Bernstein reiterates its $150,000 Bitcoin price target for 2026, arguing the current downturn is the “weakest bear case” in BTC’s history. | Credit: CCN.com
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Key Takeaways
Morgan Stanley’s filings to launch Bitcoin and Solana ETFs mark a significant step by a major U.S. bank into crypto markets.
Prominent Bitcoin advocates are doubling down on aggressive upside projections.
Despite growing optimism, skeptics caution that Bitcoin could face a sharp mean reversion.
Bullish forecasts for Bitcoin are gaining momentum as Morgan Stanley pushes deeper into digital assets, filing to launch crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) at a time when investor inflows into U.S. spot BTC ETFs are accelerating.
The Wall Street bank’s move has added fuel to already optimistic price calls from prominent investors, including famously bullish Mike Alfred, who this week predicted it could climb as high as $315,000.
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Morgan Stanley has filed with U.S. regulators to launch exchange-traded funds linked to Bitcoin and Solana (SOL), according to regulatory filings reported by Reuters, marking the first major push into crypto ETFs by a large U.S. bank.
The filings underscore a broader shift by traditional financial institutions toward digital assets.
Morgan Stanley expanded crypto access to all clients in October, while Bank of America has said its wealth advisors will be able to recommend crypto allocations beginning in January.
Regulatory developments have also helped accelerate adoption.
In December, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency cleared U.S. banks to act as intermediaries in crypto transactions.
Mike Alfred Still Bullish on Bitcoin
Against that backdrop, Mike Alfred, a long-time BTC investor, said Bitcoin could surge to $315,000, adding to a series of increasingly aggressive forecasts.
In recent posts on X, Alfred dismissed early-year price moves as “noise,” outlining near-term targets that included Bitcoin above $180,000 and ether at $6,000, alongside gains in other digital and traditional assets.
Mike Alfred remains bullish on Bitcoin | Source: X
Alfred’s latest comments follow a Christmas Day post in which he went further than usual, pledging to sell his entire Bitcoin holdings and delete his X account if BTC fails to reach $1 million by Dec. 31, 2033.
“You only live once, and I think it’s important to take a stand, believe in something, and put your money where your mouth is,” Alfred wrote at the time.
Days later, he reiterated his optimism, arguing that much of the recent selling pressure had already played out.
In a Dec. 27 post, he said traders he described as “the worst” he knew had rotated out of Bitcoin into silver.
Chorus of Bullish Bitcoin Price Forecasts Grows
Alfred’s views echo a broader wave of bullish Bitcoin predictions from prominent figures across the crypto and investment landscape.
Fundstrat’s Tom Lee has repeatedly said Bitcoin could rise above $200,000 over the long term, citing easing financial conditions and growing institutional demand.
Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy, has long argued that Bitcoin’s price could eventually exceed $1 million,
Meanwhile, Samson Mow, chief executive of Pixelmatic, has also backed a seven-figure valuation.
“Since getting into Bitcoin, what I’ve consistently found is that everything always happens faster than I expect,” Mow wrote in a March post on X, adding that his models point to BTC reaching $1 million by 2031.
Bitcoin Price Bears Remain
However, not everyone shares a bullish outlook.
Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Mike McGlone warned that Bitcoin could fall back toward $10,000, arguing that many of the forces that powered its past rallies have already played out.
“I admire and respect Michael Saylor,” McGlone said, referring to the Strategy chairman whose firm has been one of bitcoin’s largest corporate buyers.
“But much of what the market had been looking forward to has occurred — ETFs, U.S. leaders recognizing bitcoin’s benefits, and broader mainstream adoption.”
McGlone also argued that Bitcoin’s scarcity narrative has been weakened by the rapid growth of the broader crypto market.
“There were zero cryptocurrencies in 2009. Now there are roughly 28 million listed,” he said, adding that he expects bitcoin to “revert back toward $10,000.”
CCN Price Outlook
CCN analyst Victor Olanrewaju believes that Bitcoin’s recent price moves have been mixed.
“Bitcoin’s price recently broke above the upper trendline of a symmetrical triangle on the daily chart,” Olanrewaju said, marking “a clear shift from the technical setup of last week.”
The breakout was accompanied by a move above a major resistance level.
“Following this move, the price breached a key resistance level at $91,483,” he said, noting that the rally occurred alongside rising buying pressure.
If the current momentum persists, he said Bitcoin could continue higher in the near term.
“…Bitcoin could soon rally toward $98,139,” he said, adding that “in a highly bullish crypto market, the price might even target $103,518.”
However, Olanrewaju cautioned that the breakout must hold to avoid a pullback.
“Failure to sustain this breakout could lead to a reversal,” he said. “In that bearish scenario, Bitcoin might slide back below the $85,000 support zone.”
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin was trading at around $$90,097, down over 2% in the past 24 hours.
Bitcoin is currently almost 30% under its all-time high of $126,198, which it reached in October 2025.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
