Strategy, the company led by Michael Saylor that created Bitcoin accumulation of its core business, bought $76.6 million worth of cryptocurrencies last week, increasing its total holdings to 762,099 BTC – approximately 3.5% of the total Bitcoin supply.
Wall Street brokerage Bernstein used the move as a springboard to confirm one of the market’s boldest price calls: Bitcoin reaching $150,000 before the year is up.
Institutional money is on the move
Bernstein senior analyst Gautam Chhugani offered that perspective in a note to clients on Monday, saying BTC has bottomed out after months of declines.
The call, if correct, would imply that the drop to around $60,000 in early February was the low point of the current downturn and that things are heading up from there.
At the time of the report, Bitcoin was trading above $71,000, meaning the $150,000 target represents an raise of over 110% from its current level.
Chhugani pointed to two forces that, in his opinion, will drive prices higher in this country: growing inflows into BTC exchange-listed funds and growing demand from enterprises.
The numbers supporting this claim are challenging to ignore. Bitcoin spot ETFs this week, they earned $167 million in a single day – their first positive day in four sessions – and have brought in net inflows of $1.6 billion since the beginning of March.
Earlier this week, the market saw a short-term improvement following reports that US President Donald Trump had ordered a five-day shutdown hits Iran. On Monday, Bitcoin rose to $71,750 before falling.
Corporate buyers continue to arrive
Apart from Strategyinstitutional interest is expanding. Australian superannuation fund Hostplus has announced plans to offer clients exposure to Bitcoin through standalone wallets.
Morgan Stanley, one of the biggest names in global banking, has updated its SEC filing for its US Bitcoin spot ETF, which means the product launch may be closer than previously expected.
Bernstein described Strategy as a high-beta play on Bitcoin – meaning its stock tends to move wildly in the same direction as Bitcoin, only more so. Despite MSTR shares falling 50% from an all-time high, Chhugani set a $450 price target, betting that the company’s huge Bitcoin balance will pay off when prices rise.
Not everyone agrees that the bottom is in sight
Bernstein’s optimism is not shared by everyone. Veteran chart analyst Ali Martinez presented a scenario where Bitcoin falls all the way to $41,500 by mid-October 2026 before any significant recovery begins.
Standard Chartered Bank has repeatedly warned that Bitcoin could first hit $50,000 again, citing feeble economic conditions and subdued demand. The bank also lowered its own Bitcoin forecast for 2026 from $150,000 to $100,000.
The analyst division reflects the uncertainty of this market. Bitcoin has never matched the scale of correction seen in previous bear markets, if the February low holds – it would mark one of the shallower pullbacks from record highs in the asset’s history.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
