Researcher Luke Gromen Says Institutions Unlikely to Drive Bitcoin from $90,000 to $150,000 Without Major Catalyst

Macroeconomic researcher and FFTT founder Luke Gromen said on Jan. 22 that institutional investors are unlikely to push Bitcoin from around $90,000 to $150,000 this year without a major market catalyst. He noted institutions tend to stay on the sidelines rather than buy aggressively without a clear event-driven trigger, adding that key variables could include progress on the U.S. CLARITY Act and whether the Federal Reserve cuts rates further. Gromen also cautioned that in extreme scenarios such as a full-scale trade war or an economic recession, Bitcoin could fall to $60,000 and force corporate holders to sell. In contrast, CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju said institutional demand remains strong, citing about 577,000 BTC, or roughly $53 billion, purchased over the past year, while Grayscale has previously highlighted that institutional participation and regulatory clarity are important drivers for Bitcoin to reach new highs.