Despite renewed weakness in the crypto market on Thursday, a new AI-driven market model from Sam Daodu, produced for 24/7 Wall St., projects higher year-end prices for Bitcoin (BTC), XRP, and Ethereum (ETH).
AI Model Sees Bitcoin Rising 42%
Daodu’s analysis, which used ChatGPT as the modeling engine, places Bitcoin at the top of the trio. It forecasts a roughly 42% gain from current levels, with a year-end target near $105,000.
The AI model identified institutional demand and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as the primary catalysts for its Bitcoin prediction. It also cited BTC’s tightened supply as a potential factor. The latest Halving reduced daily issuance from 900 BTC to 450 BTC, cutting the annual inflation rate to 0.83%. This week, combined with ETF buying and large holders, institutional purchases outpaced miner issuance, creating a demand-supply imbalance that the model cited as a key reason for ranking Bitcoin first.
XRP To Hit $2 By Year-End
XRP ranked second in the AI’s predictions, with an expected return of approximately 32% and a year-end price near $2.00. ChatGPT noted the regulatory clarity provided by the SEC and CFTC, which classified the altcoin as a commodity. This classification is expected to reduce a major barrier to institutional participation.
The AI model also interpreted XRP’s recent price breakout above the key $1.5 level as bullish, noting that sustained gains can move holders toward break-even and reduce selling pressure. However, the model highlighted a critical limitation: regulatory clarity has not yet translated into meaningful institutional demand for XRP, as ETF flows experienced $28 million in net outflows last week. In short, substantial institutional buying will be required for XRP to reach its predicted price by year-end.
ChatGPT Forecasts Modest ETH Rally
Ethereum ranked third, with a comparatively modest forecast of about 20% upside to roughly $2,800 by year-end. ChatGPT argued that, despite Ethereum’s strong developer ecosystem and extensive infrastructure, the token faces the weakest near-term demand picture among the three major assets.
A key reason is the migration of activity to layer-2 (L2) networks—Base, Arbitrum (ARB), and Optimism (OP) now handle a large share of user transactions due to lower fees. That shift has reportedly compressed fee revenue on Ethereum’s base layer; weekly fees recently averaged about $2.3 million compared with peak weekly fees near $30 million. With fees now close to zero, the burning mechanism has effectively stalled, and ETH’s supply is growing slightly rather than contracting. ChatGPT concluded that, until fee revenue rebounds or institutional flows reverse, Ethereum’s price will have to prove itself on other fundamentals.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $70,600, marking a 1% loss over the last 24 hours. XRP has seen a similar decline of 0.9%, but it is still holding onto weekly gains of 6% while trading around $1.45. Ethereum has outperformed Bitcoin over the past week with gains of 4.2%, but has retraced 2.3% in the last 24 hours to approximately $2,148, according to CoinGecko data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about AI model predictions for Bitcoin Ethereum and XRP performance in 2026 designed to be clear and helpful for all levels of interest
Beginner Fundamental Questions
1 What does an AI model prediction for crypto actually mean
It means a computer program has been trained on vast amounts of historical data to identify patterns It then uses those patterns to project potential future price ranges or trends for 2026
2 Can I trust these AI predictions for 2026
You should view them as educated estimates not guarantees AI models are powerful tools but they cannot account for unforeseen black swan events sudden new regulations or major technological shifts They are one piece of analysis not a crystal ball
3 Why are Bitcoin Ethereum and XRP specifically mentioned
They are among the largest and most established cryptocurrencies by market value with the most historical data for AI models to analyze Predicting newer or smaller coins is much harder due to lack of data
4 Whats the difference between a price target and expected returns
Price Target A specific price the asset might reach
Expected Return The percentage gain or loss from the current price to that target
Intermediate Analytical Questions
5 What data do these AI models typically analyze
They analyze historical price charts trading volumes onchain data social media sentiment macroeconomic indicators and sometimes correlations with traditional markets like stocks
6 Do all AI models give the same prediction for 2026
No Different models use different algorithms data sets and weightings You will likely see a range of predictions The consensus or average of many models is often considered more reliable than any single prediction
7 Why is 2026 a common target year for predictions
Its far enough in the future to allow for a full market cycle but close enough that longterm trends can be extrapolated with some confidence It also follows key events like the next Bitcoin