Citigroup Says Its ‘Base Case’ Price Target for Bitcoin (BTC) Is $143,000

Analysts at Citigroup (C) have placed a “base case” price target on Bitcoin (BTC) of $143,000, which is 64% higher than where the largest cryptocurrency is presently trading.

crypto-in-2025">The team of crypto analysts at Citigroup say they expect BTC to be trading at $143,000 or higher within the next 12 months. “We forecast increased adoption of digital assets, spurred by potential U.S. digital-asset legislation in the second quarter, with Bitcoin likely ranging into the new year around $80,000-$90,000 user-activity values,” writes the bank in its outlook.

However, in the near-term, Citigroup expects Bitcoin’s price to continue trending lower, saying that the cryptocurrency could drop to $70,000 before finding a bottom and rebounding. The New York-based bank’s “base case” 12 months out is for a sharp rise to $143,000, driven largely by revived exchange-traded fund (ETF) demand and positive stock market action.

Other Catalysts for Bitcoin

Additionally, Citigroup anticipates regulatory catalysts for Bitcoin and other crypto in the new year, which should drive further adoption and fund flows. In its bull case, Citigroup sees BTC rising as high as $189,000 in 2026, or more than doubling from current levels,

The bear case would see Bitcoin’s price languish and fall as low as $78,500, or down more than 10% from where it currently trades. The biggest downside risk to Bitcoin and other crypto heading into next year is a global recession, say the analysts at Citigroup. Bitcoin is currently trading at $87,000 per digital token.

Is Bitcoin a Buy?

Most analysts don’t offer ratings or price targets on Bitcoin. So instead, we’ll look at the three-month performance of BTC. As one can see in the chart below, the price of Bitcoin has fallen 25.18% in the last 12 weeks.