Canary Capital CEO predicts: Bitcoin will surge to $150,000 by the end of the year, and Ethereum will be surpassed by new public chains like Solana.

Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg is bullish on Bitcoin rising to the range of 140,000 to 150,000 USD by the end of the year, but warns that a Bear Market will begin in 2026. He is pessimistic about Ethereum's prospects, believing that new public chains like Solana and Sui have already established generational advantages in speed, cost, and security. However, Amberdata's Derivatives Director Greg Magadini countered that Ethereum's developer ecosystem moat makes it difficult to disrupt, and the ETH/BTC Exchange Rate is expected to rise to 7% (corresponding to an ETH price of 8,000-10,000 USD). Both sides agree on the logic behind Bitcoin's rise driven by ETF fund inflows, anti-inflation measures, and risk appetite.

Bitcoin expected to reach $150,000 by the end of the year, fear of Bear Market in 2026:

Steven McClurg, the CEO of Canary Capital, predicts that Bitcoin could soar to $150,000 by the end of this year, followed by another Bear Market in 2026. This prediction comes as the crypto market approaches historical highs, with institutional investors continuously pouring into Bitcoin spot ETFs. Bitcoin hit a historical high of $124,128 on Wednesday. McClurg stated in an interview with CNBC on Friday: "Bitcoin has over a 50% chance to reach the range of $140,000 to $150,000 this year, and then we will see another Bear Market next year." McClurg attributed this round of pump to the increased demand brought by ETFs and the expanding base of institutional buyers, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and corporate treasuries. "These inflows are driving up the price of Bitcoin," he noted.

Ethereum faces skepticism, new public chains are optimistic:

However, McClurg remains skeptical about the recent strong rise of Ethereum (ETH). Although Ethereum has been the best-performing coin among mainstream cryptocurrencies in recent weeks and approached its historical peak last Thursday (only to correct with the market thereafter), McClurg still criticizes it as an outdated network. Canary Capital has submitted ETF applications linked to various altcoins such as XRP, Sui, Cronos (CRO), Hedera (HBAR), and the official Trump Solana Meme coin, but has not submitted any applications related to Ethereum. "I am not a loyal fan of Ethereum mainly because it is an older technology," McClurg said. "There are now many other protocols that are faster, cheaper in transaction costs, and fundamentally more secure." He acknowledged that Ethereum "has performed exceptionally well over the past five years," but believes that new blockchains like Solana and Sui have surpassed it. "I do expect it to gradually decline and not be able to reach new all-time highs," he added.

Analysts Refute: Developer Ecosystem is Ethereum's "Moat":

Regarding McClurg's doubts about Ethereum, Amberdata's Derivatives Director Greg Magadini expressed a different opinion to Decrypt. "Although some refer to it as an 'older technology', Ethereum will be very difficult to compete against because it has a developer ecosystem," Magadini explained. "It's like the iPhone platform, allowing developers to build applications directly on its infrastructure. This network effect will only strengthen over time." Magadini predicts that Ethereum will catch up to Bitcoin in relative value, with the ETH/BTC exchange rate expected to reach 7% — which means the price of Ethereum could be between 8,000 and 10,000 dollars.

Consensus: Bitcoin shows strong upward momentum

Despite differing views on Ethereum, Magadini also agrees with the perspective that Bitcoin may exceed $150,000 by 2025, driven by anti-inflation demand and investors' risk appetite. "Considering the political pressure the Federal Reserve faces to cut interest rates amid rising stock markets and high inflation, this creates the perfect backdrop for Bitcoin's price rise," Magadini analyzed, "The movement of Bitcoin combines the characteristics of digital gold and risk assets - and currently, both sentiments are driving the price upward."

Litecoin Recovery and Seasonal Fluctuations

McClurg also proposed the viewpoint that Litecoin might revive, comparing it to Bitcoin as the "gold" alongside "silver". Canary Capital has also submitted an application to the SEC for the launch of a Litecoin spot ETF. "Litecoin's ability to handle Ordinals is much faster," McClurg mentioned this digital art and data engraving technology that was once criticized for putting a burden on the Bitcoin network (though the impact has weakened recently). "Therefore, I do expect Litecoin to make a strong comeback and be used for small transactions." McClurg further pointed out that seasonal factors in the crypto market may increase volatility in the coming months. "Historically, August has been a poor month for any risk asset, especially cryptocurrencies," he said, "while September and October are usually very strong."

Conclusion

The high expectations of institutions for the long-term price of Bitcoin, along with the divergence regarding the technical roadmap of Ethereum, highlight the multi-layered game in the evolution of the crypto market. Whether new public chain challengers can shake Ethereum's dominant position in the ecosystem, and whether Bitcoin can break through the $150,000 mark with sustained inflows into ETFs, will become core observation dimensions for the second half of the year. Seasonal fluctuation patterns will provide reference coordinates for short-term trading strategies.