Bitget CEO: Bitcoin Likely to Hold Near Current Levels Through 2026

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen expects Bitcoin to finish the year within $10,000 to $20,000 of current levels, citing macroeconomic uncertainty and persistent interest rate risks as the primary forces shaping the cryptocurrency's trajectory. Speaking on Cointelegraph's Trade Secrets podcast, Chen said she considers a year-end price near $70,000 unlikely in either direction, describing the range-bound outlook as her most defensible forecast. She noted that Bitcoin has become increasingly correlated with traditional finance, making it more sensitive to Federal Reserve policy and broader market conditions than in prior cycles.

Chen specifically pointed to the possibility of higher interest rates as a factor that could pressure BTC prices lower. She acknowledged the difficulty of pinpointing where Bitcoin will land by December given competing macro signals, but emphasized that the asset's growing integration with Wall Street means traders should no longer treat it as insulated from monetary policy shifts.

On US policy, Chen expressed skepticism that the federal government will begin actively purchasing Bitcoin for its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve before the end of President Donald Trump's term. While the administration established the reserve in March 2025 using forfeited BTC and directed officials to explore budget-neutral acquisition strategies, Chen argued that direct government buying would require a level of bipartisan consensus that remains out of reach. The US currently holds an estimated 328,372 BTC, most of it accumulated through law enforcement seizures rather than market purchases.

Chen called active government buying "unlikely" given the political and procedural hurdles involved, even as the Trump administration has taken a broadly pro-crypto stance. Industry analysts continue to debate whether budget-neutral acquisition mechanisms, such as revaluing existing holdings or structured bond programs, could eventually expand the stockpile without new appropriations.