Simply put
- Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse forecasts that Bitcoin will hit $180,000 by the end of 2026.
- He mentioned that ongoing regulatory advancements, like the CLARITY Act, might support the entire industry.
- This week, Bitcoin saw a slight increase of around 1%, currently trading above $92,000.
Bitcoin is expected to reach $180,000 by 2026, according to Ripple’s CEO, Brad Garlinghouse. He shared this prediction during a panel discussion at Binance Blockchain Week about the future of cryptocurrencies.
Although he didn’t detail his reasoning, Garlinghouse suggested that regulatory progress in the U.S. could be a key factor for the cryptocurrency market. He specifically referenced the stalled CLARITY Act.
Garlinghouse stated, “We have broadly championed regulatory clarity for cryptocurrencies in what is commonly referred to as the CLARITY Act in the United States.” He expressed skepticism that it would be passed this year but predicted, “Sometime in the first half of next year, we will see legislation passed that will continue to unlock further tailwinds and create further tailwinds across the industry.”
In alignment with Garlinghouse, Myriad users—utilizing prediction markets run by Myriad—see it similarly. There is a belief that it’s not likely the Senate Banking Committee will approve the Cryptocurrency Market Structure Act by 2026, and only about 25% think it will pass.
Garlinghouse’s fellow panelists, including Solana Foundation Chairman Lily Liu and Binance CEO Richard Teng, were a bit more conservative with their predictions. Liu mentioned Bitcoin might “exceed $100,000” by the end of next year, while Teng suggested it will be “higher” than its current value.
Garlinghouse’s forecast for 2026 comes amidst a trend of tempering expectations from other industry figures. For instance, Tom Lee of Bitmine Immersion Technologies previously predicted Bitcoin would reach between $150,000 and $200,000 by year-end but recently adjusted his forecast to suggest it might “probably” hit $150,000.
Similarly, Michael Saylor maintained his high expectations, sticking to a $150,000 prediction, even as the market faced significant sell-offs earlier this month.
Saylor also holds a long-term view of Bitcoin reaching $1 million within the next four to eight years, and even $20 million in the next 20 years.
This long-term outlook isn’t entirely dissimilar to that of Cathie Wood, a prominent tech investor who recently reduced her 2030 projections for Bitcoin to between $1.5 million and $1.2 million, citing the rapid growth of stablecoins.
Currently, Bitcoin has rebounded somewhat and is priced at $92,417, with a 1% increase noted for the week. Nevertheless, Myriad forecasters have turned optimistic, indicating a possibility for Bitcoin to surge to $100,000, although some predict it may drop to $69,000 afterward.
The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is down 27% from its all-time high, and for Garlinghouse’s prediction to come true, Bitcoin would need to rise nearly 95%, surpassing its existing high of $126,000.
