2026 Bitcoin and Altcoin Price Predictions: Detailed Exclusive Guide – Here’s What to Expect

Numerous reports have been published by experts and institutional firms predicting the price levels of Bitcoin and altcoins in 2026.

As is known, although Bitcoin reached its all-time high price record in 2025, it failed to meet expectations due to the subsequent decline and ended the year with approximately a 6% loss in value. This was the first time since 2022 that the BTC price ended the year in the red.

Bitcoin chart for the year 2025

However, as we enter 2026, an optimistic atmosphere seems to have re-emerged in the market.

FED Decisions Matter

The expectation that the Fed will make numerous interest rate cuts throughout the year is also fueling this optimism. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s term ends in May, and US President Donald Trump is expected to replace him with someone much more receptive to interest rate cuts. Trump has previously stated that someone who doesn’t share his views cannot become Fed Chairman.

A dovish Fed chairman and subsequent series of interest rate cuts would theoretically benefit riskier assets like Bitcoin and altcoins the most. However, geopolitical developments throughout the year and questions surrounding the Fed’s independence could also closely affect the cryptocurrency market and lead to market pressure.

How Was 2025?

Last year, most of the bullish price predictions for Bitcoin made by experts and institutional analysts did not materialize. Factors such as the SEC’s shift to a more crypto-friendly administration in the US, the approval of Bitcoin Spot ETFs, US President Donald Trump’s extremely pro-crypto stance, and the US government’s announcement that it will not sell its BTC holdings even if it doesn’t actively buy them, led investors and analysts to expect a major bull market in 2025.

The anticipated explosive rise did not materialize, but Bitcoin’s price hit an all-time high of $126,198 in October 2025. The previous record was $108,353 at the end of 2024.

One of the biggest reasons why the BTC price failed to meet expectations in 2025 was undoubtedly the high tariffs that US President Donald Trump wanted to implement. News of these tariffs surfaced repeatedly throughout the year, resulting in risky assets like Bitcoin failing to deliver the expected results.

Gold and Silver Will Overshadow Bitcoin in 2025

However, 2025 was a truly impressive year for commodities. Gold and silver, in particular, experienced incredible rallies, and BTC’s price performance paled in comparison. Despite this, BTC’s 5-year return of 179% is still significantly higher than gold’s 127% return.

How Did 2025 Go for Altcoins?

On the altcoin side, the outlook was much more negative compared to BTC. Ethereum (ETH), the largest altcoin, managed to break its all-time high price record in August at $4,953, but quickly retreated from that level and ended the year with a 10% loss. The buying pressure that emerged during the year, led by experienced analyst Tom Lee and Bitmine, which purchased very large amounts of Ethereum, as well as the approved Ethereum spot ETFs, could not prevent the price decline.

Ethereum 2025 Chart

Despite the approval of spot XRP ETFs and the historic conclusion of the lawsuit between XRP and the SEC, which was interpreted as a victory for XRP, the price of XRP, one of the most popular altcoins, did not quite meet expectations this year. After experiencing a strong rally at the end of 2024, reaching an all-time high of $3.66 in July, the coin ended 2025 with a 16% loss.

On the other hand, Solana (SOL), another strong altcoin, presented a disappointing outlook for its investors in 2025. Having reached a record high at the beginning of 2025, the SOL price experienced very sharp declines throughout the year, especially during Bitcoin’s downturn, and ended the year with a 38% decrease.

One of the worst performers was Cardano (ADA), which has a very strong community. Unlike many of its competitors, it failed to break its all-time high price record in 2025 and ended the year with a massive loss of 64%. ADA, which shone brightly in 2021 with a market capitalization exceeding $90 billion, currently has a value of only $13 billion.

On the memecoin side, Dogecoin (DOGE) ended the year with a 60% loss, as memecoins, apart from a few small-scale projects like PumpFun tokens, failed to establish a significant presence. This poor performance in DOGE’s price coincided with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent silence on Dogecoin.

Experts’ 2026 Bitcoin and Altcoin Predictions

So what do experts and Wall Street’s biggest institutions predict for Bitcoin and altcoins in 2026? Here are the cryptocurrency predictions for 2026, compiled exclusively for you by Bitcoinsistemi.com:

Bitcoin

• Bitwise: The company’s 2026 cryptocurrency predictions, authored by CIO Matt Hougan and Head of Research Ryan Rasmussen, generally take a bearish stance. While the company believes the BTC price should experience a decline in 2026 according to its four-year cycle, they don’t think this will happen. Bitwise believes Bitcoin will break its four-year cycle and reach a new all-time high in 2026.
• Standard Chartered: Standard Chartered analyst Geoff Kendrick has predicted a Bitcoin price of $150,000 in 2026. This is a revised version of his previous, higher price prediction.
• Bernstein: Bernstein analysts, similar to Standard Chartered, believe the BTC price could reach $150,000 in 2026.
• J.P. Morgan: In an analysis published in November, J.P. Morgan analysts believe that the price of Bitcoin could reach $170,000.
• Fundstrat: Fundstrat, an analytics company linked to Tom Lee, predicts that the price of BTC could reach between $200,000 and $250,000 in 2026.
• Fidelity: Fidelity analysts expect a bearish outlook for BTC in the early part of the year. They believe the BTC price could fall to between $65,000 and $75,000 in the coming months, but that the upward potential continues afterwards.
• Galaxy Digital: Galaxy Digital has painted a chaotic picture regarding the BTC price in 2026. The company’s head of research, Alex Thorn, stated that 2026 is too complex to make a prediction. According to the company, the BTC price will remain between $70,000 and $130,000 in 2026.
• Citi: Citi Group analysts predict that the BTC price could reach around $143,000 in 2026 under a base scenario.
• Changpeng Zhao (CZ): The founder of Binance and one of the most influential figures in the cryptocurrency world, CZ, offered a bullish perspective on the BTC price, suggesting a “super cycle” could be seen in 2026, but added that he was “not sure,” indicating that uncertainty persists.
• Charles Hoskinson: Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson believes the price of Bitcoin could rise to $250,000 by 2026.
• Mike McGlone: Bloomberg analyst Mike McGlone is one of those who favor a bearish outlook for Bitcoin in 2026. Claiming that BTC “could lose a zero,” the analyst has a pessimistic prediction of $10,000.
• Arthur Hayes: BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes argues that the BTC price could reach $200,000 in a short time and then fall back to $124,000.
• il Capo of Crypto: Il Capo, a well-known analyst in the cryptocurrency world, expects the Bitcoin price to first rise above $100,000, and then pull back to what he calls its main support point, between $50,000 and $69,000.

BTC analysis chart shared by il Capo.

Ethereum

Bitwise: Analysts reiterated their strong bullish outlook for Ethereum and Solana prices, citing the growing stablecoin and tokenization markets. Bitwise expects Ethereum and Solana to reach all-time highs in 2026, but added that this is only possible if the Clarity Act is passed in the US.

Standard Chartered: Company analysts had argued that the ETH price could reach $12,000 in 2026, but in a statement made in recent months, they announced that their Bitcoin price prediction had been lowered from $300,000 to $150,000. In their latest statement, the company’s analysts, who haven’t commented on the ETH price currently, may have given a prediction lower than $12,000.

Arthur Hayes: Hayes, one of the controversial figures in the cryptocurrency market, said that the ETH price could rise between $10,000 and $20,000 in the current cycle.

Cathie Wood: Cathie Wood, CEO of investment firm Ark Invest, expects the price of ETH to reach $166,000 by 2030.

Michaël van de Poppe: In an analysis by renowned analyst van de Poppe, it is predicted that ETH will outperform BTC as long as the ETH price remains above its 21-day moving average on the ETH/BTC chart.

Ethereum chart shared by Michaël van de Poppe.

Solana

Bitwise: Analysts expect Solana, along with Ethereum, to reach all-time high price records in 2026 if the Clarity Act is passed into law in the US.

Market Prediction: There is a 39% chance that the SOL price will rise above $200, and a 12% chance that it will rise above $300.

SOL price performance in 2025.

XRP

Prediction Markets: Market participants see a 47% chance that the XRP price will rise above $3 this year, and a 23% chance that it will rise above $4.

Dogecoin

Prediction Markets: Cryptocurrency prediction markets are giving a 55% chance that the DOGE price will rise above $0.2 this year, and a 30% chance that it will rise above $0.28.