By Susie Violet Ward · Forbes · 1 January 2026
Bitcoin entered 2026 below the highs it reached in 2025, with retail speculation fading and US spot bitcoin ETFs providing a steady channel for institutional money. Published forecasts for the year vary widely, but several institutional and macro analysts suggest a range of roughly $120,000 to $170,000 by the end of 2026, depending on adoption and economic conditions.
The article collects forecasts from Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, Standard Chartered, Bernstein and others, alongside bearish scenarios near $65,000 and bullish ones of $250,000 or more. It sets out the factors analysts cite most often, including ETF inflows, post-halving supply and interest rates, and research suggesting that bitcoin has moved more closely with wider financial markets since US spot ETFs were approved in January 2024.