According to speculators, bitcoin\'s uncertain trajectory in recent weeks may spell the end of its reign as the go-to cryptocurrency.

But according to blockchain analyst Dan Ciotoli, of Bespoke Investment Group, the coin could triple in value by the year end, finishing on highs of between $20,000 and $30,000 by December, with the January crash proving a blip in its upward trajectory.

He accredited January\'s crash to market forces that saw a tidal wave of investment from mainstream backers. As people rushed to buy the coin, others cashed in on the trend, sending the currency tumbling to lows of around $9000.

In line with current trends, where investors are moving away from traditional currencies, Ciotoli predicts greater investment in decentralised currencies, such as bitcoin.

This is a bold claim, which he says rests on the adoption of cryptocurrencies by mainstream investors and buyers. New blockchain initiatives will help make transactions faster and cheaper, and we could even start to see cryptocurrencies in everyday use. Ciotoli says:

\"If I don\'t see people actually able to use bitcoin to, say, buy Starbucks... I\'d be worried that people would slowly lose interest\".

Failure to adopt it by the mainstream may see bitcoin\'s value plummet to $5000 by year end; however, bitcoin represents a financial revolution similar to the internet revolution of the mid-90s: either way, it\'s here to stay.