Cardano (ADA), one of the leading blockchain platforms, has been closely monitored by analysts as it navigates through a challenging year in 2024. Despite a year-to-date loss of over 40%, many in the crypto community believe that Cardano’s current price is merely a temporary low, with predictions that ADA could reach new all-time highs (ATH) within the next two years. Leading this optimistic outlook is crypto analyst Dan Gambardello, who has mapped out a roadmap for Cardano’s next big bull run.

Cardano’s Cycle: The Journey to New Highs

According to Gambardello, Cardano is currently in the third stage of its price cycle, which he described as the “Told you. You should’ve listened” phase. This phase often represents a point where investors become pessimistic due to ADA’s bearish price action. As a result, many traders lose hope that the asset will rally during the next bull market, leading to some capitulating and exiting the market.

Gambardello believes this stage is crucial because it sets the stage for what comes next: a “bull trap.” In this phase, short-term traders who recently bought ADA in hopes of quick gains are likely to be shaken out as the price sees temporary surges that don’t hold long-term. However, this shakeout period is essential in eliminating weak hands from the market, allowing ADA to gather strength for its final push toward a new ATH.

Cardano’s Bullish Outlook

Once this consolidation and shakeout phase is complete, Gambardello expects Cardano to break out to new heights, predicting that ADA will rise to $15 by the end of 2025. In his analysis, he also forecasts that ADA’s price could double within the following year, reaching a staggering $31 by the end of 2026.

Should Cardano reach $31, it would give the cryptocurrency a market cap of approximately $1 trillion. This is significant, considering the entire crypto market currently has a market cap of around $2 trillion. If ADA alone were to reach a $1 trillion valuation, it would suggest massive growth for the broader cryptocurrency market as well.

However, Gambardello’s prediction remains speculative, as he did not provide specific reasons behind why he believes ADA could see such a substantial rise. Still, Cardano’s growing use case and recent technological upgrades could play a role in boosting its future value.

A More Conservative View

While Gambardello’s price prediction is highly optimistic, other analysts have offered more conservative forecasts for Cardano’s price trajectory. Crypto analyst Investing Haven, for instance, predicts that ADA will reach a more modest $1.95 by 2025. According to their analysis, Cardano’s breakout potential lies in the $0.443 Fibonacci level. Should the asset break through this key resistance, it could open the door to higher prices, but the climb is expected to be slower and less dramatic.

Investing Haven also reaffirmed that the 2025 outlook for Cardano remains positive. Despite ADA’s struggles throughout 2024, including bearish price action even after the successful Chang Hard Fork upgrade, the analyst believes Cardano is poised for a parabolic rally in the long term.

What’s Holding Cardano Back?

Cardano’s price has experienced significant setbacks in 2024, despite key developments that should have fueled optimism. The Chang Hard Fork, which introduced a decentralized governance system to the network, was expected to boost ADA’s value, but it has yet to materialize in the form of sustained price growth. This has led some to question whether Cardano is capable of keeping up with other leading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

At the time of writing, Cardano is trading at around $0.35, down 2% in the last 24 hours, according to Coin Market Cap. The coin’s performance throughout 2024 has been largely disappointing, leading to concerns that ADA may not reach its potential during the next bull cycle. However, analysts like Gambardello remain confident that ADA will rebound and surpass its previous ATH.

Will Cardano Break New Highs?

The contrasting price predictions for Cardano highlight the uncertainty in the cryptocurrency market. Gambardello’s prediction of $15 by 2025 presents a highly bullish scenario, driven by investor optimism and a belief in ADA’s long-term potential. On the other hand, more conservative estimates like that of Investing Haven suggest that while ADA could see gains, they may be less explosive than some anticipate.

Investors should consider both perspectives and weigh the potential risks and rewards. If institutional interest in Cardano increases and the broader crypto market continues to expand, ADA could very well see significant growth. However, given its volatile nature and current bearish performance, it’s important to approach such predictions with caution.

Cardano’s journey to new all-time highs is far from guaranteed, but its upcoming milestones and technological advancements make it an intriguing asset to watch. Whether ADA will meet these optimistic targets or face more hurdles along the way remains to be seen.