Crypto analyst Ben Cowen said on Dec. 23 that Ethereum is unlikely to post new record prices in 2026 under current Bitcoin market conditions. He argued that even a roughly 40% rally for Ether back to its $4,878 peak could form a bull trap followed by a drop toward $2,000, with limited spillover to other altcoins this cycle.

On Tuesday, Strategy CEO Phong Le said Bitcoin's market setup "couldn't be better," urging less focus on short‑term swings. BTC set a $125,100 all‑time high on Oct. 5 before dropping nearly 30% to $87,687, and the Fear & Greed Index has shown "Extreme Fear" since Dec. 12 as Strategy's mNAV traded at 0.93.

Elon Musk predicted in an X post that the United States could reach double-digit economic growth by December 2026 at the earliest and even see triple-digit growth around 2030. Some Bitcoin supporters see this as a positive macro backdrop for Bitcoin, while others remain concerned about analyst projections of a Bitcoin bear market and a potential price drop toward the $60,000 range in 2026.

Bitcoin entrepreneur Anthony Pompliano told CNBC on Tuesday that Bitcoin's subdued year-end price action and reduced volatility make a 70%–80% drawdown in the first quarter of next year unlikely. While Bitcoin trades around $87,436 and is down 7.39% from Jan. 1, he highlighted its gains of about 100% over two years and nearly 300% over three years, even as some analysts now warn of potential declines toward $60,000–$65,000 by 2026.

Santiment founder Maksim Balashevich said in a YouTube video on Friday that social media sentiment shows traders are still too optimistic to confirm a market bottom for Bitcoin, which trades near $88,350. He warned that BTC could still fall toward $75,000, while other indicators such as the Crypto Fear & Greed Index have been stuck in "Extreme Fear" since Dec. 14 and the Altcoin Season Index shows a strong "Bitcoin Season" reading.

On Thursday, David Sacks said the landmark crypto market structure bill could be wrapped up in January, while on Friday Peter Brandt told Cointelegraph the US Clarity Act would aid the sector but won't redefine Bitcoin's value. Brandt also sees a potential move to $60,000 in Q3 2026, a 31% slide from $88,000 at publication, according to CoinMarketCap.

Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal said on a podcast released Thursday that Zcash’s sharp price surge this year looks more like capital rotating into the token than the start of a confirmed long-term uptrend. He argued that the key signal will be whether Zcash can form a solid price base and keep rising once the broader crypto market turns higher, noting he would rather wait for a new down cycle before considering an entry.

At a Thursday press conference, US President Donald Trump said his shortlist to replace Jerome Powell has been reduced to three or four candidates and praised Chris Waller. Polymarket currently assigns Waller 14% odds, behind Kevin Hassett at 53% and Kevin Warsh at 28%, with Michelle Bowman at 2%. Trump expects to announce his pick in the next couple of weeks.

Synthetix is returning its perpetuals protocol to Ethereum's mainnet after three years. Founder Kain Warwick said on Wednesday the network can now support high-frequency trading, citing sharply lower gas costs, with average fees about 0.71 gwei versus 18.85 gwei a year earlier. He expects other perp DEXs to follow.