Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse is doubling down on a bold Bitcoin outlook, predicting the world’s largest cryptocurrency could climb to $180,000 by the end of 2026. Speaking at Binance Blockchain Week, Garlinghouse pointed to a mix of regulatory progress in the U.S., heavyweight institutional investors entering the market, and the rising use of blockchain technology in real-world applications.
Garlinghouse argued that the next big driver for Bitcoin won’t simply be hype or market cycles—it will be regulatory clarity. He believes the United States will address long-pending crypto regulations over the next 12 to 18 months, creating an environment where institutions finally feel confident deploying large amounts of capital. According to him, billions in institutional funds are currently “sitting on the sidelines” because of legal uncertainty.
A key part of his optimism comes from the arrival of major Wall Street players. Firms like BlackRock, Vanguard, and Fidelity have moved far beyond watching from the sidelines. They’re now actively building Bitcoin-focused products and allocating resources to digital assets. Garlinghouse described this involvement as “structural participation”, noting it’s very different from the speculative booms seen in past cycles.
He also highlighted rapid growth in crypto use cases beyond trading. Tokenization of assets, blockchain-powered payment systems, and wider Web3 infrastructure adoption are all factors he believes will strengthen the long-term foundation for Bitcoin and the broader ecosystem.
Other speakers at the event shared the bullish mood but added a dose of caution. Lily Liu, President of the Solana Foundation, said she also expects Bitcoin to break major price milestones, though she held back from naming a specific target or timeline. Binance CEO Richard Teng noted that while long-term fundamentals look strong, Bitcoin’s performance will still depend on broader macro factors—like liquidity conditions and global adoption rates.
The market’s volatility in 2025 underscored those uncertainties. Bitcoin swung sharply throughout the year, with deep pullbacks followed by fast recoveries. Even though prices had recently bounced back at the time of Garlinghouse’s prediction, some analysts warned this upswing might just be a short-term consolidation phase rather than the start of a sustained rally.
Still, with institutional interest rising and regulatory changes on the horizon, Garlinghouse’s $180K target reflects growing confidence within the crypto industry that Bitcoin’s next major chapter may be approaching.
Also Read: Fin Raises $17M to Bring Faster, Cheaper Global Payments With Stablecoins
