Crypto is heading into 2026 with a perfect mix of regulatory green lights, supportive monetary policies, and surging institutional demand.
That’s according to a new CF Benchmarks report seen by DL News, which predicts that Bitcoin will jump 20% to $148,500 by year-end.
It also forecasts that exchange-traded funds will double in number to 80, and stablecoins are on track to reach $500 billion in circulation.
The report says digital assets are moving into a “maturity phase” where price discovery comes from strategic allocation decisions and not speculation or hype like in previous years.
The prediction comes as the overall market capitalisation of cryptocurrencies hovers around $4.3 trillion, according to CoinGecko. Meanwhile, the circulating value of stablecoins has smashed $300 billion, DefiLlama data shows.
Several factors have contributed to the surge. Chief among them? Macroeconomic uncertainties over global trade caused by US President Donald Trump’s policies, his questioning of the Federal Reserve’s independence, fiscal policies, and the government shutdown.