Tom Lee boldly predicts: Bitcoin will reach an all-time high by the end of January 2026!

Renowned market strategist and co-founder of Fundstrat Global Advisors, Tom Lee, publicly stated in an interview with CNBC that he believes Bitcoin will reach a new all-time high before the end of January 2026.

According to Gate market data, as of December 22, the BTC/USDT price is $88,836.9. The current price is gaining momentum to challenge a key psychological level, while Tom Lee's prediction has injected a clear timeline expectation into the market.

01 Core Prediction

Wall Street renowned analyst Tom Lee has made a bold and specific timeline prediction for Bitcoin. He recently indicated to the public that the new historical high for Bitcoin may arrive before the end of January 2026.

In earlier analyses, he attributed this optimistic expectation to several key macroeconomic factors, including a potential shift in interest rate policy and the growing allocation demand for digital assets by traditional financial institutions.

This is not the first time Tom Lee has publicly expressed a bullish view on cryptocurrencies, as he has made several predictions that have garnered market attention. The reason his latest statement has sparked widespread discussion is that it provides a relatively clear time window—“by the end of January 2026,” which sets a clear observation point for market participants' strategic planning.

02 Market Status

At the same time Tom Lee made his prediction, the market price of Bitcoin was experiencing a round of fluctuations. According to data from different platforms, the price of Bitcoin showed significant volatility on December 22.

On one hand, there are reports showing that Bitcoin once fell below $88,000, while on the other hand, there are market indications that it quickly rebounded and broke through the $89,000 mark.

According to the latest market data provided by the Gate platform, the BTC/USDT trading pair reported $88,836.9 on December 22, achieving a slight increase of 0.55% within 24 hours. This indicates intense competition between bulls and bears in the market, with prices fluctuating around key levels.

This volatility provides a realistic backdrop for Tom Lee's long-term predictions, indicating that the market is trying to find a clear direction, and any significant fundamental or sentiment catalysts could drive prices to choose a breakout.

03 contradictory information

A detail that deserves high market attention is that Tom Lee's public optimistic statements seem to differ from some internal views of his organization Fundstrat. A KOL in the crypto field disclosed this information on social media.

According to the disclosed content, Tom Lee publicly bets that Bitcoin and Ethereum will hit new highs in January next year, but the cryptocurrency strategy report for 2026 provided to its internal clients by Fundstrat predicts that the market may experience a deep correction in the first half of 2026.

This internal report sets potential pullback target ranges for several major cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin $60,000 - $65,000; Ethereum $1,800 - $2,000; Solana $50 - $75. The report suggests that these price levels will be good entry opportunities, providing a window for positioning in the market for the second half of the year.

The discrepancy between this public statement and internal research reveals a complex picture to investors. It may reflect institutions' judgments on different time dimensions (short-term spikes vs mid-term adjustments), and it also reminds the market to remain cautious about any one-sided forecasts and to implement comprehensive risk management.

04 Technical Path and Key Positions

If Tom Lee's prediction holds true, Bitcoin needs to successfully break through and stay above its current historical high. This previous high was set in March 2024, and it constitutes the clearest resistance reference point on the price upward path.

From the perspective of trading analysis, Tom Lee's time window of the end of January 2026 provides a clear analytical framework for observing whether the price can effectively break through previous highs or face resistance and fall back.

Analysts typically focus on some key technical indicators to assist in their judgment. For example, if the Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains around 60 on the daily chart, it may indicate that the market has the momentum to continue rising and has not yet entered an overbought state.

In addition, on-chain data such as the number of active addresses and overall transaction volume are also important indicators of the network's fundamental health and potential buying pressure. Sustained increases in on-chain activity are generally seen as a supporting factor for prices.

05 Potential Driving Factors

Tom Lee and other analysts' optimistic predictions are supported by a series of potential driving factors. The continuous inflow of institutional funds is widely regarded as one of the core drivers.

Traditional asset management giants like BlackRock and Fidelity have launched Bitcoin spot ETFs, attracting billions of dollars in funding over the past year. If this trend continues, it will provide strong purchasing power to the market.

The macroeconomic environment, especially the direction of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy, will also be key. The market generally expects that a shift in the interest rate cycle may weaken the dollar, thereby increasing the demand for Bitcoin and other assets regarded as alternative stores of value.

Finally, the cyclical nature of the cryptocurrency market cannot be ignored. Historically, after Bitcoin “halving” events, the market often experiences a significant upward cycle in the subsequent period. The market effect after the next halving may overlap with the time window predicted by Tom Lee.

06 Insights for Traders

For ordinary traders, the key when facing such highly influential market predictions is to translate them into rational strategies rather than emotional chasing of prices.

Defining the time frame is the primary task. Tom Lee predicts the market about 13 months from now, which falls under a medium to long-term outlook. Traders need to distinguish whether this is a strategic basis for long-term holdings or a rationale for short-term swing trading, and set corresponding stop-loss and target levels accordingly.

Pay attention to key price levels. Regardless of predictions, market prices must still respect the resistance and support at the technical levels. As previously mentioned, the historical high from March 2024 is the primary resistance. On the downside, the $60,000 - $65,000 range mentioned in the Fundstrat internal report, as well as some medium to long-term moving averages (such as the 50-day or 200-day moving averages), could become important support areas.

Finally, managing risk is always the top priority. In the highly volatile cryptocurrency market, any prediction carries the possibility of failure. Avoiding excessive leverage and making appropriate asset allocation to diversify risk is fundamental to protecting capital and allowing oneself to remain in the market for the long term.

Future Outlook

As of December 22, the price of Bitcoin on Gate is $88,836.9, and it must first cross the old record peak set in March 2024 on the road to a historical high.

Tom Lee outlined a blueprint for the end of January 2026, while his company's internal report warned of a potential deep correction in the first half of 2026. The future of the market is always shaped by data, sentiment, and unpredictable events.