Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan painted an optimistic picture for the cryptocurrency market in 2026. Speaking live, Hougan stated that despite the volatility and price pullbacks experienced in 2025, a bull market would prevail towards the end of the year, driven by institutional adoption, regulatory advancements, and the strength of fundamental trends.
Hougan predicts that Bitcoin will break its traditional four-year cycle (a peak after the halving followed by a sharp drop) this time and reach new all-time highs. He argued that as the market matures, Bitcoin’s volatility will be lower than that of technology stocks like Nvidia. He stated that thanks to institutional demand, ETFs will absorb more than the entire new supply of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.
Hougan expects crypto-related stocks to outperform general technology stocks. According to the analyst, if regulatory clarity laws like the CLARITY Act are passed, Ethereum and Solana will reach new highs, becoming the networks that benefit most from the stablecoin and tokenization megatrends. Furthermore, over 100 crypto-related ETFs are expected to launch in the US.
*This is not investment advice.
