A forecast says the cryptocurrency market will enter a strong bull run in 2026. Bitcoin is expected to break from the existing “four-year halving cycle” and set a new all-time high (ATH).

CoinPost, a blockchain media outlet, reported on Jan. 1 that crypto asset manager Bitwise said this in its report titled “Top 10 Crypto Predictions for 2026.”

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hogan and researcher Ryan Rasmussen said in the report that rate cuts, accelerating institutional inflows and an improving regulatory environment will combine to make 2026 a return of the crypto bull market.

The report first predicted that the traditional four-year cycle that has dominated bitcoin prices will break. As the market matures, bitcoin volatility being lower than Nvidia’s share price will continue in 2026, it said. It also said spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) will absorb more than 100 percent of new supply of bitcoin, ether and solana, driving prices higher. ETFs are expected to buy about $15.3 billion worth of new bitcoin supply, $3 billion of ether and $3.2 billion of solana, it said.

The report also raised optimism for altcoins and related stocks. Bitwise said ethereum and solana are expected to hit record highs, assuming passage of a “market structure bill” (Clarity Act). It also said improved regulatory clarity would lift results at crypto-related companies, making it likely that the “Bitwise Crypto Innovators 30 Index” will outperform the Nasdaq 100 Index in returns.

Institutional investment is also expected to accelerate. The report said half of Ivy League university endowments, including Harvard, will begin investing in cryptocurrencies, and the number of crypto-related ETFs listed in the United States will exceed 100.

The report also cited risks from rapid stablecoin growth. Bitwise said the stablecoin market will reach $500 billion in 2026, and that emerging markets will increasingly prefer dollar-pegged stablecoins over local currencies, prompting some central banks to point to this as a cause of economic instability.

Bitwise’s scenario shows the crypto market is being reshaped from a retail-driven arena into an institution-led financial market. It said 2026 is likely to be the first practical year in which cryptocurrencies are incorporated as essential assets in global portfolios.