3 Major Catalysts That Could Push Crypto Prices Higher in 2026

Bitcoin finally looks awake again.

After spending most of 2025 stuck in a dull, tight range, BTC has started moving with real energy. It pushed above the 2025 lows around $80,000 and carried that momentum into early 2026. Right now, Bitcoin is trading near $93,300, and it even touched $97,000 briefly. This doesn’t feel like a random pump — it feels like the market has been holding its breath, and now it’s letting go.

The near 7% gain so far this year didn’t happen alone either. Like always, when Bitcoin starts running, the rest of the crypto market usually reacts. The price is now back near a resistance level that has stopped several breakout attempts since November. The difference this time is that it’s testing that zone with more confidence.

According to analysts at NYDIG Research and market maker Wintermute, this move isn’t being driven by memes or hype. Instead, they believe it’s connected to bigger global and financial shifts — and that matters a lot more than short-term candles.

NYDIG’s Greg Cipolaro points to growing political tension in the US, especially the public pressure being placed on the Federal Reserve. When people see leaders fighting over interest rates and central bank decisions, trust in the system starts to crack. And when that trust weakens, Bitcoin often benefits, because it exists outside government control and has a fixed supply.

Wintermute also highlights something important: the old “four-year cycle” isn’t playing out the same way anymore. With ETFs and institutional products bringing money into Bitcoin, that capital often stays locked there instead of flowing into smaller altcoins. That’s why altcoin rallies have been shorter and less powerful.

Still, 2026 could open the door for bigger moves if capital rotation returns, new crypto ETFs expand beyond BTC and ETH, and retail investors shift attention back from stocks into crypto.

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