Should You Buy Bitcoin in 2025?

Bitcoin in brief

How much does 1 Bitcoin cost?

The price of Bitcoin is on the rise this week. As of now, Bitcoin trades at around ZAR 1,227,000, showing a 1.4% increase over the last 24 hours and a solid 3.9% gain across the past week.

Bitcoin’s strong position is reflected in its market capitalisation, which stands at approximately ZAR 24.14 trillion, with an average daily trading volume of ZAR 1.47 trillion over the last three months.

While Bitcoin remains volatile, its robust performance and high liquidity continue to spark interest among South African investors seeking diverse opportunities.

Our complete review of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency

Have we reached a pivotal moment in Bitcoin’s trajectory after its resilient performance throughout the past three years? Our latest in-depth assessment leverages proprietary algorithms across on-chain analytics, advanced technical signals, aggregated market flow data, and granular competitive landscape analysis. Given the interplay of these factors, one question naturally arises: Why might Bitcoin be poised, in 2025, for a renewed role as a strategic entry point within the digital assets ecosystem?

3. Recent Performance and Market Context

4. Recent Price Evolution

Bitcoin has demonstrated remarkable resilience and upward mobility in its price action over the past 36 months, accumulating robust gains and reaffirming its leadership within the digital asset universe. As of June 2024, Bitcoin is trading in the $67,000–$71,000 range, representing a near doubling from mid-2022 levels amid periods of macro volatility. This surge is underscored by higher highs and higher lows, supported by increasing daily spot and derivatives trading volumes, which have reached multi-month peaks above $45 billion (spot + futures).

4. Positive Recent Events

Several bullish catalysts have reinforced Bitcoin’s value proposition since late 2023:

• The approval and successful launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US and select global markets, leading to record inflows and heightened institutional participation.
• Renewed all-time high (ATH) price levels in the first half of 2024, driven by both retail accumulation and significant corporate treasury allocations.
• The 2024 Bitcoin halving event, reducing new issuance and amplifying scarcity, directly impacting supply-demand dynamics.
• Upgrades to the Bitcoin protocol—such as Taproot and advances in the Lightning Network—enhancing transaction privacy, scalability, and versatility.

4. Macro and Sectoral Tailwinds

Macro conditions have turned increasingly favorable for Bitcoin:

• Persisting inflationary pressures across G20 economies, fueling the narrative of Bitcoin as a “digital gold” hedge against fiat debasement.
• Loosening of global monetary policy, with central banks in major markets indicating a return toward rate cuts—a supportive environment for risk assets.
• Regulatory clarity in the US, EU, and parts of APAC, recognizing Bitcoin as a unique commodity, not a security, thus solidifying its legitimacy and security for both institutional and retail entrants.
• Global adoption surges, particularly in EM economies (such as South Africa’s steadily expanding user base), with regulated Bitcoin on-ramps and custody solutions thriving.

3. Technical Analysis

4. Key Crypto Indicators

• Relative Strength Index (RSI): Currently oscillating between 58–63, Bitcoin’s RSI shows the asset in a healthy intermediate environment—not yet overbought, with ample headroom for bullish continuation.
• MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence): MACD on both daily and weekly charts displays a clear bullish crossover, reflecting strengthening upside momentum and suggesting sustained inflows.
• 200-day and 50-day Moving Averages: Price action remains comfortably above both major moving averages; recent pullbacks have been consistently bought, confirming strong support zones.

4. Critical Support Levels & Bullish Reversal Signals

• Strong technical support is established around $62,000–$64,000, where large bid clusters and whale accumulation are confirmed by on-chain tracking.
• Short- to mid-term resistance remains at the $74,500–$75,000 zone; a decisive breakout could trigger the next parabolic expansion phase.
• Bullish reversal patterns, such as double-bottoms and ascending channels, are evident on the daily and weekly charts, signaling structurally favorable price setup.

4. Momentum and Structural Strength

• Bitcoin continues to exhibit a pattern of swift recoveries after market corrections, with perpetual funding rates stabilizing and liquidations decreasing—indicating healthier market structure.
• Short- and mid-term momentum indicators align to signal institutional accumulation, low sell pressure, and above-average transaction throughput.

3. Fundamental Analysis

4. Adoption & Ecosystem Development

• Widespread adoption: Global wallet addresses with non-zero balances have surpassed 54 million—an all-time high—driven by onboarding in emerging markets and institutional custody solutions.
• Strategic Alliances & Integrations: Key integrations with payment processors and asset management firms are facilitating seamless fiat-Bitcoin conversion and enterprise usage.
• Ecosystem Growth: The proliferation of layer-2 solutions (Lightning Network, Drivechains, etc.) is enabling exponentially faster, lower-cost transactions and unlocking broader use cases, including micro-payments and interoperable apps.

4. Relative Valuation

• With a market cap hovering near $1.38 trillion (June 2024), Bitcoin maintains dominance at 51% of total crypto market cap.
• Fully diluted valuation approximates $1.48 trillion, reflecting confidence in capped supply and long-term scarcity.
• Comparative analysis against traditional assets, such as gold or global M2 money supply, continues to paint Bitcoin as undervalued on an adjusted S-curve basis with significant adoption headroom.

4. Structural Strengths & Competitive Differentiators

• Decentralization and Network Security: Over 18,000 active nodes and record global hashrate (exceeding 650 EH/s as of Q2 2024) provide robust defense against attacks and ensure chain immutability.
• Technical Innovation: SegWit, Taproot, and Schnorr signatures successively adopted, increasing transaction privacy, smart contract potential, and scalability.
• Community Resilience: Development activity (measured by GitHub commits and BIP submissions) remains especially robust, underscoring persistent innovation.
• Liquidity Position: High exchange liquidity and consistently narrow bid-ask spreads reinforce market confidence, enabling large-scale transactions without price dislocation.

4. Volume, Dominance, and Positioning

• Bitcoin’s average daily trading volume consistently sits above $35 billion, occasionally spiking over $56 billion on significant news or volatility days.
• The asset’s persistent market dominance (hovering above 50%) provides a stabilizing effect on the wider crypto sector, reaffirming Bitcoin as the go-to liquidity anchor for institutional portfolios.

4. Catalysts & Positive Outlook

• Protocol Advancements: Anticipation builds toward the next major upgrade (OP_CAT activation, enhanced smart contract capabilities) projected for 2025–2026.
• Institutional Adoption: Asset managers, insurance funds, and corporates continue to ramp up treasury allocations—increasing depth, credibility, and price sensitivity.
• Expanding Use Cases: Ongoing proliferation of DeFi, cross-border payments, and tokenization of real-world assets on the Bitcoin rails.
• Favourable Regulatory Momentum: South Africa’s regulatory framework has matured, with progressive tax clarity and compliant on/off-ramps boosting both retail and institutional adoption.

3. Investment Strategies: Timing and Positioning

4. Entry Points by Horizon

Short-term (weeks to 3 months):

• Bitcoin’s recent technical breakout, coupled with resilient support at $67,000–$68,000, suggests the potential for attractive tactical entries during brief retracements.
• Volatility clusters post-halving and ahead of protocol upgrade timelines create dislocation opportunities favoring active allocation when RSI resets near oversold markers.

Medium-term (3–12 months):

• Significant events on the 2025 roadmap—including protocol upgrades and anticipated ETF inflows—indicate that repositioning on any pullback before these milestones is strategic.
• Persistent upside bias, strong network health, and institutional inflows suggest potential to outperform both fiat benchmarks and rival altcoins.

Long-term (>12 months):

• The constantly reducing inflation schedule, capped total supply, and expanding real-world use cases together lay a solid foundation for substantial appreciation over successive cycles.
• Historical analysis demonstrates that post-halving years, paired with new ATHs, often precede multi-year secular bull trends—a pattern consistently reinforced since 2012.
• Macro environment—aligned with digital asset adoption, regulatory certainty, and continued network innovation—strengthens the thesis for patient, conviction-based accumulation.

3. Bitcoin Price Projection Table

3. Is Now the Right Time to Consider Bitcoin?

Bitcoin’s compelling combination of robust technical signals, record-setting on-chain activity, surging institutional participation, and breakthrough ecosystem innovation collectively point towards a high-potential phase for digital asset investors. The recent acceleration in price—coupled with liquidity depth, resilient support formation, and the undeniable bull market momentum—drives renewed conviction in Bitcoin’s investment case.

Key strengths include:

• Clear upside momentum and technical structure favoring further appreciation
• Ongoing adoption at both retail and institutional levels
• Technological innovation supporting new, scalable applications
• Macroeconomic and regulatory tailwinds uniquely aligned for digital assets
• High liquidity and dominant market positioning—minimizing slippage and enhancing trade execution

Looking ahead, the projections highlight significant potential for valuation expansion as Bitcoin sustains its role as the anchor of the digital asset ecosystem. The fundamentals justify revitalized interest, and Bitcoin seems poised to enter a new bullish phase powered by scarcity, innovation, and global adoption. For investors seeking dynamic opportunities in a transforming monetary landscape, Bitcoin may very well represent an excellent entry point—warranting serious consideration as part of a forward-looking portfolio strategy.

How to buy Bitcoin?

It’s both simple and secure to buy Bitcoin online in South Africa using a regulated platform. Whether you’re looking for easy ownership or active trading, most platforms offer two main ways to invest: direct purchase (spot buying), where you own actual Bitcoin stored in your wallet, or trading Bitcoin price movements via crypto CFDs (Contracts for Difference), without ever holding the coin itself. Each option has distinct features, fees, and risk levels. To help you choose the most suitable method, you’ll find a detailed comparison of the main platforms further down this page.

Spot Buying

Spot buying means you purchase real Bitcoin and it’s stored in your personal wallet. This approach is straightforward: you pay the full price for your coins and hold them securely. Most South African platforms charge a fixed fee per transaction, typically in rand (ZAR).

Example

Example: Suppose Bitcoin is trading at ZAR 940,000 per coin. With an investment of ZAR 20,000 and a typical transaction fee of ZAR 100, you could buy approximately 0.0212 BTC.

Gain scenario: If Bitcoin’s price rises by 10%, your BTC would now be worth about ZAR 22,000.
Result: +ZAR 2,000 profit, or a 10% gain on your investment.

Trading via CFD

Trading CFDs on Bitcoin lets you speculate on price movements without owning the coin itself—you open a position based on the future price. CFD brokers charge a spread (difference between buy/sell price) plus overnight funding fees if you keep positions open.

Example

Example: You open a CFD position in Bitcoin with ZAR 20,000 and apply a 5x leverage, giving you a market exposure of ZAR 100,000.

Gain scenario: If Bitcoin’s price increases by 8%, your position would return 8% × 5 = 40%.
Result: +ZAR 8,000 profit on your ZAR 20,000 investment (excluding fees).

Final Advice

Before investing, always compare the fee structures and conditions of each platform—costs can have a significant impact on your returns. Ultimately, your decision should reflect your goals and experience: do you want real coin ownership and long-term growth, or do you prefer to speculate and use leverage? For detailed comparisons of the main South African platforms, please refer to our comparison tool further down the page.

Our 7 tips for buying Bitcoin

The latest Bitcoin news

South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has confirmed the successful licensing of 59 crypto asset service providers, signalling increased regulatory clarity.
This development, reported on June 12, is widely seen as a significant milestone that enhances investor protection and provides legitimacy to the crypto sector within South Africa. Market participants perceive the new licensing system as a positive signal for mainstream adoption, reducing regulatory uncertainty and potentially increasing institutional and retail interest in Bitcoin trading through compliant local platforms.

Leading South African crypto exchanges Luno and VALR have announced record-high trading volumes in June following the Bitcoin halving event.
Executives at both firms attribute this surge to growing local awareness and the perception of Bitcoin as a hedge against persistent rand volatility and inflation pressures. Increased activity is especially notable among young investors and SMEs exploring Bitcoin as both a store of value and a cross-border payment tool, underpinning a positive demand trend for BTC in the region.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has formally confirmed it is reviewing proposals to list a spot Bitcoin ETF, citing strong institutional investor interest.
Such an ETF, if launched, would mark a strategic opportunity for South African asset managers and facilitate greater access to Bitcoin through traditional investment accounts. Local analysts believe this development could further normalize Bitcoin as an asset class and trigger greater liquidity and price stability on regulated platforms.

South Africa’s Reserve Bank has reaffirmed its neutral-to-positive stance towards Bitcoin, with officials emphasizing ongoing dialogue with industry.
In a statement issued earlier this week, the Bank highlighted the potential of Bitcoin and blockchain to drive financial inclusion and innovation, especially among unbanked and underserved populations. The generally favourable tone reassures stakeholders about the government’s willingness to accommodate crypto in the broader financial ecosystem, sustaining confidence among market actors.

Google has expanded the availability of Bitcoin-focused educational resources and wallet integrations to South African Android users.
This move, finalized over the past week, is expected to boost grassroots Bitcoin awareness and drive greater adoption among everyday users by simplifying onboarding and secure storage. Local fintech leaders note this initiative aligns with broader efforts to close the digital financial literacy gap and could catalyse further uptake of Bitcoin in township economies as well as urban centres.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.

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