NEW YORK / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – Crypto markets are poised for a potential rebound in 2026, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan. Despite the current market weakness and the disappointment of many crypto investors, Hougan sees strong fundamental factors that could drive the market in the coming years. In particular, developments in the area of institutional investments and regulatory progress could have a lasting impact on the market.
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Crypto markets could see a significant rebound in 2026, according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan. Hougan expressed optimism about the future of cryptocurrencies at The Bridge conference in New York City, especially as an expected end-2025 rally has so far failed to materialize. This fits into the four-year cycle model, which says that a boom is followed by a bear market, similar to 2022 and 2018.
Hougan emphasized that the fundamentals for cryptocurrencies remain strong. He pointed to the growing interest in Bitcoin as a hedge against currency devaluation, the increasing importance of stablecoins and the tokenization of assets. These developments could further spur interest in decentralized finance protocols, such as those spurred by Uniswap’s recent fee switching proposal.
Although Hougan is optimistic that Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana could reach new highs by 2026, he remains more cautious than other experts such as Arthur Hayes of Maelstrom Fund and Tom Lee of Fundstrat. They had predicted that Bitcoin and Ethereum could reach $250,000 and $15,000, respectively, by the end of the year. Currently, Bitcoin is trading at around $101,762 and Ethereum at $3,416, which would require significant price increases.
Another factor influencing the current market situation is the sentiment among crypto-native retailers. Many of them have recently sold heavily, resulting in a “compressed bullish move.” Hougan explains that many of these early investors were disappointed by events such as the collapse of FTX and the lack of an altcoin season. In contrast, traditional financial trading is thriving, as evidenced by a surge in inflows into crypto exchange-traded funds.
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