Saxo Bank Forecasts Shockwaves for AI, Gold & Crypto

Saxo Bank previous set of bold forecasts included a call for a major Nvidia rally, but that wasn’t the only dramatic prediction on their list.

One standout forecast last year claimed President Donald Trump would send the U.S. dollar tumbling through tariff battles and political turmoil. So far, the DXY has fallen 8% and is on track for its weakest year since 2017, weighed down by rising fiscal deficits and renewed worries over Federal Reserve independence.

They also predicted Nvidia would grow to twice Apple’s size — an exaggeration, though Nvidia has still pulled ahead. The chipmaker is valued at $4.37 trillion, just above Apple’s $4.18 trillion after notching a 34% gain.

Now, Saxo Bank’s 2026 “outrageous forecasts” push the envelope even further. The first: a quantum computer breaks through widely used encryption far sooner than expected. “Overnight, the promise that our emails, bank transfers, crypto wallets and corporate systems are safely encrypted no longer holds,” writes strategist Neil Wilson.

The shock triggers a mass exodus from crypto, then spreads to traditional finance. Investors pour into safe havens, sending silver and gold soaring toward $10,000. Quantum-computing names like IBM, cybersecurity stocks, and crypto markets swing wildly.

Winners include secure physical vaults, next-generation cybersecurity firms offering “unbreakable locks,” and traditional banks with robust cash-distribution systems. Losers: public crypto, thinly protected businesses, and internet-connected crypto wallets.

Another bold prediction: China releases audited gold reserves that surpass those of the U.S., and introduces a partially gold-backed offshore yuan. Holders of the new “golden yuan” can redeem it for physical gold, strengthening the currency and weakening the dollar.

China then builds a new Asia-centered monetary framework, offering gold-for-yuan swap lines to Gulf oil producers and Southeast Asian central banks. Gold climbs above $6,000, the offshore yuan strengthens past 5.0, foreign selling hits U.S. bonds, and the dollar’s dominance erodes.

A further scenario imagines AI systems going off the rails. By 2026, agentic AI is embedded in nearly every business function — until glitches spark a full-scale crisis. A misfiring algorithm triggers a flash crash, AI-driven accounting anomalies ripple through corporations, and faulty robot commands lead to factory fatalities.

The aftermath comes with a trillion-dollar cleanup. Cybersecurity, audit and consulting firms see a surge in demand to repair and secure codebases. Autonomous AI platforms face pressure on valuations as investors shift toward companies emphasizing resilience, oversight and human control.

Saxo’s remaining predictions are lighter — but just as eye-catching:

• A Taylor Swift–Travis Kelce wedding rescues the global economy
• Smooth 2026 U.S. midterms lead to a trend of unity and civility
• Obesity drugs become widely available, even for pets
• SpaceX launches an IPO
• A Fortune 500 appoints an AI model as CEO