Crypto analysts cut Bitcoin target to $125K and forecast XRP surge to $17

BitMEX co‑founder Arthur Hayes announced at the Consensus Miami conference that he has lowered his Bitcoin price target from $500,000 to roughly $125,000 for the coming year. Hayes said his underlying framework – that Bitcoin’s value tracks global fiat‑money growth – remains unchanged, but he now expects monetary expansion to lag behind the deflationary pressure created by AI‑driven job losses. He interprets the recent Q1 2026 Bitcoin decline as a liquidity signal rather than a risk‑off selloff.

Separately, market strategist Celal Kucuker posted a bullish scenario for Ripple’s XRP, suggesting the token could break out to $17 – a 1,089% rise that would lift its market cap above Ethereum’s. XRP is trading around $1.43, while large‑holder (whale) wallets control about 68.5% of circulating supply, indicating strong accumulation. Kucuker also noted the US Senate Banking Committee’s May 14 markup of the CLARITY Act, which could affect XRP’s regulatory classification and price volatility.