Dogecoin Founder Shatters Bullish Bitcoin Dreams - Casts Serious Doubt on All-Time High Predictions
Just when the crypto faithful were polishing their moon boots, a founding voice throws cold water on the parade.
The Skeptic in the Room
Forget the hopium-fueled charts and analyst price targets. A key architect from one of crypto's most iconic projects is publicly questioning the narrative. While the crowd chants for new peaks, he's pointing at the shaky foundations—regulatory headwinds, scalability debates, and that ever-present specter of market manipulation. It's a sobering counterpoint to the relentless bullishness.
Between Hype and Reality
The tension is palpable. On one side, institutional adoption ticks up and traditional finance dabbles with ETFs. On the other, a veteran warns that the path to a sustainable all-time high is fraught with more than just buy orders. It’s a classic clash of market psychology versus hard-earned, often cynical, industry experience. After all, in crypto, the 'fundamentals' can sometimes just mean who has the louder microphone.
The Verdict for 2026
So, does this kill the bull market? Not necessarily. But it forces a harder look. Blind faith in parabolic predictions is a surefire way to get rekt. This intervention isn't about calling a top; it's about demanding better reasons for the pump. Maybe the road to the next peak requires navigating a few reality checks first. Or, as any seasoned trader might grumble over their third coffee, 'The only all-time high you can trust is the one in your trading fees.'
Doubts On All-Time High Predictions
The entire crypto market cap is currently sitting at $3.344 trillion at the time of writing. When compared to the $3.047 trillion recorded on January 1, this represents an increase of about 9.7%, meaning close to $300 billion has flowed back into digital assets over the past few weeks. That rise has helped restore some confidence across the market after a period of choppy and indecisive price action in late 2025.
Things are going well for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other large market-cap cryptos, and bullish momentum is starting to creep in steadily. However, Billy Markus, the co-creator of Dogecoin, specifically mentioned the need for big benchmark breaks to actually happen before believing the Optimism that’s creeping in.
In a short message addressed to his millions of followers, Markus remarked that while “crypto is doing good and all,” he WOULD rather be woken up when all-time highs are actually being broken. The comment struck a chord across the community and quickly drew a range of reactions, with some noting new all-time highs feel like a myth at this point, and others noting that new price highs are certainly coming.
Although Markus and his co-creators created Dogecoin as a joke, he holds a selective view of the different assets in the crypto industry. Over the years, he has expressed respect for a small group of networks he views as meaningful or resilient, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Solana.
Where Crypto Stands Now
Billy Markus’ comment shows a larger divide between perspectives in the crypto community based on the current price action of major cryptocurrencies. On one hand, prices have recovered meaningfully from recent pullbacks, but on the other, the major benchmarks many traders are watching have yet to be reclaimed.
Bitcoin is currently trading in the mid-$90,000 range $96,240 after retreating from its October peak above $126,000. This price uptick is yet to reclaim $100,000, and it might not be until this happens that a full bullish momentum rolls in.
Dogecoin’s performance corresponds to the broader market’s mixed signals. The meme token is now back to making daily closes above $0.14 as selling pressure eases and traders are on high alert. However, technical analysis of Dogecoin’s price action shows that the real test is at $0.157, and traders should not celebrate early until this level falls.
