If we take into account the fact that we are in the year after halving, and if we look at history - it would be quite realistic to expect Bitcoin to explode again this time - and if that happens, $50 000 is a very modest figure if we know that during 2017 the price went up as much as 20 times. What makes a significant difference now is the great interest from institutional investors, who seem to be betting on Bitcoin as a long-term investment.
The pandemic will certainly not end this year, we are far from getting all people vaccinated - but this should not be seen as the main reason why Bitcoin is becoming more valuable. This whole situation has actually benefited those who have a surplus of money, to the detriment of those who do not even have enough for basic living needs. The average Joe found himself out of work and bankrupt, selling everything he had, including BTC - the big players bought and locked coins in custodial cold wallets - with a lot of coins change hands in a direction that is not very good in the long run.
It is never too late for long-term investments, although it is far more profitable to do such things in the time of the bear market - and in the past 3 years there have been opportunities to buy BTC at prices below $5000 on several occasions.
Exactly. As long as the pandemic is still relevant, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies will only go higher in price. It seems to me that people are starting to realize Bitcoin's benefits over traditional Fiat. Deflation is key to maintaining the value of the currency in question. The more governments print money, the higher the inflation will be. This translates into higher prices for Bitcoin, giving its "hodlers" greater purchasing power. If the trend continues, we could easily see Bitcoin reach $50k or more by the end of the year.
Nonetheless, no one knows what direction Bitcoin's prices will head to. Everything is just pure speculation. At least, institutional investors are joining the game. But the crypto market is still small compared to the traditional stock market. Maybe in the future, Bitcoin will be able to surpass Gold's market cap? Bitcoin could easily hit $100k if this happens. As long as you buy low and sell high, you'll be able to reap the rewards in a highly-volatile crypto market. It's all about playing your cards right in order to stay ahead of the game. Just my opinion