Garlinghouse predicts Bitcoin to reach $180,000 by end of 2026
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse delivered one of his most optimistic outlooks yet, predicting Bitcoin will hit $180,000 by the end of 2026.
Speaking alongside Solana Foundation President Lily Liu and Binance CEO Richard Teng at Binance Blockchain Week, he said the market is in a temporary “risk-off” phase following October’s steep liquidation event, where over $20 billion in leveraged BTC positions vanished, reports Cryptopolitan.
Bitcoin remains roughly 30% below its all-time high, but Garlinghouse argues traders rotating into stablecoins is a healthy signal that markets are resetting rather than capitulating. With the U.S. providing clearer regulations and holding 22% of global GDP, he believes the environment heading into 2026 is the strongest it has been in years. Crypto, he said, is shifting from speculation to real-world utility as applications become easier to use and more problem-focused.
Leaders say Bitcoin’s pullback is normal as institutions continue to increase exposure
Lily Liu called Bitcoin’s drop “a normal correction” after a liquidity-driven surge earlier this year, adding that BTC remains fundamentally strong even at $90,000 and is likely to reclaim levels above $100,000. Binance CEO Richard Teng echoed this sentiment, stressing that volatility is not unique to crypto and highlighting robust institutional demand: “Onboarding doubled last year, and doubled again this year.” The broader trend, they argued, remains overwhelmingly positive. At press time Bitcoin is trading at $93,465, recovering modestly after an 8% intra-week drop.
Across derivatives markets, negative funding rates and aggressive deleveraging indicate that over-extended positions have been cleared out, creating the conditions for a more sustainable recovery cycle.
ETF inflows expected to accelerate in 2026 as adoption widens
Garlinghouse also predicted a sharp rise in crypto ETF participation, noting that digital-asset ETFs still represent only 1%–2% of the entire ETF market. He expects that share to grow meaningfully over the next year as institutions scale their allocations. XRP ETFs alone have seen $874 million in inflows since launch—making them the top-performing funds in the current crypto ETF lineup. Market flows remain mixed: Bitcoin ETFs saw a modest $8.48 million inflow at the start of the week, while Ethereum products recorded $79 million in outflows and Solana funds lost $13.55 million.
Liu emphasized that ETF inflows are uneven by asset class but resilient overall: “There is always a bright spot… not all parts of the market behave the same.” With institutions steadily increasing exposure and macro conditions turning supportive, panelists agreed that crypto is positioned for renewed upside heading into 2026.
Recently we wrote that Bitcoin is trading around $93,337, showing moderate intraday strength and holding its weekly gain of more than 1.8%.
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