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After a historic record and a big fall for bitcoin Last year, industry executives and investors told CNBC that the cryptocurrency could reach new highs in 2026 – but with the potential for enormous volatility.
In CNBC Annual Bitcoin Forecast Roundupseveral commentators predict a wide price range for bitcoin in 2026, from a low of $75,000 to a high of $225,000.
Last October, bitcoin hit an all-time high of more than $126,000 before falling later in the year to a low of around $80,000, according to CoinMetrics. Bitcoin is about 30% below its all-time high.
Last year’s crypto market was buoyed by what was seen as a more favorable regulatory environment in the United States under the presidency of Donald Trump, and the growing interest of large institutional investors and traditional financial players such as banks.
During this time there was a boom in so-called Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) Companieswho accumulate large amounts of bitcoins and other digital coins.
Bitcoin price over the past year.
At the same time, debate continues over the valuations of technology stocks and whether the artificial intelligence boom will turn into a bubble.
The sell-off of cryptocurrencies at the end of the year occurred against this backdrop. As investors revalued risk assets and crypto holders sold digital currencies, it was forced liquidations, which exacerbated sales. This creates a difficult context for 2026.
“We are in a complex investment environment. Stock valuations are strained, the geopolitical environment is chaotic and evolving, there are fears about the near-term sustainability of the deployment of AI investments, monetary policy conditions appear to be changing, and the US midterm elections are on the horizon,” Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy, told CNBC.
“In this context, the outlook for Bitcoin in 2026 is difficult to predict.”
Here are some of the boldest predictions for Bitcoin price in 2026.
Carol Alexander: $75,000 to $150,000
In 2026, bitcoin will remain in a “high volatility range” between $75,000 and $150,000, “with the center of gravity around” $110,000, according to Carol Alexander, professor of finance at the University of Sussex.
This is happening “as the market digests a transition from retail-driven cycles to institutionally distributed liquidity.” Historically, the price of Bitcoin has been determined by retail traders. But over the past two years, a growing number of institutional investors have become involved in this sector. Many cryptocurrency experts expect this to continue this year.
Alexander has had a good track record in his Bitcoin predictions over the past few years. But she previously said bitcoin could reach $200,000 in 2026, which did not materialize. However, she said that by the summer of 2025, bitcoin could be trading “around $150,000, give or take $50,000.” Indeed, during the summer of 2025, bitcoin was trading above $100,000.
CoinShares: $120,000 to $170,000
James Butterfill, head of research for crypto-focused asset manager CoinShares, expects to see bitcoin between $120,000 and $170,000 in 2026, with “more constructive price action likely to occur in the second half of the year.”
Butterfill said investors will be closely watching who will be the new chairman of the US Federal Reserve after Jerome Powell’s term ends in May. The new person “will likely be dovish,” but markets will wait for clarification “before more decisively reassessing risk assets,” Butterfill said.
Investors are also wondering whether a piece of U.S. legislation known as the Clarity Act will become law in 2026. The Clarity Act aims to create a framework to regulate digital assets.
“Regulation is a persistent problem; a resolution in this area would be a significant catalyst,” Butterfill said.
Butterfill cited risks such as inflationary shocks or policy errors by the Fed as reasons why there could be demand for “non-sovereign alternative monetary assets” like Bitcoin.
In December 2024, Butterfill predicted that bitcoin could fall to around $80,000 in 2025, which it did. He also said that bitcoin could reach $150,000 last year, which it failed to achieve.
Standard Chartered: $150,000
Standard Chartered forecasts a bitcoin price of $150,000 for 2026, a figure it reduced in December from a previous call of $300,000.
Geoff Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, said the price decline seen in 2025 was “within expected limits.” However, price developments have led Standard Chartered to revise its call.
“Specifically, we believe that digital asset treasury (DAT) buying of Bitcoin is likely over, as valuations… no longer support further expansion of the Bitcoin DAT. We expect consolidation rather than an outright sell-off, but buying of DAT is unlikely to provide additional support,” Kendrick said in his December note.
DATs are entities that buy and hold cryptocurrencies, primarily bitcoin, and attempt to outperform the market. However, a fall in cryptocurrency prices has hurt the valuations of these companies, which some analysts have suggested that this could harm their ability to raise additional funds. Kendrick suggests that these DATs likely won’t buy the same amount of bitcoin as before to support the market.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, which allow investors to track the price of the digital currency without owning the underlying asset, are likely to drive prices higher in 2026, according to Kendrick.
“As a result, we now believe that future increases in the price of Bitcoin will indeed be driven by a single step: the purchase of ETFs,” Kendrick said.
Maple financing: $175,000
Sidney Powell, CEO of Maple Finance, said he has a $175,000 price target for bitcoin this year, supported by interest rate cuts and “growing institutional adoption of bitcoin.”
In December 2024, Powell predicted that the price would undergo corrections in 2025, which indeed happened. He also had a 2025 bull call for bitcoin between $180,000 and $200,000, which was not reached.
However, he said a milestone for bitcoin in 2026 would be when bitcoin-backed loans exceed $100 billion.
“Bitcoin holders are becoming more sophisticated, they don’t want to sell their BTC; they want to borrow against it. This creates a virtuous cycle: less selling pressure, more utility, higher prices.”
Bit mining: $75,000 to $225,000
Youwei Yang, chief economist at Bit Mining, also predicts continued volatility with bitcoin. Yang said he expects a wide trading range for bitcoin in 2026, between $75,000 and $225,00.
“2026 could be a strong year for Bitcoin, supported by possible rate cuts and a more accommodative regulatory stance towards crypto,” Yang said. “However, increased volatility is likely amid continued macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties.”
As of December 2024, Yang’s previous call was partly correct. He predicted that bitcoin could drop to around $80,000 in 2025, which it did. He also predicted the stock could trade between $180,000 and $190,000, which did not materialize.
Nexus: $150,000 to $200,000
Nexo’s call of $250,000 for Bitcoin in 2025 “was less a rejection of its long-term thesis than a consequence of the collision of market mechanisms with a changing macroeconomic context,” according to Iliya Kalchev, an analyst at the cryptocurrency exchange.
Kalchev said this price did not materialize because long-term holders who had accumulated bitcoins at lower prices began selling them, which were then purchased by institutional investors.
But 2026 “looks more constructive,” Kalchev said, with the phase of selling securities by long-term holders ending and institutional allocations “gradually increasing from still modest levels.”
“Bitcoin enters 2026 with less supply risk and a broader capital base,” Kalchev said.
If financial conditions become more favorable – through policy easing, a weaker dollar or further liquidity expansion – Bitcoin could revisit and surpass previous highs,” he added.
