Citigroup has raised its 12-month bitcoin target to $113,000 from $82,000 and increased its ether forecast to $3,028 from $2,240, pointing to renewed exchange-traded fund inflows and supportive economic conditions.
The banking group expects cryptocurrency investment products, including ETFs, to attract $5 billion over the next year. According to CoinDesk, Citi believes advisers and brokerages will gradually raise their bitcoin allocations, creating a pattern of slower but more persistent demand rather than a sudden surge.
Citi raises forecasts for bitcoin and ether
Citi’s new bitcoin target represents an increase of roughly 35% from the price cited in its note, while the revised ether target is about 12% higher than its reference price. The forecasts cover the next 12 months and are based on the bank’s assessment of fund flows, market conditions and the regulatory environment.
Exchange-traded funds provide investors with a way to gain exposure to an asset through a regulated market product rather than holding the underlying cryptocurrency directly. In the United States, spot bitcoin ETFs have become an important channel for investment flows, making changes in their net subscriptions and redemptions a closely watched market indicator.
U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of $5.8 billion from the beginning of the year through July 13. That trend later reversed. By late September, net inflows for 2026 had reached $800 million, according to the source material.
Citi expects the recovery to continue at a measured pace. Its estimate of $5 billion in inflows over the coming year reflects an expectation that professional intermediaries will increase their exposure gradually. The bank described these flows as “slower but stickier,” suggesting that it sees persistence in demand as more important than an immediate acceleration.
Regulation and broader market conditions
The outlook comes after a period of uncertainty for the U.S. cryptocurrency market. The Senate rejected the Clarity Act on Sept. 15, a development that initially raised concerns about the direction of digital-asset regulation. However, bitcoin subsequently gained more than 10% by the end of September, showing resilience after the vote.
Citi said later announcements from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission helped reduce the negative sentiment created by the Senate decision. The bank characterized the SEC’s rule announcements as a “temporary but meaningful positive.” Its view is that, at the current stage of the electoral cycle, greater clarity from regulators may partly compensate for the absence of a lasting legislative framework.
Citi also identified a longer-term risk. Rules created by agencies could potentially be reversed if the administration changes in 2028, although the bank said that possibility falls outside the period covered by its current forecasts. The comments underline the distinction between regulatory guidance issued by agencies and legislation enacted by Congress.
The bank additionally pointed to the U.S. Treasury’s purchases of longer-dated bonds. It said those buybacks helped restore momentum across cryptocurrency markets and contributed to a break from a months-long period in which digital assets had lagged other risk-sensitive investments.
Current crypto market picture
Moneyiar market data recorded at the stated times on Oct. 3, 2026, showed bitcoin at $84,637.78, down 1.74% over 24 hours but up 0.57% over seven days. Ether was priced at $2,684.73, with a 24-hour decline of 2.42% and a seven-day decline of 0.18%.
Other assets in the Moneyiar data showed mixed performance:
- Monad was at $0.03134, down 7.74% over 24 hours and up 17.97% over seven days.
- Flow was at $0.03198, down 0.51% over 24 hours and up 0.02% over seven days.
These figures provide a snapshot of prices after Citi published its revised targets. They also show that short-term market movements can differ from the longer-term horizons used in institutional forecasts. Citi’s projections depend on its expectations for ETF demand, regulatory developments and macroeconomic conditions, while the quoted market data reflects prices and percentage changes at a specific time.
