Wow I really like those predictions! I'd be stoked if BTC hit $20k by mid-2018! Thats been my prediction all along. I get my reasoning from going back and reviewing what BTC and other coins were doing around June in previous years. May was the low spots, and June began peaking prices. There's many reasons why cryptos shot up, but I cant pin point any major reasons for that.
Publicity plays a huge part in crypto markets to spike. I believe that 50% of price movement is from educated investors, the other 50% is from people FOMO-ing to the market place. It's still so new, a large number of people getting in to cryptos are doing it solely because its all over the news. "WHERE DO I GO? HERE TAKE ALL MY MONEY! DID IT WORK? AM I RICH YET? SELL SELL SELL!"
I'm def guilty of that FOMO spirit, but I've educated myself a lot since then. Thanks again for all the insight! You rock!