Binance founder **Changpeng Zhao (CZ)** declared that a 'super cycle' is approaching the crypto market following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) excluding digital assets from its priority inspection list in 2026. This regulatory shift coincides with rising institutional demand and bullish price outlooks from major asset managers.
What happened: CZ's response to the SEC's change
The person known as CZ posted on X on January 11, stating that a super cycle is imminent for **Bitcoin** and the broader crypto market. This was a reply to a BladeDefi post highlighting the SEC's decision.
A supercycle refers to a prolonged, sustained period of price appreciation that goes beyond traditional market cycles.
Unlike standard bull markets that typically last a few months, a supercycle can extend over several years and is driven by structural factors such as increased adoption, institutional participation, and shifts in macroeconomic conditions.
According to BitcoinSistemi, the SEC's latest statement omitted the usual regular section on cryptocurrency supervision. The SEC's Division of Examinations stated it will continue monitoring registered institutions providing crypto-related services as needed.
CZ also pointed out that while individual investors have been selling, U.S. banks have been accumulating Bitcoin.
**Wells Fargo** disclosed that it has purchased shares in a Bitcoin ETF worth $383 million. **Morgan Stanley** filed for a Bitcoin ETF this week, and Bloomberg analyst **Eric Balchunas** interpreted this move as a response to demand from affluent clients.
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Why it matters: Bold price targets
While some view CZ's supercycle outlook as overly optimistic, other experts and analysts generally maintain a positive stance.
Cardano co-founder **Charles Hoskinson** forecasted that Bitcoin could reach $250,000 by 2026. He presented a structure in which altcoins could decouple from Bitcoin's price movements, provided non-custodial-based credit systems become established.
Crypto analyst and early Zcash contributor ShieldedMonk presented a framework suggesting that if capital shifts from precious metals to digital assets, BTC could reach between $175,000 and $200,000 by mid-2026.
Digital asset manager **Grayscale** expects Bitcoin to reach new all-time highs in the first half of 2026, viewing this as the end of the traditional four-year market cycle.
Crypto ETF issuer VanEck projected that Bitcoin could reach $2.9 million by 2050 under its scenario. Analysts **Matthew Sigel** and **Patrick Bush** presented a range of pathways, from $130,000 to $53.4 million.
The bullish scenario assumes Bitcoin accounts for 20% of international trade and 10% of domestic GDP.
VanEck explained that for 'hyper-bitcoinization' to become a reality, Bitcoin must achieve a status equivalent to or surpassing that of gold as a global major reserve asset.
Conversely, the bearish scenario around $130,000 assumes that Bitcoin's utility is already substantially reflected in its current price.
National-level adoption could serve as an additional growth driver.
**Ark Invest's** **Cathie Wood** said that the U.S. could begin directly purchasing Bitcoin starting this year, as part of a strategic reserve strategy.
Whether CZ's supercycle prediction will actually materialize remains uncertain, but it's clear that market confidence in Bitcoin's trajectory is growing, driven by a confluence of changing regulatory trends, institutional accumulation, and long-term price targets proposed by firms such as VanEck.
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