Citi just dropped their 2026 S&P 500 target—7,700. That's a meaningful call in a market still digesting post-election sentiment and rate policy shifts. But here's what caught everyone's attention: they're doubling down on AI as the sustained theme driving returns. Not just 2025, but extending into 2026.

This matters for crypto traders watching macro trends. When traditional finance powerhouses like Citi keep hammering the AI narrative, it signals institutional confidence in the sector's staying power. And historically, when equities momentum picks up on AI, risk appetite flows across asset classes—including digital assets.

The real question: does that S&P target hold in a scenario where Fed policy tightens faster than expected, or are we locked into this AI rally regardless? Either way, the institutional consensus is clear—AI isn't fading as an investment theme anytime soon.