LONDON, Jan 6, 2026, 09:16 GMT
- Bitcoin was up 1.45% at $93,800; ether gained 2.26% to $3,227.
- Analyst flagged $94,617 as a key technical hurdle; a break could target about $110,000.
- Big institutions’ 2026 outlooks point to wider adoption, but forecasts still span steep upside and sharp pullbacks.
Bitcoin traded near $94,000 on Tuesday as the biggest cryptocurrency extended a new-year rebound, while ether rose above $3,200 in a firmer crypto market. Bitcoin was up 1.45% over the past 24 hours at $93,800, and ether was up 2.26% at $3,227, Coinbase data showed.
The move matters now because investors are resetting risk positions for 2026, with U.S. monetary policy back in focus after last year’s volatility in crypto and tech. President Donald Trump has pressed the Federal Reserve for lower rates, and markets are watching the expected nomination of a new Fed chair in early January, ahead of Jerome Powell’s term ending in May. The Fed cut rates three times last year and traders forecast two more quarter-point cuts by end-2026.
A wave of annual outlooks is also feeding the debate over whether the next leg for bitcoin is driven by institutional flows, regulation or new uses for crypto rails. DL News said firms ranging from BlackRock to Coinbase are leaning on themes such as stablecoins and artificial intelligence, alongside crypto-linked exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are stock-market products that package exposure for mainstream investors.
Technical analysts are focusing on whether bitcoin can push through a cluster of recent highs. In an Investing.com analysis, analyst Arnout ter Schure argued the start-of-year climb fits a historical pattern, writing that “BTC has never closed lower for two consecutive years.” He said bitcoin had gained 7.6% year-to-date after rising each day in January so far. https://ca.investing.com/analysis/bitcoin-…
Ter Schure pointed to the Dec. 9 high of $94,617 as the level to beat, and used Elliott Wave analysis — a charting approach that looks for repeating patterns in market psychology — to map a path higher. A clean break above that point could open the way toward around $110,000, he wrote.
He added that bitcoin has reclaimed its 50-day simple moving average, an average price over the past 50 days that traders often use to gauge momentum, after moving above its 10- and 20-day lines. The note highlighted downside markers at $91,483, $90,327, $88,410, $86,704 and $84,424, with each break raising the odds of a retreat toward the low- to mid-$70,000s.
Institutional forecasts underline how the conversation is widening beyond a straight price call. BlackRock said fast-growing stablecoins — crypto tokens designed to hold a steady value, usually pegged to the dollar — could challenge governments’ control over domestic currencies in some emerging markets, while Coinbase flagged AI as a catalyst for new crypto-related applications, according to DL News.
For bitcoin holders, the range of 2026 predictions remains stark. A Yahoo Finance UK commentary framed the debate as whether bitcoin sinks back toward $50,000 or pushes above $125,000 this year.
DL News also cited Galaxy Digital as saying options markets were pricing roughly even odds of $70,000 or $130,000 by end-June 2026, and $50,000 or $250,000 by year-end 2026 — a sign that traders still see large two-way risk.
The downside case is straightforward: if bitcoin cannot clear $94,617 and slips through the lower levels highlighted by ter Schure, the “one more shakeout” scenario gains weight and the deeper support zone comes back into view. Crypto has also tended to move with tech shares, leaving it vulnerable to a broader shift away from risk if rates or geopolitics unsettle markets.
