A convergence of macro signals, institutional shifts, and high-conviction accumulation is building a strong case for a major crypto rebound in 2026.
Nic Puckrin, CEO and co-founder of Coin Bureau, says it’s hard to justify a bearish view for next year as several structural bullish drivers align. A key catalyst could be the likely appointment of economist Kevin Hassett as Federal Reserve Chair, which would point to a softer policy stance. Quantitative tightening has ended, rate cuts look increasingly likely, and markets may enter a more liquidity-rich environment.
Institutional access is widening: Schwab plans to offer Bitcoin trading in 2026, and Vanguard has opened crypto ETF access to 50 million customers. BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF is already posting trading volumes comparable to major traditional funds, reflecting growing demand from conventional capital markets. Anticipated upgrades to U.S. bank leverage-ratio rules could free up additional liquidity across the system.
Industry voices are upbeat as well. Alice Liu, Head of Research at CoinMarketCap, projects a market comeback in Q1 2026, with February and March potentially marking the start of the next bull cycle based on macro indicators and historical cycle patterns.
On-chain and institutional accumulation is visible: Tom Lee’s BitMine has been aggressively buying ETH, logging roughly $70 million in two purchases last week. BitMine’s activity followed Bitwise’s acquisition of 96,800 ETH in the same period; Bitwise is now about 62% of the way toward its goal of holding 5% of all ETH. Lee has also said he expects Bitcoin to reach a new all-time high by the end of January.
Taken together, analysts and institutions are positioning for a bullish 2026 rather than a continuation of current bearish trends.
