Bitwise Predicts 2026 as Crypto’s Real Bull Market Year
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan says the true crypto bull market will arrive in 2026, not 2025, as the absence of a year–end rebound sets the stage for a stronger rally. Speaking at The Bridge conference in New York, Hougan cited the four-year cycle theory and noted robust fundamentals—including institutional investment, regulatory progress, stablecoins, tokenization and DeFi innovations like Uniswap’s fee switch proposal. He remains optimistic that Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) could reach new highs, even if they fall short of earlier extreme price targets. While crypto-native retail sentiment is depressed, traditional retail is entering via spot ETFs, fueling inflows. Overall, these forces point to a sustained 2026 crypto bull market.
Bullish
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan’s forecast leans strongly bullish, backed by historical four-year cycles and robust fundamentals such as institutional inflows, regulatory clarity, stablecoins, tokenization and DeFi upgrades like Uniswap’s fee switch. His view mirrors past cycle peaks in 2018 and 2022 when delayed rebounds preceded major rallies. Depressed crypto-native retail and growing traditional retail via spot ETFs suggest pent-up demand will fuel a sustained bull run. In the short term, market volatility may persist as investors await catalysts; longer term, these structural trends could drive broad-based price appreciation across BTC, ETH and SOL.