Elon Musk predicts the economy will double by 2026, but the crypto community questions: Will it necessarily drive a crypto bull market?

Elon Musk (Elon Musk) on Twitter (X) on 12/25 issued a super bearish forecast for the future US economy, predicting that by December 2026 at the latest, the US economy will enter a “double-digit” high-growth period. If AI applications are properly utilized, there could even be a “triple-digit” explosive growth by 2030. This statement has drawn significant attention from the crypto community, which closely monitors overall economic changes. However, behind the optimistic sentiment, some skeptics warn that economic growth may not necessarily drive Bitcoin prices higher, and that 2026 could be a “big bear market” for Bitcoin.

Musk predicts that the economy will double in size by 2026

Musk stated that within the next 12 to 18 months, the US economy will experience high double-digit growth. He further explained that if AI applications are considered an indicator of economic growth, then over the next five years—around 2030—the growth rate could even surge into the triple digits, achieving a miraculous doubling or more of the economy.

Supporters such as Bitcoin investor Anthony Pompliano expressed excitement, interpreting this as Musk’s strong confidence in the potential of AI to fully explode in the future. RWA infrastructure provider Oryon Finance also believes that Musk’s statements are generally logical and not just casual remarks.

Will economic growth drive Bitcoin higher? Industry reactions are polarized

Although Musk believes that AI prospects will lead to double-digit economic growth by 2026, opinions differ on whether this growth will boost risk assets like Bitcoin. Optimists argue that strong economic growth combined with Federal Reserve (Fed) easing monetary policy through rate cuts will be a powerful catalyst for risk asset rallies. Conversely, conservatives and skeptics hold different views.

Market analyst Artem Russakovskii bluntly stated that “prediction” is not Musk’s strong suit, while commentator Bariksis countered that even with economic growth, 2026 might still face a bear market cycle.

In this context, Fidelity (Fidelity) senior analyst Jurrien Timmer believes that the economic and stock market outlook for 2026 is cautiously optimistic. The current bull market structure has not yet been broken, and it could still be supported by AI-driven capital expenditure and corporate earnings growth. However, the long-term bull market is in its later stages, and future returns may be lower than in the past, with increased market volatility and structural risks.

As for Bitcoin, Timmer remains optimistic about its role as a non-correlated asset and store of value in the long term. However, he expects that in 2026, Bitcoin’s price performance may lean toward consolidation or a pause rather than a significant rally, representing a “long-term optimism with short- to medium-term conservatism” outlook.

Rebooting the bull market or AI bubble burst? Key points to watch in 2026

According to CoinMarketCap data, Bitcoin hit a historical high of $125,100 on October 5 this year. As of the latest update, the price has fallen back to $88,787, a decline of nearly 30%.

Global investors are closely watching whether the AI-driven economic miracle Musk mentions will indeed occur by 2026 and lead risk assets back into a bull market, or whether, as some analysts warn, the AI hype could turn into a bubble facing correction. The market’s subsequent performance remains to be seen.

(Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Saudi Arabia jointly build a 500 MW data center, with both saying: AI is not a bubble but a major shift in computing power)

This article titled “Musk predicts 2026 economic doubling, crypto community questions: unlikely to drive a crypto bull market” was first published on Chain News ABMedia.