Michael Saylor Highlights Two Factors That Could Drive Bitcoin Price

Michael Saylor, the chairman of Strategy, offered an optimistic view of Bitcoin heading into 2026 in a with CNBC’s Talia Kaplan. He believes rising bank involvement, new digital credit products, and clearer regulations will push Bitcoin into a new phase of growth.

As the end of 2025 approaches, Saylor remains bullish on Bitcoin’s prospects in 2026. He pointed to increasing bank adoption and credit development as pivotal factors that could propel Bitcoin to new heights.

Over the past six months, roughly half of the major U.S. banks have begun extending credit against Bitcoin. He believes this trend will gain significant traction in the first half of 2026.

Saylor also noted that banks such as Charles Schwab and Citibank are preparing to offer Bitcoin custody services and credit products tied to Bitcoin. He described the banking industry’s embrace of Bitcoin as a major milestone.

“The real story in 2026 is banker acceptance of Bitcoin,” he said. “Their willingness to custody it, trade it, and extend credit against it is going to catapult the asset class to new levels.”

The conversation also turned to the debate around Bitcoin’s traditional four-year cycle, which has been tied to the halving events.

Given the expanding interest in Bitcoin and adoption by banks, Saylor agrees with the argument from Bitwise CEO Hunter Horley and Fundstrat’s Tom Lee that the classic four-year cycle may no longer be as relevant.

“The halving was incredibly important for the first 12 years of Bitcoin’s existence. Now we’re talking about markets where Bitcoin trades $50 billion or $100 billion in a single day,” Saylor explained.

He stressed that the real driving forces for Bitcoin today are institutional involvement, regulatory clarity, and the embrace of Bitcoin by the traditional financial system. In particular, the growing demand for Bitcoin-backed credit products marks a change in market dynamics.

Meanwhile, one of the most exciting developments for Saylor is the rise of digital credit. Under Saylor’s leadership, Strategy has become the world’s largest issuer of digital credit, leveraging Bitcoin as collateral across various credit products.

He believes that digital credit will become the “killer application” for Bitcoin, offering yield opportunities that traditional banking systems cannot match.

Further, he pointed out that Bitcoin’s real potential lies in powering digital credit products, which he argues are far more compelling than traditional credit instruments. Saylor expects this growing demand for digital credit to fuel more institutional adoption in the coming years.

Looking ahead to 2026, Saylor expects institutional adoption of Bitcoin to keep rising. He cites growing U.S. government support for digital assets and a more mature regulatory framework as key drivers.

Specifically, Saylor highlighted that clearer guidance from the SEC and other regulators has made it easier for public companies to add Bitcoin to their balance sheets. He views these regulatory gains as essential to Bitcoin’s future and believes they will accelerate institutional interest.

“The more large institutions come out in favor of Bitcoin, the more others will follow,” Saylor said. “This institutional adoption is happening slowly but surely.