Is Bitcoin Gold (BTG) worth buying in 2025?
Introduction
From the historical high of $456.25 to the current $4.56, how did Bitcoin Gold (BTG) go from “strangling Bitcoin“ to today’s situation? Can the replacement of the new contract token of the BTG chain bring new hope to Bitcoin Gold (BTG)? This article will introduce you to what Bitcoin Gold (BTG) is, look back at the major changes that have occurred in Bitcoin Gold (BTG) in the past, and look forward to the price of Bitcoin Gold (BTG) in 2025.
What is Bitcoin Gold (BTG)?
Bitcoin Gold (BTG) is a hard fork project based on the Bitcoin code. It was launched in 2017 by Jack Liao, CEO of LightningASIC and BitExchange, and aims to achieve a more decentralized mining eco by changing the mining algorithm. BTG uses the Equihash algorithm to replace Bitcoin’s SHA-256 algorithm in order to “democratize” the mining process. Equihash is a memory-intensive proof-of-work algorithm that is effectively resistant to ASIC miners. This means that ordinary users can use the GPU of their home computers for mining without having to buy expensive professional mining equipment. This change greatly reduces the threshold for mining, allowing more people to participate in network maintenance.
In terms of token issuance, Bitcoin Gold (BTG) retains Bitcoin’s 21 million total token limit and the block production rule of producing blocks every 10 minutes and halving every 4 years. However, BTG has implemented some technical improvements, such as introducing a new difficulty adjustment algorithm to better cope with computing power fluctuations. BTG also supports the latest technical upgrades of the Bitcoin network, such as Segregated Witness, to improve transaction efficiency and scalability.
It is worth noting that BTG pre-mined 100,000 BTG in the genesis block to support project development and eco construction. Although this part of the tokens is locked in a multi-signature wallet and needs to be voted by the community before it can be used. But this move still raises concerns among cryptocurrency exchanges that are considering listing BTG, that is, whether BTG is really as decentralized as its team claims.
What is the Equihash algorithm? How does Bitcoin Gold (BTG) achieve ASIC resistance through the Equihash algorithm?
Equihash is a memory-intensive proof-of-work algorithm that requires a lot of memory for calculations, which makes it difficult and costly to design specialized ASIC chips. In contrast, general-purpose GPUs have enough memory and computing power to ute the Equihash algorithm, making them the preferred hardware for BTG mining. At the same time, the design of the Equihash algorithm makes it difficult to parallelize the calculation process. This means that even if someone develops a specialized ASIC chip, its efficiency improvement will not be as significant as Bitcoin. According to the data, the computing power distribution of the BTG network is relatively balanced, and there is no situation where a single mining pool controls more than 30% of the computing power.
In addition, the BTG team promises to regularly uate the security of the network and consider changing the mining algorithm if necessary. This flexibility further increases the risk and cost of developing ASICs. BTG has also implemented a mechanism called “dual mining”. Miners can mine BTG and other cryptocurrencies that use the Equihash algorithm, such as Zcash (ZEC), at the same time. This increases the benefits of mining and further encourages ordinary users to participate in mining.
What events have affected the development of Bitcoin Gold (BTG)?
The Bitcoin Gold (BTG) network has suffered multiple attacks since its launch, the most serious of which were two 51% attacks in May 2018 and January 2020. These two attacks not only caused huge economic losses, but also seriously affected BTG’s reputation and market performance.
The 51% attack in May 2018 spanned several days (May 16-May 19). The attack was initiated by a miner who temporarily controlled the BTG network, recharged the exchange and quickly withdrew the coins, and then reversed the block, successfully implementing a double-spending attack. The attacker sent more than 380,000 BTG to himself, which was worth more than 18.6 million US dollars at the price at the time. In January 202, Bitcoin Gold (BTG) suffered another 51% attack. After controlling 51% of the computing power, the attacker reorganized the block network twice, and finally Bitcoin Gold (BTG) lost more than 7,000 BTG in two days.
The main reasons for the vulnerability of the BTG network are: 1. Insufficient computing power. Although the Equihash algorithm used by BTG has achieved ASIC resistance, it also leads to relatively low network computing power, which is easy for attackers to rent computing power for attacks; 2. Imperfect security mechanism. BTG lacked effective defense mechanisms in the early stage, such as checkpoint and reorganization restrictions, which made it easy for attackers to conduct deep chain reorganization; 3. Insufficient exchange support. Some exchanges have low confirmation requirements for BTG, which provides attackers with opportunities; 4. Low cost of crime. When the attack occurred, BTG’s market value was relatively high, but the network security was insufficient. This imbalance provided motivation for attackers.
In addition to the two major attacks that had a profound impact on BTG, after the Korean exchange Upbit announced the delisting of Bitcoin Gold (BTG) on December 24, 2024, the price of BTG once soared by more than 140%, becoming the project with the highest increase in the past 24 hours that day. However, despite the soaring price, it still cannot change the fact that the project is gradually declining. As of February 10, 2025, the price of BTG is $4.32, which has fallen by more than 99% from the historical high of $456.25, and the market value ranking is 542nd.
Predict the price performance of Bitcoin Gold (BTG) in 2025
The price trend of BTG is basically consistent with the general trend of the entire cryptocurrency market. In the bull market from the end of 2017 to the beginning of 2018, the price of BTG reached its historical high. In the subsequent bear market, the price of BTG fell sharply. The bull market in 2021 pushed the price of BTG up again, but failed to break the historical high in early 2018. The following forecast is based on BTG’s historical price performance, technical analysis, and expectations for the overall trend of the cryptocurrency market:
| Time | Lowest Price | Average Price | Highest Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3.51 | $8.00 | $8.45 |
The overall trend of the cryptocurrency market has a significant impact on the price trend of BTG. Usually, the trend of Bitcoin leads the entire market. If Bitcoin maintains a strong upward momentum in the next few years, BTG, as its fork coin, is likely to benefit. According to DigitalCoinPrice’s forecast, the price of BTG may reach $16.260 in December 2027. However, the price fluctuations of BTG are often more drastic than those of Bitcoin. On the one hand, this reflects the high-risk characteristics of BTG as a small-cap cryptocurrency, and on the other hand, it also shows that the market’s recognition and acceptance of BTG still needs to be improved.
It is worth noting that according to the official announcement of BTG, BTG (BTG) will be exchanged for the new contract token of the BTC chain at a ratio of 1:1 in the near future. Gate.io has supported this contract exchange and provided token exchange services to users. Users on the platform can complete the exchange without any operation.
Conclusion
The price trend of Bitcoin Gold reflects the high volatility of the cryptocurrency market. Although BTG is currently at a low level, its unique mining algorithm, limited supply and continuous technological innovation still provide it with certain investment value. However, investors need to weigh the potential of BTG against the challenges it faces. Paying close attention to market dynamics, technological progress, and changes in the regulatory environment will help you make more informed investment decisions. There are still many possibilities for BTG’s future development, which deserves continued attention.
Risk warning: The cryptocurrency market is highly volatile, and BTG prices may fluctuate significantly due to market sentiment, technical issues, or regulatory changes. Investors should carefully assess their risk tolerance.
