In today’s BTC news, Jack Maller, the CEO of Twenty One Capital, a Tether-backed firm, believes Bitcoin still has room to reach fresh highs before the end of 2026, although he also expects further weakness in the near term.

Mallers outlined a longer-term target range between $150,000 and $200,000, which would place Bitcoin well above its October 2025 peak of $126,200. Still, he cautioned that the path to those levels may not be smooth, as current conditions could keep pressure on prices in the short run.

Macroeconomic Pressure Clouds Bitcoin’s Near-Term Outlook

Speaking on his Monday episode of “The Jack Mallers Show” on YouTube, Mallers addressed whether renewed tariff actions by Donald Trump could influence Bitcoin’s trajectory. The US president recently announced new tariff hikes affecting 8 European countries, scheduled to take effect on February 1.

Mallers argued that Bitcoin could face renewed stress if the tariff standoff drags on. In his view, Bitcoin reflects global sentiment more directly than most assets because it runs freely around the clock without centralized controls. As a result, it often reacts first when confidence shifts.

He also revisited his earlier observation that Bitcoin currently lacks the temerity needed to fully absorb macroeconomic shocks. According to him, the market remains highly sensitive to headlines, with even a single announcement capable of triggering sharp volatility, particularly among leveraged positions.

Long-Term Forces Still Point to New Highs

Despite these short-term challenges, Mallers remains firmly optimistic about Bitcoin’s longer-term direction. He explained that while narratives often move faster than fundamentals, the underlying drivers eventually assert themselves.

He pointed to the likelihood of continued monetary expansion as a key factor favoring assets designed to hedge inflation, with Bitcoin standing out among them. Mallers also expects the Federal Reserve to cut rates over time, which would spike fiat liquidity and support broader risk appetite.

Although these conditions have yet to fully materialize, he stressed that their absence today does not diminish their impact in the future. Based on this outlook, he reaffirmed his view that Bitcoin could rise into the $150,000 to $200,000 range before the end of 2026, while acknowledging that additional downside may appear along the way.

That perspective aligns with views from other notable figures across the industry. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao has also projected Bitcoin reaching $200,000, while Standard Chartered sees it reaching $150,000 by the end of 2026.

Major Beneficiary if Bitcoin Rallies

With Bitcoin tipped to rally, market attention often broadens beyond large caps to other low-cap altcoins for better portfolio diversification. While not all of them will surge by the same amount, promising ones like Minotaurus (MTAUR) will surely deliver massive upside.

For the uninitiated, MTAUR is a highly sought-after token that powers the Minotaurus ecosystem. The project leverages the low-cost, high-scalability features of the BNB Chain, offering users an exciting yet beneficial gaming experience.

Why the casual gaming niche? Data from Statista shows that the sector would surge to $29 billion by 2029, and Minotaurus is positioning itself as a leader in the space. This could make MTAUR the next billion-dollar project, benefiting those who buy more.

At the current price of 0.00012641 USDT, one can acquire 10,000 MTAUR for less than 10 USDT. Let’s assume that MTAUR hypothetically rallies to 0.01 USDT; that would boost the capital by over 1,000%.

Learn more at minotaurus.io.