CF Benchmarks Head of Research predicts bitcoin may rise to $102,000

Gabe Selby, Head of Research at CF Benchmarks, stated that driven by institutional buying and favorable macroeconomic conditions in 2026, the price of bitcoin is expected to rise by 15% from the current level of around $90,000 to $102,000. Declining labor costs indicate cooling inflation, and the Federal Reserve may further cut interest rates in 2026, which would benefit risk assets. Currently, bitcoin is down nearly 30% from its all-time high of $126,000 set in October 2025. According to DefiLlama data, investors withdrew over $400 million from spot bitcoin ETFs on Thursday. Gabe Selby pointed out that the 14 spot ETFs in the United States collectively hold over $100 billions in assets, with BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust leading the way by managing $67 billions in assets. SEC filings show that Morgan Stanley is preparing to launch a new ETF supporting bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.