Bitcoins
Bitcoin BTC USD price prediction 2026: Bitcoin’s near-term outlook has sparked debate among top analysts, with opinions divided over whether the cryptocurrency could fall to $10,000.
Bitcoins BTC USD Price Prediction: Can Bitcoin Crash to $10,000
Bitget Chief Analyst Ryan Lee believes a drop to $10,000 in the near future is highly unlikely. He told The Economic Times that, such a collapse would “require an extreme systemic shock such as a global liquidity crisis, nuclear conflict, or a breakdown of internet infrastructure, rather than typical market cycles.”
According to Lee, the current market environment points in the opposite direction: spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to see steady inflows, even during geopolitical tensions, signaling institutional recognition of Bitcoin as a 24/7 hedge rather than just a speculative asset.
Rising mining costs, estimated at around $70,000 per BTC due to higher energy prices, also reduce the incentive for miners to sell at lower prices. Beyond traditional market factors, Lee emphasizes Bitcoin’s technological role in AI-driven payments, settlements, and tokenized compute, positioning it as a key medium of exchange in the emerging AI economy.
Bitcoins Bitget’s Ryan Lee Explains Why Bitcoin USD Crash Is Highly Unlikely
Lee explained that, “For Bitcoin to crash to $10,000 would likely require an unprecedented disruption to the ecosystem itself rather than standard liquidity events. After enduring multiple deleveraging cycles in recent years, the industry’s structure is significantly stronger. Extreme downside forecasts can serve as useful stress tests for risk management, but they should not distract investors from Bitcoin’s improving fundamentals and its far more probable long-term upward trajectory.”
Bitcoins BTC USD Outlook: Crypto Market Underperformance vs S&P 500 Raises Concerns
On the other side, Bloomberg Intelligence senior commodities strategist Mike McGlone predicts that Bitcoin could fall to $10,000, describing the crypto asset class as “dead” from an institutional perspective, as per a Benzinga report.
McGlone points to Bitcoin’s unlimited supply, underperformance versus the S&P 500 over the past five years, and increasing correlation with equities as key concerns.
Bitcoins Bloomberg’s Mike McGlone Explains Why BTC USD May Drop to $10,000
He notes that the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index has underperformed the S&P 500 since 2017, losing around 20% in 2025 and 20% year-to-date in 2026. McGlone also highlights the explosive growth of cryptocurrencies, from Bitcoin alone in 2009 to 37 million tokens today, while many of these assets, unlike stablecoins, “track nothing” and have unlimited supply, as per the Benzinga report.
McGlone frames $10,000 as a historically significant level for Bitcoin, comparable to how crude oil has hovered around $57 per barrel for a decade. He believes a broader risk asset correction could bring Bitcoin back to this level.
While he was previously partially incorrect in his 2018 prediction that Bitcoin would drop to $1,100, he later correctly predicted its surge past $100,000 in 2020 by “just adding a zero,” as per the Benzinga report.
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Bitcoins Deflationary Risks and US Treasuries Could Impact Crypto Market
The strategist also warns of a post-inflation deflationary period similar to China, with US Treasuries expected to outperform after Bitcoin’s dominance in the last decade and gold’s strength in 2025. He underscores that crypto’s high volatility and poor five-year performance make it unfit as an institutional asset under conventional risk management principles.
FAQs
Why does Ryan Lee think Bitcoin is resilient?
ETFs are seeing inflows, mining costs are high, and its technological use in AI payments strengthens its position.
What would it take for Bitcoin to fall to $10,000?
Lee says an unprecedented disruption to the ecosystem, not typical market cycles.
Shreya Biswas Read More