Brad Garlinghouse says Bitcoin could top $180,000 by end of 2026

Key Takeaways

• Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse predicts Bitcoin will reach $180,000 by the end of next year.
• Increased institutional adoption and improved regulatory clarity are driving optimism for Bitcoin's future.

Brad Garlinghouse expects Bitcoin to climb to $180,000 by the end of 2026. The CEO of Ripple shared his forecast during a panel discussion at Binance Blockchain Week.

“I’ll go out on a limb, and I’ll say Bitcoin 180,000, December 23rd or December 31st, 2026,” said Garlinghouse when asked where he sees Bitcoin by late next year.

The panel featured Garlinghouse alongside Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation, and Richard Teng, CEO of Binance. Liu, however, expressed a measured view, projecting that Bitcoin may surpass $100,000.

Bitcoin was trading at $93,000 at the time of reporting, per CoinGecko. The digital asset once hit a high of above $126,000.

Garlinghouse said in April that Bitcoin reaching $200,000 was not unreasonable as institutional interest grew and the US regulatory environment became more crypto-friendly.

Addressing the return of bearish sentiment in crypto, Garlinghouse said it is a natural part of market cycles and temporary risk-off conditions. The entrepreneur noted that long-term fundamentals and regulatory clarity provide strong tailwinds for growth.

“There are so many macro factors that are continuing to provide tailwinds for this industry that I think as we go into 2026. I don’t remember being this optimistic in the last handful of years,” he said.

Many institutional players, including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and Vanguard, are now entering the market, creating momentum for adoption that has yet to be fully priced in, according to the Ripple CEO.

Garlinghouse also pointed to the rise of real-world crypto applications, where easier-to-use interfaces are allowing digital assets to solve practical problems rather than serve purely speculative purposes. He believes that as adoption grows and use cases expand, it will sustain long-term optimism and support a lasting bull market.