Grayscale forecasts that Bitcoin will reach a new price high in early 2026, driven by rising institutional capital.
Grayscale has recently released its latest “2026 Digital Asset Outlook” and suggested a bullish view on Bitcoin BTC $87 301 24h volatility: 2.4% Market cap: $1.74 T Vol. 24h: $54.91 B for the coming year. The firm stated that while quantum computing presents a future risk to blockchain security, it is unlikely to disrupt Bitcoin or other digital assets in 2026.
Instead, Grayscale sees good economic and policy conditions supporting higher prices and wider institutional adoption.
2026 may be the year digital assets enter their institutional era.
Grayscale believes macro tailwinds and regulatory clarity will drive demand for scarce assets like $BTC & $ETH. 🧵👇https://t.co/ReaqqGksni
— Grayscale (@Grayscale) December 15, 2025
The report describes 2026 as the “Dawn of the Institutional Era” amid growing demand for alternative stores of value. According to Grayscale, this will attract fresh capital and connect public blockchains more closely with traditional financial systems under improved crypto regulations.
Bitcoin to New ATH Soon?
The financial giant dismissed the long-discussed 4-year market cycle and set higher crypto prices in 2026. It believes that Bitcoin will reach a new all-time high in the first half of 2026. The firm also noted that the 20 millionth Bitcoin is expected to be mined in March 2026.
This bullish outlook comes despite the ongoing Bitcoin price weakness. At the time of writing, the cryptocurrency is trading at $86,157, down by around 3.8% in the past day. BTC is more than 31% below its peak of $126,198 set on Oct. 5.
The report states that most public blockchains will eventually require post-quantum cryptography updates. However, it is widely believed that a quantum computer capable of breaking Bitcoin’s security is unlikely before 2030.
Crypto Market Themes to Watch in 2026
Grayscale’s bullish outlook comes amid the massive regulatory progress in the United States. The firm expects bipartisan crypto market structure legislation to become law in 2026. This would allow regulated digital asset securities trading and support on-chain issuance for businesses.
Grayscale also expects a broader range of cryptocurrencies to be offered through exchange-traded products (ETPs) by 2026. Notably, spot Bitcoin ETFs have already attracted $57.5 billion in cumulative inflows since their launch.
However, many institutions are still completing internal reviews with clearer rules. As these processes complete, Grayscale expects slower-moving capital to enter the market.
Grayscale also listed important sectors and top altcoins to watch in 2026, including stablecoins such as $USDT and $USDC, tokenization projects, and privacy-focused assets.
Top themes to watch:
Stablecoins – $USDT $USDC on $ETH $SOL $BNB $TRX
Tokenization – $ETH $BNB $SOL $LINK
Privacy – $ZEC $RAIL
AI-crypto – $TAO $NEAR $WORLD
DeFi growth – $AAVE $MORPHO $MAPLE $UNI $HYPE $RAY $JUP
Next-gen chains – $SUI $MON $MEGA
Staking clarity impact – $LDO…— Grayscale (@Grayscale) December 15, 2025
The firm believes that AI-linked crypto platforms and next-generation blockchains would also be interesting to watch next year.
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