Ryan Lee, Chief Analyst at Bitget Research, says Bitcoin and Ethereum are supported by steady institutional ETF demand and lower leverage, with BTC expected to break $80,000 to $85,000 short term and ETH targeting $2,800 to $3,000.
Summary
- Bitget Research Chief Analyst Ryan Lee says the current rally has a firmer base than earlier retail-driven cycles because it is being led by institutional allocation rather than speculative positioning.
- Lee expects gold’s elevation near record highs to reflect capital distributing across multiple stores of value rather than concentrating in a single hedge.
- Oil remaining elevated adds macro pressure that could delay rate cuts and tighten liquidity, with crypto upside remaining linked to whether institutional inflows continue absorbing volatility rather than reacting to it.
Bitget Research Chief Analyst Ryan Lee says Bitcoin and Ethereum remain in a constructive short-term trend supported by steady institutional allocation, with ETF demand, lower leverage, and improving spot market participation keeping both assets on a firm footing. As crypto.news reported, US spot Bitcoin ETFs logged eight consecutive days of net inflows totaling $2.1 billion through April 23, the longest streak since October 2025, with BlackRock’s IBIT capturing approximately 75% of all capital entering the category.
Bitget Research Sees BTC Breaking $80K to $85K With Sustained Inflows
“The current move is not being driven by aggressive speculative positioning, which gives the rally a firmer base than earlier cycles shaped mainly by retail momentum,” Lee said. In the short term, Lee expects Bitcoin to break above $80,000 to $85,000 with sustained inflows, while Ethereum is expected to follow with gains toward $2,800 to $3,000, driven by ecosystem upgrades and broader adoption. As crypto.news documented, institutional spot ETF inflows and corporate balance-sheet buying have been reinforcing Bitcoin’s role as a digital reserve, with analysts noting that Bitcoin and Ethereum have outperformed gold and broad equity indices this year even as geopolitical risk and higher oil prices would typically favor bullion. Lee’s assessment that the rally has a firmer institutional base than prior retail-driven cycles aligns with that data: the eight-day inflow streak absorbed roughly 19,000 BTC against approximately 2,100 BTC produced by miners in the same period, meaning institutional demand absorbed about nine times new supply.
Gold and Oil Are Reshaping the Macro Environment for Digital Assets
Lee noted that gold holding near elevated levels reflects continued demand for defensive assets as markets price in geopolitical uncertainty, sticky inflation expectations, and slower policy easing across major economies. He described this as a sign that capital is being distributed across multiple stores of value rather than concentrated in a single hedge. As crypto.news tracked, Bitcoin ETF flows have proven sensitive to exactly that dynamic in 2026, with oil rising toward $100 per barrel earlier in the year triggering risk-off conditions that pulled over $296 million out of spot Bitcoin ETFs in a single week. Lee acknowledged that oil staying elevated adds another layer of macro pressure because higher energy costs can delay rate-cut expectations and tighten liquidity conditions across markets.
What Institutional Absorption Means for Crypto’s Position in Portfolios
Lee said that for digital assets, upside remains linked to whether institutional inflows continue absorbing macro volatility rather than reacting to it. “If that continues, crypto remains positioned as part of broader portfolio construction,” Lee said. As crypto.news noted, Lee has previously argued that ETF flows are not the only factor behind Bitcoin’s performance and that technical and macroeconomic catalysts combine with institutional positioning to drive price action across cycles. The current environment, in which institutional inflows are absorbing supply at nine times the mining rate, represents precisely the kind of structural demand base Lee’s framework identifies as more durable than speculative retail momentum.
