Bitcoin Could Hit $150K by 2026 on US Reserve & Institutional Demand

Market analyst Dominic Basulto from The Motley Fool anchors his $150,000 Bitcoin prediction for 2026 in the cryptocurrency’s historical resilience. The data is compelling: in seven distinct years, Bitcoin has delivered triple-digit percentage returns. Even its worst bull market year, 2015, still yielded a 36% gain. Basulto suggests 2026 could mirror the powerful recovery of 2019, a year when Bitcoin appreciated by 95% following a devastating 74% plunge in 2018. This historical pattern of sharp rebounds provides a foundational context for current optimism, suggesting that the recent consolidation between $86,000 and $90,000 may be a pause before another significant leg up.

The catalysts that fueled the 2019 rally bear a striking resemblance to today’s market conditions. Back then, heightened global economic uncertainty and a surge in institutional interest were key drivers. Today, institutional investors are again accelerating their accumulation of BTC, primarily through spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Simultaneously, concerns over global tariffs and macroeconomic instability in the US are creating a similar backdrop of investor anxiety. This parallel environment suggests the conditions for a substantial bullish move, akin to 2019, are once again falling into place.

While institutional flows are significant, Basulto identifies one pivotal factor that could dramatically accelerate Bitcoin’s ascent: the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The analyst’s core argument is that Bitcoin can only reach the $150,000 milestone if it solidifies its perception as a long-term store of value, or ‘digital gold.’ If it remains viewed as merely a high-risk speculative asset, investors may continue to favor physical gold, which itself is having a record-breaking year.

The potential activation of the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve could be the decisive event that cements this status. Basulto claims that if the US government begins making substantial purchases for this reserve, it could trigger a global arms race among other nations eager to establish their own strategic BTC stockpiles. Such sovereign-level accumulation could inflate Bitcoin’s price more dramatically than even corporate treasury buying, where companies have already amassed close to 5% of the world’s circulating BTC supply. This scenario places the actions of the US government at the center of Bitcoin’s next potential price explosion.

While Basulto’s $150,000 target may seem ambitious, even more aggressive predictions for 2026 exist within the financial establishment. Banking giant JPMorgan Chase has forecasted a potential price of $170,000, while prominent Wall Street strategist Tom Lee from Fundstrat has suggested Bitcoin could reach as high as $250,000 next year. These forecasts indicate a growing, albeit cautious, acknowledgment of Bitcoin’s potential within traditional finance circles, extending the bullish narrative beyond the crypto-analyst community.

However, these lofty predictions are contingent on a complex alignment of factors. The cryptocurrency must successfully consolidate its position and the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve concept must gain tangible traction. At the time of writing, BTC’s price had retraced towards $87,330 following a brief move above $90,500, illustrating the ongoing volatility. The path to $150,000 or beyond hinges not on speculation alone, but on strategic actions by both the US government and institutional investors that reinforce Bitcoin’s role as a legitimate reserve asset. As Basulto concluded, if these elements converge, the predicted price targets could move from analyst models into market reality.