Bitcoin Price Prediction: Will BTC Break $100,000 in 2026? 

19th May 2026
The Bitcoin price has recently pulled back to end a 4-day rally that started at the end of March. Last week, the BTC rose to trade at $81,699 before pulling back to the current level of $76,128. This latest pullback was partly triggered by the weakening of the bullish momentum after the price of bitcoin approached overbought conditions in the 14-day RSI. However, the upward momentum is still supported by the 100-day moving average, which sits slightly below the current bitcoin price. However, Bitcoin has pulled back to trade at around the 0.236 Fibonacci retracement level, which is now being challenged as a major support level. Bitcoin Price Prediction for Traders Different investors make money from Bitcoin differently. Some thrive in “HODLing”, while others enjoy the volatility of crypto markets. The latter group is mainly comprised of short-term traders, capitalizing on the frequent rallies and pullbacks in bitcoin prices. For traders, Bitcoin price might continue to pull back towards the 0.236 Fib level, making it an ideal target for short-term sell trades. And in the unlikely event that the key support zone is breached, the bears could always move their targets lower towards the $60,000 mark. However, the momentum is significant with the bulls, given the recent confluence (100-day MA and the 0.236 Fib level, all at the same time).  Therefore, even a pullback below the 0.236 Fib level could still trigger a rebound that pushes the Bitcoin value above $85,000, and closer to the 0.382 Fib level. The $85,000 level also looks more feasible than a trip back to $60,000 or even $70,000, given that Bitcoin last week already breached the $82,000 key level. What Is Driving the Current Bitcoin Price Gains? While there has not been another Federal Funds Interest Rate cut since December, the Federal Reserve has not hiked rates either. This factor, coupled with a weakening US dollar, has made Bitcoin, which is a risk asset, more attractive as a store of value. The US dollar index, which measures the strength of the greenback against a basket of other global currencies, fell from about 101 in March to the current level of about 98. Thus, its trend has been downwards, while Bitcoin has been going up. However, with Trump appointee Kevin Warsh confirmed by the US Senate last Wednesday as the Federal Reserve Chair. There is marketwide speculation that there will now be a higher chance of having more rate hikes in 2026 than would have been under the leadership of Jerome Powell. Kyle Rodda, senior market analyst at Capital.com, recently shared in an emailed note to investors that the Fed Fund Futures and Treasury Yields curve implies a 40% chance of a hike by the end of the year. “Fears are mounting again about sticky inflation, modest downside risks to economic activity, and (discreetly), higher US interest rates. Although it’s only manifesting in Fed Fund Futures and Treasury yields, the markets are pricing in that the next move from the US Federal Reserve will be a rate hike,” he said. This expectation contradicts the general view that a Trump appointee would likely be inclined to lower rates because Trump and his advisors have been pushing for a rate cut. Federal Funds Interest Rate cuts affect yields, thus making risk assets like Bitcoin more attractive as a store of value. Spot ETF Flows Are Back In the Green Bitcoin is also benefiting from a resurgence in spot ETF flows, which have flipped back to support a bullish sentiment amid rising institutional demand. Source: BitBo As demonstrated in the chart by BiTBO, the spot Bitcoin ETF flows have started to mirror the pattern from 12 months ago, which culminated with the Bitcoin hitting new all-time highs above $126,000. We are now beginning to see more dense and longer bars representing inflows versus more sparse and shorter bars for outflows. The period between October 2025 and February 2026 is exactly the opposite and covers the bear market run. Bitcoin Price Prediction: Can It Hit $100,000 in 2026 and Where Could It Go in Five Years? Over the past two years, Bitcoin has become more than just a cryptocurrency, unlocking more value propositions in the form of spot ETFs, digital asset treasuries (DATs), and even becoming a development layer for various decentralised finance products. As such, the pullback between October last year and February this year is one that had no business sticking around for long, because this time, investors could view Bitcoin in multiple aspects. As a store of value, a medium of exchange, a balance sheet asset, and, more importantly, a strategic investment instrument that defines the future of finance. The Bitcoin price always tends to go through cycles comprised of lengthy bull runs, shorter but sharper pullbacks, and some sideways moves as the market resets. A similar pattern has already started to form following the festive period crash. Bitcoin is on course to hit the $100,000 price level in November if the current momentum continues. It recently bounced back to avoid falling into the oversold territory of the 14-week RSI, and has a lot of room to run before approaching the overbought territory. However, before it gets there, it will need to breach the 100-week moving average, especially if it is to get there before the end of the year. Bitcoin Price Prediction as Open Interest Supports Uptrend To get the price of Bitcoin to $100,000, more catalysts will be required. The Bitcoin open interest is one that investors can count on, now. After a sharp fall between October and February, the BTC open interest had been on the rise, as demonstrated using the chart by Coinglass below. The bulls are also edging it on the options open interest, according to Coinglass, with 57% calls and about 43% puts. This further supports the current uptrend, going into the second half of the year. The geopolitical climate has also calmed down, with Trump calling for a truce with Iran to address the Strait of Hormuz bottleneck that has led to skyrocketing oil prices. Bitcoin Price Path to $250,000? If Bitcoin continues to exhibit the same cyclical patterns it has before, a new all-time high could be on the cards by mid-2027, with a price target of about $160,000 as demonstrated in the weekly Trading View chart. And with more institutional adoption through tokenization, settlement, ETFs, and treasuries, coupled with the upcoming halving in April 2028, Bitcoin will have enough fundamental moat to take it above $200,000 by 2029. This rally could be followed shortly by another pullback, as characterised by Bitcoin price movements every three or four years. Thereafter, it embarks on the next rally to $250,000 by 2031. As Bitcoin continues to mature, the rallies will likely become flatter, and so will pullbacks.