Citi Sets 12-Month Bitcoin Forecast at $143,000 on Rising Adoption and Easing of Regulations

Citigroup set its 12-month forecasts for bitcoin and ether at $143,000 and $4,304 respectively, betting on regulatory easing and greater adoption.The Wall Street brokerage’s target for bitcoin implies an upside of around 62% from the trading level of $88,085.42, as of 1000 GMT. For Ether, the target implies an upside of almost 46% from the $2,953.65 level.

Cryptocurrencies have gained widespread momentum this year, following US President Donald Trump’s pledge to support digital assets. It has led to the dismissal of a wave of lawsuits against prominent crypto platforms and a shift among financial regulators to create specialized rules to accommodate digital assets.“We expect regulatory catalysts to drive further adoption and flows,” Citi said in a note Thursday.However, Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, fell to a multi-month low in November as investor appetite for risky assets waned, fueled by concerns about high technology valuations.

Bitcoin lost more than $18,000 in November, the biggest dollar loss since May 2021, when a record amount disappeared from the market as a number of cryptocurrencies collapsed.

The bearish sentiment was further exacerbated in December when Strategy – the largest corporate holder of bitcoin – cut its 2025 earnings forecast, citing the weak run in bitcoin. Token prices are closer to statistical measures of value based on user activity following the price reversal from October highs, Citi added.In a bull case scenario, the brokerage sees bitcoin reaching $189,000 and ether reaching $5,132.

Citi expects bitcoin and ether to fall to $78,000 and $1,270 respectively in a bear case environment.