Bitcoin (BTC) price predictions for 2026

After an all-time high and a big tumble for bitcoin last year, industry executives and investors told CNBC that the cryptocurrency could reach new heights in 2026 — but with the potential for huge volatility.

In CNBC’s annual roundup of bitcoin predictions, several commentators forecast a wide range of prices for bitcoin in 2026, dropping as low as $75,000 and rising as high as $225,000.

Last October, bitcoin hit a record high of over $126,000 before falling later in the year to lows of around $80,000, according to CoinMetrics. Bitcoin is sitting around 30% lower than its all-time high.

Last year’s crypto market was buoyed by what was viewed as a more favorable regulatory environment in the U.S. under President Donald Trump, and increasing interest from larger institutional investors and traditional financial players like banks.

Meanwhile, there was a boom in so-called digital asset treasury (DAT) companies, which accumulate large amounts of bitcoin and other digital coins.

At the same time, debate continues over the valuations of technology stocks and whether the artificial intelligence boom will turn into a bubble.

The crypto sell-off at the end of the year came against that backdrop. As investors reassessed risk assets and crypto holders sold digital currencies, there were forced liquidations, which exacerbated the selling. This has created a tough backdrop for 2026.

“We are in a complex investing environment. Equity valuations are stretched, the geopolitical environment is chaotic and evolving, there are fears about the near-term durability of AI capex deployment, monetary policy conditions appear to be shifting, and the U.S. midterm elections are on the horizon,” Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy, told CNBC.

“Against this backdrop, the outlook for bitcoin in 2026 is tough to predict.”

Here are some of the boldest forecasts for the price of bitcoin in 2026.

In 2026, bitcoin will remain in a “high-volatility range” of between $75,000 and $150,000, “with the centre of gravity around” $110,000, according to Carol Alexander, professor of finance at the University of Sussex.

That’s “as the market digests a transition from retail-led cycles to institutionally distributed liquidity.” Historically, bitcoin’s price has been driven by retail traders. But over the past two years, an increasing number of institutional investors have been involved in the space. Many cryptocurrency experts expect this to continue this year.

Alexander has had a good track record in her bitcoin predictions over the last few years. But, she previously said bitcoin could hit $200,000 in 2026, which did not materialize. She did however, say that by the summer of 2025, bitcoin could be trading “around $150,000 plus or minus $50,000.” Indeed, during the summer of 2025, bitcoin was trading above $100,000.

James Butterfill, head of research for crypto-focused asset manager CoinShares, expects to see bitcoin in a range of between $120,000 and $170,000 in 2026, with “more constructive price action likely occurring in the second half of the year.”

Butterfill said investors will be watching to see who the new chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve will be after Jerome Powell’s tenure ends in May. The new person is “likely to be dovish,” but markets will wait for clarity “before repricing risk assets more decisively,” Butterfill said.

Investors are also focusing on whether a piece of legislation in the U.S. known as the Clarity Act will become law in 2026. The Clarity Act seeks to create a framework for regulating digital assets.

“Regulation has been a persistent overhang; resolution here would be a meaningful catalyst,” Butterfill said.

Butterfill cited risks such as inflation shocks or policy errors from the Fed as reasons why there might be demand for “alternative, non-sovereign monetary assets” like bitcoin.

In December 2024, Butterfill forecast that bitcoin could fall to around $80,000 in 2025, which it did. He also said bitcoin could rise as high as $150,000 last year, which it did not manage to achieve.

Standard Chartered has a bitcoin price forecast of $150,000 for 2026, which it cut in December from a previous call of $300,000.

Geoff Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital asset research, said that the price decline seen in 2025 was “within expected bounds.” However, the price action has led Standard Chartered to revise its call.

“Specifically, we think buying by Bitcoin digital asset treasury companies (DATs) is likely over, as valuations … no longer support further Bitcoin DAT expansion. We expect a consolidation rather than outright selling, but DAT buying is unlikely to provide further support,” Kendrick said in his note from December.

DATs are entities that buy and hold cryptocurrency, mainly bitcoin, and attempt to outperform the market. However, a plunge in crypto prices has hurt the valuations of these firms, which some analysts have suggested may undermine their ability to raise additional funding. Kendrick suggests these DATs are unlikely to be buying 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 in 2026, according to Kendrick.

“As a result, we now think future Bitcoin price increases will effectively be driven by one leg only – ETF buying,” Kendrick said.

Sidney Powell, CEO of Maple Finance, said he has a price target of $175,000 for bitcoin this year, buoyed by interest rate cuts and “increasing institutional adoption of bitcoin.”

In December 2024, Powell predicted there would be some corrections to the price in 2025, which did indeed occur. He also had a bullish 2025 call for bitcoin of between $180,000 and $200,000, which was not achieved.

However, he said a big milestone for bitcoin in 2026 will be when bitcoin-backed lending exceeds $100 billion.

“Bitcoin holders are increasingly 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.”

Youwei Yang, chief economist at Bit Mining, is also predicting continued volatility with bitcoin. Yang said he expects a wide trading range for bitcoin in 2026 of between $75,000 and $225,00.

“2026 could be a strong year for Bitcoin, supported by potential rate cuts and a more accommodating regulatory stance toward crypto,” Yang said. “However, heightened volatility is likely amid ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties.”

In December 2024, Yang’s previous call was partially correct. He predicted that bitcoin could fall to around $80,000 in 2025, which it did. He also forecast it could trade between $180,000 and $190,000, which did not materialize.

Nexo’s 2025 call of $250,000 for bitcoin “was less a rejection of its long-term thesis and more a consequence of market mechanics colliding with a shifting macro backdrop,” according to Iliya Kalchev, an analyst at the cryptocurrency exchange.

Kalchev said this price didn’t materialize as long-term holders who accumulated bitcoin at lower prices began to sell, which was then purchased by institutional investors.

But 2026 “appears more constructive,” Kalchev said with the phase of long-term holders selling their holdings coming to an end and institutional allocations “gradually rise from still-modest levels.”

“Bitcoin is entering 2026 with less supply risk and a broader capital base,” Kalchev said.

If financial conditions turn more supportive – through easing policy, a softer dollar, or renewed liquidity expansion – Bitcoin could revisit and exceed prior highs,” he added.