peak of around $14,000 to less than $7,200 as of date. In spite of this, McAfee has stuck to his bull prediction stating that he agreed with the midterm $50,000 prediction by Peter Brandt and also reiterated that BTC would touch $1,000,000 by the end of 2020.
Promoted Use of Crypto in Daily Life
McAfee has been a long-time advocate of cryptocurrencies. This became even more apparent when he promoted BeatzCoin, a cryptocurrency targeted towards empowering artists, stating that it was one of the best. His support for the use of crypto became even more apparent when he stated that using fiat currencies is “slavery”, and that the government is afraid of crypto.
Similarly, McAfee also showed his open support for Dogecoin, an altcoin that began life as a joke but has successfully acquired a market cap of around $360 million. He seconded Tesla boss Elon Musk’s prediction that Dogecoin “will go to the moon.”
Engaged with Various Crypto-Blockchain Platforms
The year 2019 has been quite adventurous for John McAfee, as he not only spent time in jail and dodged the US authorities on multiple occasions but also engaged with several crypto-blockchain platforms. Some of these include:
- Burency, an enterprise blockchain solutions provider: McAfee joined the advisory board for the company.
- Wavesbet, an online gambling platform: McAfee has partnered with the company to help the company to improve the platform and take it to the next level.
- Attended the Blockchain Cruise 2019 in February. Several other market experts joined for the four-day event.
Launched a DEX and WHACKD Token
John McAfee launched a decentralized crypto exchange called McAfee DEX in October. McAfee DEX boasts features like complete anonymity of transactions, lesser processing times, and lowest processing fees. The DEX is functioning smoothly at the moment, though it faced tough challenges initially.
Before launching the DEX, McAfee went out all guns blazing against fiat currencies and government-controlled monetary systems. He also heavily criticized centralized crypto exchanges and accused them of controlling the market.
McAfee launched the “Epstein Didn’t Kill Himself” (WHACKD) token as a form of protest against the alleged murder of Jeffery Epstein which was staged as a suicide in prison. He also announced an airdrop of 700 million WHACKD tokens which were divided equally among all the eligible participants.
What Must We Look Forward from McAfee in 2020?
First of all, we will have to closely observe the McAfee DEX, how it performs and how much it stays true to initial promises. Similarly, it would be quite interesting to see the outcomes of various partnerships and engagements McAfee has entered into this year and given his past record, and exciting results are awaited.
However, the most important thing to keep an eye on would be the performance of Bitcoin. As mentioned earlier, McAfee has predicted a $1 million prediction for BTC by the end of 2020, and if Bitcoin was to really achieve this stupendous feat, it would have to have a terrific bull run through the year. At this moment, it seems quite unlikely due to the below $7,500 price, but if at all it happens, McAfee will establish himself as the greatest Bitcoin analyst.
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