During a recent panel discussion held as part of Binance Blockchain Week, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse predicted that the price of Bitcoin could surge all the way to $180,000 next year.
"I'll go out on a limb, and I'll say Bitcoin $180,000, December 31, 2026," Garlinghuse said.
The 54-year-old executive is convinced that 2026 will be the most bullish year for crypto to date.
Why Garlinghouse is bullish
The Ripple CEO has noted that the U.S. finally has regulatory clarity. Garlinghouse argues this is massively undervalued. The U.S. is 22% of global GDP, and for years, it has been hostile toward crypto. Now that stance is changing quickly, which is believed to be rather transformative.
"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 said.
He further points out that major financial institutions are entering the space. Franklin Templeton, BlackRock, and now even Vanguard, which was known for its hostile anti-crypto stance, are now participating.
Crypto is now moving beyond speculation into real-world utility. Better interfaces and practical applications mean crypto is starting to solve real problems. This, he says, will sustain a long-term bull market.
"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 said.
Were ETFs overhyped?
The approval of US-based ETFs was supposed to be a big moment for XRP, but some believe that these products could be overhyped since they did not trigger a substantial XRP price rally.
XRP ETFs saw over $700 million in inflows in just a few weeks. According to Garlinghouse, this is proof that investors who wanted regulated exposure are finally able to participate.
He expects crypto's share of the cryptocurrency market to grow significantly in the coming year.
"But look, again, if you zoom out to the macro level, the total ETF market… only one or two percent of the total ETF market is crypto. I will bet anybody here that a year from now, that will be more than one or two percent," Garlinghouse said.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team