While many are waiting for growth from the halving, Arthur Hayes (co-founder of BitMEX) points to a more powerful and fundamental factor. His analysis is simple: Bitcoin's fate is decided not on price charts, but in the offices of the Federal Reserve. The new growth cycle will be triggered by a wave of US dollar liquidity, and Hayes sees it arriving in 2026.
Why Did Bitcoin Lag in 2025? The Answer is an "Expensive" Dollar.
Hayes gives a clear explanation for BTC's weakness last year. While gold and stocks rose, Bitcoin struggled. The reason was the Fed's Quantitative Tightening (QT): reducing its balance sheet and draining dollars from the system. In a liquidity deficit environment, capital flees the riskiest assets, and Bitcoin is still in that category for traditional funds.
The 2026 Pivot: The Fed as the Main Growth Driver.
Now, according to Hayes, the pendulum has swung. To support the economy, the Fed will be forced to halt QT and start pumping liquidity into the system again (expanding its balance sheet). Here's how this will trigger a rally:
Cheap Money: The money supply will increase, and the cost of borrowing will drop.The Search for Yield: Institutions, sitting on piles of cheap dollars, will start looking for assets with maximum returns.Rotation into Crypto: A portion of this giant flow will rush into the lagging, but fixed-supply, Bitcoin. This won't be mere speculation, but a macro-driven liquidity flow.
What Needs to Align?
A clear pivot in Fed policy toward easing.An increase in bank lending to amplify the effect.A rotation of capital from overbought assets (like AI stocks) into undervalued BTC.
Risks to the Scenario:
The plan could fail if:
Inflation reignites, preventing the Fed from easing policy.An external macro shock occurs, causing panic.Traditional markets continue to attract all the liquidity.
The Bottom Line: Hayes reminds us of a simple rule: crypto markets are part of the global system. When the money printer turns on, the hardest and most digital assets are the first to soar.
What do you think? Do you believe Bitcoin's fate in 2026 is decided by the Fed, not by halvings or ETF flows? Share your opinion in the comments!
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