Expert Says High Inflation and Midterms Could Push Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP Prices Lower

Bitcoin dropping to $65,000 this summer is “not entirely shocking” to Canary Capital CEO Steven McClurg. Neither is a rally back above $90,000 by year end. 

“Bitcoin back down to 65 isn’t entirely shocking to me,” he said. “And then rallying back up to north of 80, maybe even 90 by the end of the year also wouldn’t be a big shock to me, but likely wouldn’t happen until closer to midterms or after.”

Why Summer Is the Problem

McClurg’s reasoning is macro, not technical. High inflation, rising yields on both the 10-year and 30-year and uncertainty around midterm elections pulling institutional attention away from risk assets. A potential recession in the background. None of those conditions are friendly to Bitcoin or crypto broadly.

“I still believe the summer is going to be tough given uncertainty around midterms,” McClurg said.

The setup he described is not unique to crypto. It is a risk-asset repricing that happens every time the political calendar creates uncertainty and the macro backdrop tightens simultaneously.

Where the Opportunity Is

McClurg’s framework for when to go all-in was specific.

“Wealth is made right at the cusp when everybody has lost hope and somebody is willing to risk,” he said. “Knowing that whether it’s toward the end of the recession or toward the end of an inflation cycle, that is the trigger.”

For investors with dry powder, McClurg’s roadmap implies a summer accumulation window in the $65,000 to $67,000 range for Bitcoin before what he expects to be a post-midterm recovery toward $90,000.

XRP and Ethereum Still Favoured

On altcoins McClurg separated the field clearly. Ethereum and XRP he described as likely to continue performing well. Solana he gave partial credit to but flagged a distribution problem that has held back other technically strong products in Silicon Valley before.

“You can have one of the best products out there but if you don’t have distribution then really you just don’t have anything,” he said of SUI specifically, a concern he said applies to any network competing for institutional adoption without an established pathway to scale.

The Full Picture From McClurg

Taken together across the interview McClurg laid out a specific and internally consistent view:

• Bitcoin summer low: $65,000 range
• Bitcoin year-end target: $80,000 to $90,000
• XRP year-end target: Double from current levels
• XRP ETF inflow growth: 30% increase by December
• Catalyst: Post-midterm capital rotation combined with CLARITY Act passage and RWA momentum

The one date to watch: Midterm elections. McClurg named it three times as the pivot between pain and the recovery he is positioning for.