Bitcoin could extend its recent rebound after posting a 7% daily gain on Wednesday, with 2026 likely to be the crypto’s most bullish year yet. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse cited regulatory progress and institutional interest as the secret sauce for Bitcoin hitting $180,000 by the end of 2026.
BTC Destined For $180K By 2026-End
During a recent panel discussion alongside Solana Foundation President Lily Liu and Binance co-CEO Richard Teng as part of Binance Blockchain Week, Ripple boss Brad Garlinghouse boldly projected that the Bitcoin price could grind all the way to $180,000 per coin before the end of next year.
“I’ll go out on a limb, and I’ll say Bitcoin $180,000, December 31, 2026,” Garlinghouse postulated, indicating strong optimism about the alpha cryptocurrency’s long-term price trajectory.
Bitcoin was trading for $93,216 at publication time, up a meagre 0.1 percentage over the past 24 hours period, CoinGecko data shows. The leading crypto hit a record peak of $126,080 just two months ago before sagging.
The Ripple CEO expects 2026 to be the most bullish year for the crypto industry to date due to several factors.
“There are so many macro factors that are continuing to provide tailwinds for this industry that, as we go into 2026, I don’t remember being this optimistic in the last handful of years,” he opined.
First, Garlinghouse notes that after years of being hostile to the crypto sector, the United States has finally achieved regulatory clarity under the Trump administration. This drastic regulatory change, according to him, is significantly undervalued.
Garlinghouse then highlighted that renowed Wall Street giants are now foraying the market. Franklin Templeton, BlackRock, and now even Vanguard, which previously held a long-standing anti-crypto stance, is now allowing its 50 million clients to invest in regulated digital asset products.
Crypto has transitioned beyond mere speculation into real-world utility. More improved interfaces and practical applications indicate that crypto is beginning to solve real problems. Per Garlinghouse, this will buoy a prolonged bull rally.
“The last thing I’ll say on this (which I think we’ll probably all agree about) is we’re also seeing real-world applications, where it’s not just about the speculation,” he explained.
Other industry pundits are less optimistic. As ZyCrypto reported last month, veteran trader Peter Brandt claimed BTC will not reach $200k by the end of this year as widely tipped by various strategists. For Brandt, the next bull run leading to that price level will take place over four years.
Source: https://zycrypto.com/ripple-ceos-ultra-bullish-projection-bitcoin-to-reach-180000-by-end-of-2026/
