Researcher: institutions unlikely to push Bitcoin to $150,000 without major catalyst

Macro researcher and FFTT founder Luke Gromen said institutional investors are unlikely to drive Bitcoin from roughly $89,880 to $150,000 this year without a market-moving event, in comments on Coin Stories with Natalie Brunell published to YouTube on Wednesday. Gromen said "that’s not how institutional investors act" and that they are more likely to wait rather than rush into price moves.

A rise from around $89,880 to $150,000 would be a 67% increase and about 18.86% above Bitcoin’s all-time high of $126,198, according to CoinMarketCap; Bitcoin is up 2.48% over the past 30 days. Potential catalysts under watch include the US CLARITY Act, which the report says faces uncertainty over its rollout, and possible further quantitative easing through Federal Reserve rate cuts.

CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju said "institutional demand for Bitcoin remains strong," noting 577,000 Bitcoin bought by institutional funds over the past year, roughly $53 billion, and Grayscale in December pointed to institutional demand and clearer US regulation as reasons it forecast new highs in the first half of 2026.

Gromen also said Bitcoin "could easily" fall to $60,000 under severe scenarios such as an all-out trade war, US isolation or a recession, and warned that forced selling by treasury companies could flood the market as seen around FTX in 2022.

Key Topics

Crypto, Bitcoin, Luke Gromen, Institutional Investors, Clarity Act, Federal Reserve