Perplexity AI Shocking Prediction: Bitcoin will surge to 230,000 in 2026, while the volatility of XRP and PI may intensify.

ChatGPT's strongest competitor, Perplexity AI, released its holiday market outlook, stating that XRP could reach a maximum of $8 in a favorable environment, but if risk appetite does not recover, it may remain at the current level of $2. PI could reach $0.48 in a bull run, while it may drop to $0.18 in a Bear Market. In terms of long-term predictions for Bitcoin, the price could reach $230,000 by 2026.

XRP Price Prediction: Consolidation at $2 or Breakthrough at $8

(Source: Trading View)

Perplexity AI's pessimistic forecast indicates that if risk appetite does not rebound, Ripple's XRP may remain at the current level of $2 until Christmas. Such a sideways movement would starkly contrast with the remarkable surge of XRP earlier this year. At that time, after Ripple won a significant court case against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the price of XRP soared to a seven-year high of $3.65 in July.

XRP has been trading between 2 and 3 dollars for most of 2025. The asset's Relative Strength Index (RSI) is in the oversold territory at 27, and XRP has dropped 9% in the past 24 hours, aligning with the broader market sell-off trend that has shrunk the market, currently valued at 3.02 trillion dollars, by 5%. An RSI of 27 in the oversold area typically indicates a chance for a rebound, but without a clear catalyst, prices may continue to linger at low levels.

In a favorable environment, Perplexity predicts that the price of XRP could reach as high as $8. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently approved 9 XRP spot ETFs, which could boost institutional capital inflows during the Christmas holiday season, similar to the trend when Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs were first launched. More ETFs may be approved in the future, which will provide ongoing demand support for XRP.

Further clarification of regulatory policies or significant collaborations may drive XRP to reach a double-digit price range in early 2026. This represents a 300% increase from the current $2 to $8. Although this target is aggressive, considering that XRP reached $3.84 during the bull run in 2017, when the market size and institutional participation were far less than they are now, the $8 target is logically achievable.

XRP Dual Scenario Forecast

Bearish Scenario ($2): Risk appetite has not recovered, sideways until Christmas, RSI oversold but lacks catalysts.

Bullish Scenario ($8): 9 ETFs drive institutional capital inflow, regulatory clarity, significant collaborations established.

Key catalysts include the scale and sustainability of ETF fund inflows, as well as whether Ripple can establish partnerships with more central banks and large financial institutions. If Ripple's cross-border payment network RippleNet can achieve widespread adoption by mainstream financial institutions, the demand for XRP as a bridge currency will significantly increase, driving prices to break through.

PI price prediction: a drop to 0.18 USD or a doubling to 0.48 USD

(Source: Trading View)

Pi Network (PI) is known for its mobile device-centered mining model, which rewards users for their basic daily participation and currently shows significant resilience. The trading price of PI is approximately $0.22, remaining stable compared to two weeks ago, while Bitcoin and XRP have both dropped by 10% during this period. This relatively anti-dip performance indicates that the holder base of PI is relatively stable, or its price has fully reflected pessimistic expectations.

Perplexity depicts two completely opposite paths: in the Bear Market of December, PI may further decline to around $0.18. However, in a bull run, it could more than double, reaching $0.48, providing existing holders with a 120% return. The doubling path from $0.22 to $0.48 requires strong catalysts to support it.

After a long period of decline, November seems to be a turning point. The collaboration between Pi Network and the artificial intelligence company OpenMind has boosted market interest, showcasing how Pi node operators can provide computational power to external companies, representing a practical and scalable application of decentralized infrastructure. This transformation from a purely payment network to a decentralized computing infrastructure may open up new sources of value for PI.

The Pi testnet has recently added support for decentralized exchanges, automated market makers, liquidity tools, and improved KYC systems, significantly enhancing the practicality of the project. These technological advancements indicate that the Pi Network is transitioning from the conceptual stage to the practical application stage. If these features are successfully deployed on the mainnet and attract real users, the fundamentals of PI will improve significantly.

The main risk of PI lies in its large supply and the tokens that have not yet been fully released. Pi Network claims to have tens of millions of users, but the actual number of active users and users who have passed KYC is far lower. As more tokens are unlocked and flow into the market, supply pressure may suppress price increases. Therefore, the doubling target of $0.48 requires the growth rate of demand to exceed the growth rate of supply.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: $75,000 Crash or $230,000 New High

(Source: Trading View)

Bitcoin (BTC), as the largest digital asset, reached a historic high of $126,080 on October 6. Perplexity's long-term forecast suggests that by 2026, the price of Bitcoin could approach around $230,000. This target implies an increase of about 166% from the current price of approximately $86,500 and an increase of about 82% from the historic high of $126,080.

Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold” and is seen as a hedge during uncertain economic times, thus continuously attracting significant attention from both institutional and retail capital. Currently, Bitcoin accounts for approximately $1.7 trillion in a cryptocurrency market with a total market capitalization of $3 trillion, dominating over 56%. This market dominance means that Bitcoin's price movements often determine the direction of the entire cryptocurrency market.

With inflation easing and investor sentiment improving ahead of the holiday season, Bitcoin may soon test its previous highs again. The Federal Reserve's recent rate cut has also helped stimulate demand and improve liquidity in December. A rate cut means a decline in risk-free returns, which will drive funds from fixed-income assets like bonds into risk assets, including Bitcoin. Additionally, the holiday season is typically accompanied by rising optimism and consumer willingness to spend, which may encourage investors to re-enter the market.

The downside is that further significant sell-offs could lead to Bitcoin prices dropping to around $75,000. If this happens, it may signal that the Bitcoin winter will last until 2026. The drop from the current $86,500 to $75,000 represents a decline of about 13%. This downside target may be triggered by factors such as worsening macroeconomic conditions, regulatory crackdowns, or technical breakdowns.

However, the target of $230,000 predicted by Perplexity could still be achievable by early 2026, especially if the U.S. government fulfills its promise to establish comprehensive cryptocurrency legislation. The Trump administration has promised to create a national Bitcoin reserve and promote cryptocurrency-friendly legislation. If these promises are fulfilled, they will provide strong policy support and sources of demand for Bitcoin.

Bitcoin's Dual Scenario Path

Bearish Scenario ($75,000): Further significant sell-off may indicate that the winter lasts until 2026.

Bullish Scenario ($230,000): Slowing inflation, Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, and the implementation of U.S. cryptocurrency legislation driving new highs

In the past month, the cryptocurrency market has experienced a significant correction, primarily due to a massive sell-off of Bitcoin, which dragged down the prices of most major assets. Last Friday, Bitcoin even hit its lowest point in nearly 8 months, close to $82,000. This deep correction has flushed out leveraged long positions and weak holders, creating a healthier market structure for the subsequent rebound.

However, in the long run, the overall prospects for the blockchain field remain optimistic. The innovation in the entire blockchain sector is accelerating, and projects with solid fundamentals like XRP, Pi Network, and Bitcoin are likely to be widely adopted in the end. XRP's cross-border payment applications, PI's decentralized computing infrastructure, and Bitcoin's value storage function all represent the practical application potential of blockchain technology in different areas.