Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has told CNBC he is willing to go on record with a forecast that Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market will set new all-time highs in 2026. He pointed to supportive regulation and growing institutional participation as key drivers, even after Bitcoin slipped below the $90,000 mark. XRP began 2026 near $1.85, briefly spiked toward $2.40 in early January, then retreated back to its yearly open by Jan. 20.

Ripple President Monica Long has outlined a vision of crypto's "production era," arguing that stablecoins will move from niche payment tools to core infrastructure for global settlement. She predicts that by 2026 around half of Fortune 500 companies will hold crypto or tokenized assets, including stablecoins and onchain T-bills, while expanding ETF access supports broader institutional participation.

Veteran trader Peter Brandt has issued a bearish outlook for Bitcoin, highlighting a megaphone-style topping formation that points to potential downside toward the $58,000–$62,000 range. His chart-based scenario outlines successive targets from around $73,786 down to an ultimate objective near $58,840, while he also questions the "Bitcoin up forever" thesis in light of possible quantum-computing advances.

Venture capitalist Tim Draper has reiterated his bold Bitcoin outlook, projecting a move to $250,000 within six months and a possible long-term climb to $10,000,000 per coin. He links this scenario to shrinking US dollar dominance amid inflation and debt, and believes easing regulatory pressure now makes his long-standing target more achievable.

Bitcoin's latest drop unfolded with unusually tight dispersion across major spot venues and stable session extremes. More than $500 million in long positions were liquidated in roughly sixty minutes across derivatives markets. The move looked dramatic, yet order books and arbitrage activity appeared orderly.

On January 16, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that the roughly 58 BTC forfeited by Samourai Wallet developers will be held on the federal balance sheet within the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve under Executive Order 14233. Earlier reports had suggested a possible sale via SDNY and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Democratic lawmakers have sent a strongly worded letter to SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins criticizing the agency's decision to drop long-running enforcement cases against Ripple and other crypto firms. They argue that the SEC's retreat since January 2025, including dismissals involving Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, and Tron founder Justin Sun, risks eroding investor protection and confidence in U.S. markets. The timing is portrayed as troubling given increased crypto industry lobbying and substantial political contributions.

On January 15, 2026, X head of product Nikita Bier said XRP is one of only three cryptocurrencies among the platform's most-searched cashtags, alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum. Tesla (TSLA), GameStop (GME) and Bitcoin Mining (IREN) also rank among leading tickers. CoinGecko data showed XRP fell more than 3% over the past week while Bitcoin gained roughly 5%.

CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju reports that retail traders have largely exited Bitcoin, with their funds moving into stocks, gold, and silver during the recent metals rally. At the same time, large investors and institutions are accumulating Bitcoin, supported by over $900 million of spot ETF inflows in early January and a Fear and Greed Index reading of 61 following the October 2024 liquidation event.