Samson Mow, a Bitcoin expert and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JAN3, a BTC-focused infrastructure firm, has shared a striking take on the current valuation of the flagship cryptocurrency. According to Mow, Bitcoin is still far from its full potential and, in his view, should already be priced at $10 million per coin. Why Bitcoin Is Not Worth $10 Million Yet In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Mow stated, “If the world understood Bitcoin, we would be at $10 million a coin now.” This comment reflects his belief that Bitcoin’s true value is heavily undervalued and underestimated. Related Reading: Massive $200 Million Sell Wall Holds Bitcoin At $111,000 And $113,000 – Here’s What We Know For Mow, BTC is more than just a coin to trade; it is a revolutionary asset that could shake up the foundations of the current financial system. With its capped supply, decentralized nature, and consistently growing value, many even believe that BTC has the potential to act as a global reserve currency. Yet despite growing adoption and visibility, Mow argues that most people in the world, including institutions, policymakers, and retailers, still do not fully comprehend Bitcoin and its implications. According to the JAN3 CEO, this knowledge gap is what is holding Bitcoin back from achieving the massive price surge that he and many other long-term advocates anticipate. While the $10 million mark remains speculative for now, Mow’s remarks reflect a wider sentiment among Bitcoin enthusiasts who see the current price as just the beginning. For example, top Bitcoin supporters and investors like Michael J. Saylor, the founder of MicroStrategy, have shared similar views, predicting an explosive rise in Bitcoin’s value to $10 million by 2035. Likewise, Matt Hougan, Bitwise’s Chief Investment Officer (CIO), has voiced strong confidence in Bitcoin reaching the $1 million mark. He believes this milestone could realistically be achieved within the next five years. Demand For BTC Surges Among Institutions And The Wealthy With the growing belief that the Bitcoin price will only continue to rise in the long term, social media reports indicate a significant surge in interest and demand among financial institutions and the wealthy. Notably, Saylor, one of the biggest advocates for Bitcoin, has long been accumulating the cryptocurrency in hundreds of thousands. Related Reading: Is The Bitcoin Rally Over After $111,900 ATH? Global M2 Money Supply Is Still Going Donald Trump, the United States (US) President, has also been a public supporter of Bitcoin, with reports revealing that he is actively buying the flagship cryptocurrency. Even investing legend and hedge fund manager Hugh Henry disclosed earlier this month that he intends to sell his $35 million house to buy $10 million worth of Bitcoin. Binance CEO Richard Teng also announced that the wealthy are showing significant interest in the leading cryptocurrency. He revealed that sovereign funds and high-net-worth individuals are now purchasing BTC like never before. This growing accumulation by institutions and the rich signals strong confidence in BTC’s long-term value and sustainability. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
In an interview with the Paul Barron Network, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Matt Hougan expressed his perspective on the long-debated regulatory battle surrounding XRP and its potential market reaction once legal uncertainties are resolved. According to Hougan, the crypto asset—long restrained by litigation—may be significantly undervalued, with the potential for a sharp market correction following a favorable resolution to its legal entanglements. Since 2020, XRP has been entangled in a legal dispute with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which accused Ripple Labs of conducting an unregistered securities offering. The lawsuit has cast a long shadow over the token, restricting its growth within the US market and leading to its delisting from several major exchanges in the past. Related Reading: Analyst Says Only Buy XRP If It Reaches This Level Now, with the lawsuit potentially reaching its final ruling by April 16, according to Barron, market participants are speculating on XRP’s future trajectory. Hougan weighed in on the matter, pointing out that a resolution could unlock significant latent demand and shift the narrative around the asset. “From my 30,000-foot view, specific to XRP, I think there’s a significant chunk of the crypto market that has sort of written it off or forgotten about it. And I think that part of the market is wrong,” Hougan stated. What Happens Post-Lawsuit With XRP? One of the key takeaways from Hougan’s analysis is the idea that XRP remains an unknown variable in the broader crypto landscape. Unlike Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), which have seen major adoption and institutional inflows, XRP has remained stagnant due to regulatory overhang. If the lawsuit concludes with clarity that allows unrestricted US adoption, the real potential of XRP in global finance could finally be realized. “The reality is, XRP has been suppressed by litigation for multiple years, and we don’t yet know what it can do on the global stage when it’s freed from those restraints,” he added. While Hougan did not make outright price predictions, he did note that institutional and retail sentiment could pivot quickly if XRP gains renewed regulatory clarity in the US. Related Reading: XRP Flirts With A Daily Range Breakdown – Price Must Hold Above $2 Level The discussion also delved into Japan’s aggressive adoption of XRP, with SBI Holdings leading the charge in integrating the asset into its digital banking ecosystem. As noted in the interview, XRP has now surpassed Ethereum in Japanese investor holdings, signaling deep institutional confidence in its future. Paul Barron emphasized that Japan’s approach could foreshadow broader global adoption: “SBI seems to be doing with XRP what Michael Saylor did with Bitcoin—strategically accumulating and positioning it for long-term institutional use.” Hougan agreed, highlighting that XRP’s role in international remittances and liquidity solutions remains underappreciated, and the ongoing legal battle has hindered a more comprehensive evaluation of its utility-driven demand. Another major topic of discussion was the possibility of an spot XRP exchange-traded fund (ETF). While Hougan did not reveal any detail about Bitwise’s ETF filing and its progress with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), he highlighted the firm’s confidence. “We don’t file for ETPs for fun. We file for them because we think they can launch, and we think there is a significant audience, and we think it’s an important asset.” While some analysts argue that XRP’s legal troubles have already been priced in, Hougan’s comments concluded that the potential upside remains largely ignored by the broader market. If the SEC case concludes favorably, the re-listing of XRP on major US exchanges, new institutional flows, and expanded adoption in banking systems could lead to a market repricing event. “There’s no guarantee XRP will be enormously successful, but there’s equally no guarantee that it won’t be,” Hougan emphasized. At press time, XRP traded at $2.12. Featured image from YouTube, chart from TradingView.com
In a memo released on February 25, 2025, Matt Hougan—Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Bitwise Asset Management—drew striking parallels between today’s crypto market and what he observed in July 2024. Titled “Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain (Redux),” Hougan’s latest analysis suggests that, despite the current pullback, the industry’s underlying fundamentals remain as compelling as ever. Crypto Echoes Of July 2024 Hougan opened his memo by recalling the environment in July 2024, when he penned an earlier piece called “Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain.” Back then, crypto markets were reeling: “Bitcoin, which had peaked above $73,000 in March 2024, had fallen to roughly $55,000, a 24% pullback. Ethereum was down 27% over the same time period.” At the time, Hougan noted that “the crypto market is facing a weird dynamic right now. All the short-term news is bad, and all the long-term news is good.” He also cited catalysts such as potential ETF inflows, the upcoming Bitcoin halving, and more supportive policymaking in Washington, D.C., contrasting them with then-immediate risks like Mt. Gox distributions and government sales of Bitcoin. Related Reading: From Hope To Crypto Panic: How A Day Of Highs For Coinbase Turned Into A Nightmare For Bybit That analysis proved timely. “Shortly after I wrote the memo, Bitcoin bottomed and proceeded to rip straight to $100,000,” Hougan wrote. In his latest note, he sees a similar duality at play: negative short-term developments on one hand, and powerful long-term tailwinds on the other. Yesterday, crypto markets were under renewed pressure: Bitcoin dropped at one point more than 10% to as low as $86,050, Ethereum by 18%, and Solana lower by 21%. The immediate trigger: last weekend’s hack of Bybit, a Singapore-based exchange, which suffered a $1.5 billion Ethereum theft via a phishing scam. Though Bybit dipped into its reserves to make clients whole, the breach reverberated across the industry. The hack followed on the heels of a spate of memecoin scams, including Libra, endorsed by Argentine President and noted crypto proponent Javier Milei. The memecoin cost investors billions in what Hougan described as a “multi-billion-dollar scam.” Moreover, Melania, a project tied to First Lady Melania Trump, also collapsed, causing substantial losses for token holders. Trump, a memecoin linked to US President Donald Trump fared no better. “Taken together, these events probably spell the end of the recent memecoin boom,” Hougan commented. While many institutional and long-term crypto participants may view the memecoin sector with skepticism, its trading volume and buzz have fueled overall market activity—particularly in the Solana ecosystem. Related Reading: Crypto CEO Calls Start Of The Altcoin Season With A Caveat Despite the negative headlines, Hougan points to a robust foundation beneath crypto markets. First, Hougan highlights the pro-crypto regulation under the Trump administration. In his view, “We are in the early days of a massive shift in Washington’s attitude towards crypto.” He cites the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent decision to drop high-profile lawsuits against companies like Coinbase and ongoing legislative efforts around stablecoins and market structure. Such developments, he argues, will help crypto break into mainstream finance. Second, institutional adoption is still growing. Large-scale buyers—including asset managers, corporations, and even governments—continue to accumulate Bitcoin. Hougan notes that so far this year, “investors have plowed $4.3 billion into bitcoin ETFs,” and he expects that figure to balloon to $50 billion by year-end. Hougan also expects a stablecoin boom. Stablecoin assets under management have climbed to a record $220 billion, marking a 50% jump from last year. With favorable legislation making its way through Congress, Hougan believes the sector could grow to $1 trillion by 2027. Lastly, the Bitwise CIO predicts the rebirth of DeFi and tokenization. Lending, trading, prediction markets, and derivatives see record heightened usage. Meanwhile, the tokenization of real-world assets continues to hit all-time highs in assets under management, suggesting that blockchain-based representations of traditional securities and commodities may be on the rise. Hougan refers back to his July 2024 thesis to underline today’s opportunity. On the negative side, markets have to navigate aftershocks from Bybit’s massive hack and the implosion of multiple memecoin projects. On the positive side, regulatory clarity, institutional inflows, stablecoin expansion, and DeFi innovation continue unabated. “This is what I call a no-brainer,” Hougan wrote, underscoring his stance that serious long-term factors overwhelmingly outweigh the short-term setbacks. He does offer a measured warning, noting this pullback may prove more pronounced than last summer’s dip: “The memecoin boom was large, and the hangover could be more significant. It might take days, weeks, or months to work through it.” Yet his conclusion remains firm: the long-term growth narrative remains intact. “When that happens, I like my money on the long term,” he stated, reiterating that patience can be rewarded in a market often swayed by headline-driven volatility. At press time, BTC traded at $88,349. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
In every market cycle, the altseason is an anticipated period for investors marked by a general altcoins’ price outperformance against Bitcoin. However, there have been many doubts over an altseason in the current bull run with crypto analysts citing a surge in the number of altcoins over the last four years. Interestingly, Bitwise Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Matt Hougan has backed the potential of a brewing crypto altseason. The key crypto figure and market pundit has stated that certain DeFi developments are pointing to a robust price surge for the crypto market. Related Reading: Altseason At Risk? Expert Believes Ethereum Must Hold $2,600 To Sustain Momentum DeFi Boom Incoming: Jupiter, Ondo, Uniswap Lead Charge To Altseason Via an X post on February 21, Hougan listed several developments, especially in the DeFi industry that hint at an incoming altcoin bull rally. Firstly, Hougan references the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s latest decision to drop its lawsuit against the Coinbase Exchange. In June 2023, the US regulator charged Coinbase to court over several alleged securities violations including serving as an unregistered exchange and broker. However, in a sharp turn of events, the SEC has decided to withdraw its complaint ending a 2-year long legal battle The Bitwise CIO also mentions DEX aggregator Jupiter’s recent move to activate a fee structure introducing a minimum of 0.01% fees on all platform swaps which creates a more efficient operational model. Another development raised by Hougan is Ondo Finance’s announcement of the Ondo Global Market, a tokenization platform designed to introduce on-chain exposure to US securities such as stocks, bonds, and exchange-traded funds listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ. Finally, Hougan also spotlights the launch of the Unichain – an Ethereum-layer 2 solution designed by Uniswap labs to improve liquidity, cross-chain operatalibility and also significantly reduce transaction fees. In reality, these are all singular developments. However, Hougan explained these developments can be attributed to the ongoing efforts by the current US Government to create a “fair regulatory environment.” In doing so, crypto companies and DeFi projects can run effectively extending their reach beyond the digital asset space. The potential of this scenario is likely to encourage investor engagement serving as an early indicator of altseason. In particular, Matt Hougan explains the DeFi market presents a lot of hidden potential to influence the non-crypto markets under the right conditions. Crypto Market Overview At press time, the crypto market cap is valued at $3.12 trillion after a 1.78% decline in the past day. Bitcoin maintains strong market influence with a dominance of 60.4%, followed by Ethereum (10.2%) and other altcoins (29.5%). Meanwhile, the Altseason index is at 31 strongly in favor of the premier cryptocurrency. Related Reading: Bitcoin Dominance Tipped To Hit 57% — Altseason Incoming? Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview
In a new investor note published on January 29, 2025, Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, questioned whether the historical four-year market cycle of Bitcoin could finally be coming to an end. His reasoning is rooted in seismic shifts in US policy toward crypto, highlighted by a recent executive order from President Trump aimed at solidifying the nation’s leadership in digital assets. Could 2026 Buck The Bitcoin Bear Trend? Hougan’s note begins with an explanation of the so-called “four-year cycle,” where Bitcoin has typically seen three years of substantial gains followed by a pullback. This cycle, he explains, mirrors broader boom-bust patterns in traditional markets:“The four-year cycle in crypto is driven by the same forces that drive broader cycles of growth and recession in the general economy,” he wrote. Related Reading: Bitcoin Preparing For A February Rally? Analyst Says New High Is Two Weeks Away These expansions, fueled by technological breakthroughs or increased investor interest, often lead to over-leverage, occasionally resulting in fraud or industry-wide strain. Eventually, something “breaks” and triggers a market correction—such as the 2014 Mt. Gox collapse or the 2018 SEC crackdown on ICOs. Hougan describes the current crypto upswing as the “Mainstream Cycle,” emerging out of 2022’s “massive deleveraging” caused by failures like FTX, Three Arrows Capital, and others. According to him, the latest bull phase took off in March 2023, when Grayscale convincingly “won the opening argument” in its legal challenge against the SEC over a spot Bitcoin ETF. “Bitcoin was trading at $22,218 when Grayscale mounted its argument. It’s trading at $102,674 today. The mainstream era has arrived.” Once a spot Bitcoin ETF was approved and launched in January 2024, investor inflows surged, further cementing Bitcoin’s acceptance among both retail and institutional players. The most striking component of Hougan’s analysis is his examination of last week’s executive order issued by President Trump. The order not only deemed the development of the US digital asset ecosystem a “national priority,” but it also set in motion a clearer regulatory framework for crypto. Related Reading: DeepSeek Predicts Bitcoin Bull Run Peak At $500,000 – Here’s When “Last week, President Trump issued an executive order that was so overwhelmingly bullish for the space that it’s making me wonder,” Hougan wrote, noting how the document outlines plans for a potential “national crypto stockpile” and encourages banks and financial institutions to accelerate their adoption of digital assets. Combined with a now more welcoming stance from the SEC, Hougan believes these measures could unleash trillions in new investment over the coming years, far surpassing the hundreds of billions that an ETF-driven market was already expected to generate. Hougan’s analysis acknowledges that Bitcoin has historically followed its pattern of eventual pullbacks after surging bull runs. But with Wall Street behemoths and major banks preparing to integrate crypto at every level, there’s a growing possibility that the market may not face the traditional plunge in 2026: “If it’s not until next year that we feel those impacts, will we really have a new ‘crypto winter’ in 2026?” he posited. “If BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is calling for $700k Bitcoin, are we really going to see a 70% pullback?” While he concedes that leverage continues to build in the system—citing an uptick in Bitcoin-backed lending programs, derivatives, and levered exchange-traded products—he also highlights an increasingly diverse pool of crypto investors. This diversity, he argues, could dampen severe drawdowns. “My guess is that we haven’t fully overcome the four-year cycle. Leverage will build up as the bull market builds. Excess will appear. Bad actors will emerge. And at some point, there could be a sharp pullback when the market gets over its skis,” Hougan argued. However, Hougan expects that any future market correction will be “shorter and shallower” than previous cycles. With the industry’s infrastructure now significantly more robust and mainstream participants treating crypto as a legitimate asset class, a dramatic bear market akin to those of 2014 or 2018 may be less likely. “As for now, it’s full steam ahead,” he concluded. “The crypto train is leaving the station.” At press time, BTC traded at $105,275. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
In a newly released memo dated January 13, 2025, Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Bitwise, argues that the phenomenon of corporations purchasing Bitcoin for their treasuries is far more widespread and influential than most investors realize. According to Hougan, “We’ll see hundreds of companies buy Bitcoin for their treasuries over the next 12-18 […]
More than half of wealth advisers in the United States surveyed by Bitwise say they’re more open to investing in cryptocurrency after Trump won the US election in November.
While the spot Bitcoin ETFs smashed industry expectations in 2024, the products finished poorly with outflows in six of the last eight trading days.
The broader crypto market experienced a pronounced downturn following yesterday’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, held on December 18. After the US Federal Reserve delivered a 25-basis-point rate cut as anticipated, it also signaled fewer cuts in 2025 than previously expected. In response, the Bitcoin price fell by more than 5%, dropping below the $100,000 mark before showing slight signs of recovery. Altcoins saw across-the-board double-digit percentage declines. The Federal Reserve’s decision—while meeting expectations for a 25-basis-point reduction—came with a notable shift in the projected rate trajectory for next year. Rather than the previously communicated four cuts, the central bank now anticipates only two, signaling a more cautious stance. This recalibration of future monetary policy sent ripples through the entire risk asset spectrum, prompting the S&P 500 to decline 3% and the Russell 2000 Small Cap Index to drop 4.4%. Is The Crypto Bull Run Over? Within the crypto sector, the immediate aftermath was pronounced. Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, addressed the market conditions this morning via X, writing: “The big catalyst today was the Fed announcement […] The Fed cut rates by 25 basis points as expected, but lowered expectations for next year from 4 cuts to 2 cuts. Higher rates are bad for risk assets, and the Fed’s announcement caused a sharp pullback in all risk assets.” Related Reading: Bitwise Exec Reveals His Personal Top 3 Crypto Predictions For 2025 According to Hougan, Bitcoin’s price action reflected heightened sensitivity to shifting monetary conditions. He noted that Bitcoin price drop was exaggerated by leveraged positions being liquidated. “$600 million of leveraged long positions were blown out in today’s market, exacerbating the pullback.” Despite the steep correction, Hougan argued that the broader outlook remains constructive: “Crypto now has internal momentum, and nothing about today’s announcement interrupts the mega-trends: The pro-crypto reversal in Washington policy, rising institutional adoption and ETF flows, Bitcoin purchases by governments and corporations, and major tech breakthroughs in the programmable blockchain space.” He pointed to technical indicators as a supporting factor for his thesis: “My favorite momentum gauge is still positive: Bitcoin’s 10-day exponential moving average ($102k) is still above its 20-day exponential moving average ($99k).” Related Reading: Crypto Watchlist: Top 5 Coins To Watch This Week Hougan concluded his thread by maintaining that the shift in Fed expectations would not derail the longer-term bull run, stating: “Crypto’s in a multi-year bull market. 50bps of projected rate cuts won’t change that.” Other market observers offered similar interpretations of the Fed’s communication strategy. Warren Pies, Founder of 3Fourteen Research, commented via X: “By upping inflation forecast, lowering UE rate, and keeping cuts in place, the Fed has actually opened the path to more than 2 cuts in 2025 as data ‘surprises’ to the dovish side.” Renowned macro analysts echoed this sentiment. Crypto analyst and podcaster Fejau (@fejau_inc) described the central bank’s approach as a strategy designed to guide market expectations: “Fed forced itself into cutting this week so is using a hawkish 2025 FFR dot plot forecast to talk down long bond yields despite cutting today […] Welcome to macro psyop warfare. Smoke and mirrors baby.” He characterized the dot plots as a tool for psychological influence rather than a strict roadmap: “It’s important to view the dot plots not as a future forecast of events, but as a psychological tool […] The Fed has bought themselves time to allow further data to come out before they actually make a move […] Can almost guarantee you 2025 will not occur as is forecasted in their dots.” Andreas Steno Larsen, CIO of Steno Global Macro Fund and CEO at Steno Research, offered a similar assessment: “By hawking up all forecasts a lot, the Fed lowers the bar materially for cuts next year. It is a wise move, if you want to cut further, but do not want to precommit.” At press time, Bitcoin traded at $101,766. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Finance, Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management, shared his bullish outlook on Bitcoin, projecting significant price appreciation by the end of 2025. “We expect Bitcoin to be up above $200,000 by this time next year,” Hougan stated, attributing this forecast to three primary sources of demand: exchange-traded funds (ETFs), corporate investments, and governmental acquisitions. Hougan elaborated, “There are ETFs that are vacuuming up Bitcoin, public companies like MicroStrategy are accumulating Bitcoin, and now we’re seeing discussions about governments investing in Bitcoin. It ultimately boils down to supply and demand—there’s too much demand and not enough supply, which drives the price higher.” When probed about the sustainability of such demand, Hougan emphasized the gradual awakening of different investor segments to Bitcoin’s value proposition. “People just wake up to Bitcoin at different paces. We’ve seen retail investors engage first, followed by companies and financial advisors, and now institutions are recognizing that Bitcoin belongs in a diversified portfolio,” he explained. Related Reading: Bitcoin Top Here? What Historical HODLer Selloff Pattern Says “Bitcoin is now a global macro asset worth a few trillion dollars, and virtually every investor should have some exposure. We still have a large number of investors to go, which is why I believe we’re still early in this journey. We have many quarters to go,” he added. How High Can Price Go If The US Buys Bitcoin? A pivotal aspect of Hougan’s forecast hinges on the potential establishment of a US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR). Addressing this, Hougan remarked, “If we do get a Bitcoin strategic reserve where the government is buying Bitcoin, as proposed in Senator Lummis’ bill for the government to purchase a million Bitcoin, $200,000 Bitcoin is going to be looking quaint. You’re going to be looking at three four $500,000 Bitcoin. It’s just too big a story because governments all around the world would have to do it.” Hougan admitted that he was first skeptical about Trump suggestions to establish a SBR. “But over the months, it hasn’t gone away in fact we continue to see leaders in the Trump Administration suggest that they’re open to it,” Hougan remarked. The Bitcoin CIO still thinks that the odds of the US government buying Bitcoin is less than 50%, but “it’s not zero,” he added. “If it happens or if we start to see it happening in other countries, you’re going to see a rip up in Bitcoin that will make 2024 look pretty docel in comparison.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Miners Now In Selling Mode For A Year: Should You Be Concerned? Hougan also highlighted the role of institutional platforms, specifically citing Coinbase as a potential major beneficiary in the evolving crypto landscape. “Coinbase is currently about half the size of Charles Schwab, and we believe it could surpass Schwab in brokerage size,” he noted. “Coinbase hasn’t had major competitors bubbling up to challenge it; it’s sort of had a degree of regulatory capture, if you can believe it. As a result, it’s been able to sustain its high margins in brokerages and then layer on things like stablecoins. [..,.] It’ll also help if it gets into the S&P 500; you see institutions buying it broadly. I think it’s a really unique situation driven by the fact that there was so much regulatory uncertainty—it cleared the competitive fat path and now it’s going to reap those rewards and build a really, you know, maybe an unsalable position leading this industry in the US.” Looking ahead to the broader market, Hougan anticipated an influx of crypto-related companies entering public markets. “We can expect firms like Kraken, Anchorage, and Chainalysis to go public, further normalizing the industry,” he stated. “This influx will lead to increased Wall Street coverage and institutional investment, setting the stage for a robust IPO window in 2025.” Despite the optimistic outlook, Hougan acknowledged potential risks that could impede Bitcoin’s growth. “The biggest risk is that politicians don’t deliver on their promises—if we don’t achieve regulatory clarity or fail to establish a strategic reserve, the expected bull market might not materialize,” he cautioned. “Regulatory and political factors are crucial drivers for crypto in 2025, and any setbacks in these areas could pose significant challenges.” At press time, Bitcoin traded at $104,212. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitwise has predicted that in 2025, Bitcoin could hit $500,000, Coinbase will enter the S&P 500 and AI agents will drive the next “memecoin mania.”
The two Bitwise executives have worked tirelessly to get crypto exchange-traded funds approved by the SEC, and this year they finally succeeded.
According to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Matt Hougan, entering the Bitcoin (BTC) trade may not be too late. The executive recently said that until the flagship cryptocurrency hits $500,000, it’s “still early.” Potential Investors Should Not Be Discouraged By Bitcoin Price Action In a client memo shared yesterday, Bitwise’s CIO Hougan stated that while […]
Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise Asset Management, declared in an investor note today that the crypto industry has secured its place in the financial world, irrespective of the outcome of today’s US presidential election between President Donald Trump and Senator Kamala Harris. In his note titled “Crypto Has Already Won,” Hougan stated, “There is nothing left to say about Tuesday’s election.” He provided a succinct assessment for investors: “Short-term, a Trump victory is better than a Harris victory. Long-term, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins will thrive regardless of who wins. Altcoins have more regulatory risk in a Harris regime than a Trump regime.” Hougan cautioned that the only unfavorable scenario for crypto would be a Democratic sweep. “It would embolden the fringe element of the Democratic Party that is overtly hostile to crypto. But even in that scenario, I’d buy the dip,” he wrote. Reflecting on the industry’s resilience over the past four years, Hougan emphasized, “If there’s one thing the past four years has taught me, it’s this: Washington can’t stop crypto. It can alter the trajectory. It can speed things up or slow things down. It can bring more confusion or new clarity. But it can’t stop it.” Related Reading: Crypto Expert Discloses ‘Hidden Altcoin Gem’ With 1,900% Upside According to the Bitwise CIO, the presidential election serves as a milestone to evaluate the crypto sector’s growth since November 2020. Despite a combative regulatory environment—including “Operation Choke Point 2.0,” numerous SEC lawsuits, and a host of contradictory or ambiguous statements—the progress made is remarkable. Hougan noted, “We focus so much in crypto on the moment-by-moment movement of prices that we often lose sight of the long-term trends. The presidential election provides a nice opportunity to step back and see how far we’ve come.” ‘Crypto Has Already Won’ He presented compelling statistics comparing November 2020 to November 2024. Bitcoin’s price increased from $13,677 to $69,492, a 408% rise. Ethereum went from $388 to $2,492, marking a 552% increase. Solana experienced a meteoric rise from $1.49 to $165.12, an increase of 10,982%. In terms of trading volume, the CME Bitcoin Futures Open Interest in October surged from $0.57 billion to $10.58 billion, a 1,756% increase. The seven-day moving average of crypto daily exchange volume expanded from $9.68 billion to $39.32 billion, a 306% increase. Decentralized exchange volume in October soared from $12.6 billion to $156.5 billion, reflecting an 11,142% increase. Assets under management also saw significant growth. The Bitcoin spot ETF assets under management, nonexistent in November 2020, reached $71.46 billion by November 2024. Stablecoin assets under management dramatically increased from $3.87 billion to $177.83 billion, a 4,495% rise. The total value locked in decentralized finance platforms increased from $9.57 billion to $139.3 billion, a growth of 1,356%. Related Reading: Top Crypto Analyst Unveils Best Altcoins For The 2025 Bull Run Network activity showed substantial increases as well. Monthly transactions on the Bitcoin network grew from 9.28 million to 20.48 million, a 121% increase. Monthly transactions considering Ethereum and Layer 2 solutions saw a massive rise from 33.3 million to 385.8 million, a 1,059% increase. Mainstream adoption indicators also highlighted crypto’s integration into traditional finance and politics. The number of top 20 asset managers with tokenized funds increased from none in 2020 to three in 2024. BlackRock’s adoption of Bitcoin and Ethereum, nonexistent in 2020, is one of the biggest stories in 2024. Because of all that, Hougan expressed strong confidence in the continuation of these positive trends. “The question to ask yourself as you look at the above statistics is whether they will continue. From my seat, the answer is a resounding yes,” he affirmed. He outlined several key expectations: spot crypto ETF inflows will continue; stablecoins will continue to grow rapidly; institutions will continue to ‘get off zero’ and add allocations to Bitcoin and crypto; Wall Street will continue to embrace tokenization and real-world assets; blockchains will continue to get faster and cheaper; and real-world applications like Polymarket will continue to break through and gain mainstream adoption. While acknowledging the election’s significance, Hougan minimized its long-term impact on Bitcoin’s and crypto’s trajectory. “Make no mistake: What happens in Tuesday’s election matters, particularly in the short term. But as I see it, over the long term, Tuesday will prove to be something between a speed bump and a wind gust. Neither is going to stop this train,” he concluded. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $68,932. Featured image from YouTube, chart from TradingView.com
With just four days to go until the US presidential election, crypto enthusiasts are hoping that a victory for their preferred candidate will lead to a higher Bitcoin (BTC) price. Who Will Be More Beneficial For Bitcoin? From a crypto-enthusiast perspective, the 2024 US presidential elections are unlike any other as both candidates recognize the […]
Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer of Bitwise Asset Management, addressed a pressing question among investors: Does the US dollar need to collapse for Bitcoin to reach a valuation of $200,000 per coin? Hougan’s analysis suggests that Bitcoin’s ascent to such a price level does not depend on a decline in the US dollar’s value but rather on Bitcoin’s maturation as a store-of-value asset and global economic factors increasing demand for such assets. Bitcoin Can Reach $200,000 Without US Dollar Collapse In a series of posts on the social media platform X, Hougan recounted a conversation with a financial advisor who posed the question over dinner. “Does the US dollar need to collapse for Bitcoin to hit $200,000? The answer is ‘no.’ Here’s why,” Hougan wrote. Hougan explained that investing in Bitcoin involves making two distinct bets. First, “Bitcoin will succeed in establishing itself as a new ‘store of value’ asset.” Currently, Bitcoin’s market capitalization is approximately 7% of gold’s $18 trillion market. Hougan noted, “If it ‘matures’ and becomes 50% the size of gold, every Bitcoin is worth over $400,000. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Skyrockets Above $71,000: Key Reasons Explained Second, “Governments will abuse fiat currencies and increase demand for ‘store of value’ assets.” If the market for store-of-value assets triples in size due to such mismanagement, and Bitcoin maintains its 7% market share, “each Bitcoin is worth over $200,000.” He emphasized that these two arguments are independent but can compound. “If Bitcoin matures and the store of value market doubles, you quickly get to seven figures. For what it’s worth (FWIW), I think this is the most likely scenario eventually,” Hougan stated. Related Reading: Bitcoin Volatility To Peak By November 8 As ‘Trump Trade’ Intensifies – Report Addressing the initial question directly, Hougan asserted, “So, no, the dollar doesn’t need to collapse for Bitcoin to hit $200,000. All you need is Bitcoin to continue on its current path of maturing as an institutional asset.” He added that both factors—BTC’s maturation and potential fiat currency abuse—are increasingly likely to occur simultaneously. “That’s why Bitcoin is surging toward all-time highs.” The discussion continued with input from Kevin Brent Cook, a user on X, who added nuance to Hougan’s explanation. “Concise, clear, and simple,” Cook remarked. “I would only add that the reason a ‘collapse’ isn’t necessary is that under ‘abusing fiat’ comes the steady grind of deficit-driven dollar inflation (the US writes endless checks that never bounce), which naturally creates more currency chasing all assets.” Hougan concurred with Cook’s assessment, responding with a succinct “Agreed.” At press time, BTC traded at $72,445, up 23% in the last 20 days. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Options would allow institutional investors to hedge risks and traders to amplify their buying power.
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan says there are three reasons why Ether ETFs could drive the price of the asset, more than Bitcoin ETFs did for BTC.
BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and VanEck have reportedly received preliminary approval from the US securities regulator, sources say.
Regulatory uncertainty is holding back the $20 trillion dollar financial advisory industry from investing more in crypto, claims Bitwise investment head Matt Hougan.
Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan cautions that not every token having a price surge in the cryptocurrency market “deserves to be.”