Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse Predicts Bitcoin Will Reach $180,000 by End of 2026
Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, has forecasted that Bitcoin will reach $180,000 by the end of 2026 during a panel at Binance Blockchain Week. This prediction is closely tied to expected progress in US regulatory developments, particularly the passage of the CLARITY Act, which Garlinghouse anticipates will occur in the first half of 2026. The current Bitcoin price stands at about $92,417, representing a roughly 1% increase over the past week but remaining 27% below its all-time high. Achieving $180,000 would require approximately a 95% price increase from current levels.
The forecast was made alongside panelists including Lily Liu, who predicts Bitcoin will surpass $100,000 by the end of 2026, and Binance CEO Richard Teng, who stated that Bitcoin’s price will be stronger than it is today. Amid these predictions, the article notes market sentiment, with the Myriad prediction market assigning a 25% probability of a crypto market structure bill passing by the end of 2025.
The article also contrasts Garlinghouse’s outlook with other notable projections in the crypto industry. Earlier bullish targets by Tom Lee and Michael Saylor were mentioned, with Saylor previously targeting $150,000 by year-end and longer-term predictions of $1 million within 4 to 8 years and $20 million in 20 years. Conversely, Cathie Wood has recently revised her 2030 price projections downward to approximately $1.2 million, citing the growing presence of stablecoins as a mitigating factor.
