- Why Garlinghouse is optimistic
- Are ETFs Overvalued?
During a recent panel discussion held as part of Binance Blockchain Week, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse predicted that the price of Bitcoin could rise to $180,000 next year.
“I’ll go out on a limb and say Bitcoin $180,000, December 31, 2026,” Garlinghuse said.
The 54-year-old executive is convinced that 2026 will be the most optimistic year for cryptocurrencies to date.
Why Garlinghouse is optimistic
Ripple’s CEO has noted that the United States finally has regulatory clarity. Garlinghouse argues that this is hugely underrated. The United States represents 22% of the world’s GDP and has been hostile towards cryptocurrencies for years. Now that stance is changing rapidly, which is believed to be quite transformative.
“There are so many macroeconomic factors that continue to provide tailwinds for this industry that, as we get closer to 2026, I don’t remember being this optimistic in recent years,” he said.
Additionally, he notes that major financial institutions are entering this space. Franklin Templeton, BlackRock, and now even Vanguard, which was known for its hostile stance against cryptocurrencies, are now participating.
Cryptocurrencies are now moving beyond speculation toward real-world utility. Better interfaces and practical applications mean that cryptocurrencies are starting to solve real problems. This, he claims, will sustain a long-term bull market.
“The last thing I’ll say about this (which I think we’ll probably all agree on) is that we’re also seeing real-world applications, where it’s not just speculation,” he said.
Are ETFs Overvalued?
The approval of US-based ETFs was supposed to be a big moment for XRP, but some believe these products could be overvalued as they did not trigger a substantial XRP price rally.
XRP ETFs saw over $700 million in inflows in just a few weeks. According to Garlinghouse, this is proof that investors who wanted regulated exposure can finally participate.
He expects the share of cryptocurrencies in the cryptocurrency market to grow significantly over the next year.
“But look, again, if you get down to the macro level, the total ETF market… only one or two percent of the total ETF market is crypto. I bet anyone here that within a year, that will be more than one or two percent,” Garlinghouse said.
