Latest news with #MattHougan
CNBC
6 hours ago
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- CNBC
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan discusses 'megatrend' of public companies betting big on bitcoin
Matt Hougan, Bitwise Asset Management CIO, discusses the launch of the asset manager's new GameStop-focused covered call ETF. Plus, he weighs in on regulatory advancements for crypto in the United States.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'This Crypto Cycle Will Be Bigger And Last Longer Than Most People Think,' Bitwise Investment Chief Says
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan has suggested that the current cryptocurrency cycle may be different. Hougan first made the argument that the four-year cryptocurrency market cycle could be over in January. Hougan is not the only expert to suggest that the four-year cycle may be over. The cryptocurrency market may be set to deviate from one of its most well-known patterns. Most investors who have dabbled in the space long enough will tell you that the market runs on a four-year cycle of three positive years and a major reset. Depending on who you ask, this cycle is either driven by the Bitcoin halving or broader economic factors. Whatever the case, it has proven true for over a decade. Don't Miss: — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. Grow your IRA or 401(k) with Crypto – . Following a positive run in 2023 and 2024 and what appears to be a continuation in 2025, the market should be due for a reset in 2026, according to the cycle. But this time is different, according to Bitwise investment chief Matt Hougan. Hougan said Thursday on X that 'this crypto cycle will be bigger and last longer than most people think.' Hougan said this, citing the hostile regulatory environment the cryptocurrency industry faced under the Biden administration. He argued that while applications and use cases were suppressed, the underlying infrastructure continued to improve. 'As we remove the regulatory road blocks [sic], the speed at which things like stablecoins, tokenization, DeFi and DePin will scale will surprise people,' he said. 'It's a coiled spring.' Trending: New to crypto? on Coinbase. It is not the first time Hougan has suggested that the four-year cycle may be over. He made the argument in January, citing President Donald Trump's first cryptocurrency executive order. The order called the digital asset ecosystem 'a national priority,' pushed for steps toward the establishment of a clear regulatory framework and teased the idea of 'a national crypto stockpile.' Hougan said that the executive order, combined with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's more favorable attitude toward the industry, opened the door for trillions of dollars to enter the market. But he noted that it would take at least a year for any significant changes to be felt. 'If it's not until next year that we feel those impacts, will we really have a new 'crypto winter' in 2026?' Hougan mused. 'Will investors go into hibernation even though they know we've entered a new crypto-enabled world?' Still, at the time, Hougan submitted that the cryptocurrency market may not have yet fully overcome the four-year cycle. Citing growing leveraged plays, he said there would likely be a wipeout at some point. However, he stressed that, unlike before, any major pullbacks would likely be 'shorter and shallower.' 'The crypto space has matured; there's a greater variety of buyers and more value-oriented investors than ever before. I expect volatility, but I'm not sure I'd bet against crypto in 2026,' he said. Read Next: A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: . Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Image: Shutterstock Send To MSN: 0 This article 'This Crypto Cycle Will Be Bigger And Last Longer Than Most People Think,' Bitwise Investment Chief Says originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitwise CEO Says, 'CoinMarketCap Leaderboard Era Of Crypto Is Close To Its End,' Backs Thesis-Based Investing
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley has suggested that the era of investing in cryptocurrencies primarily based on market capitalization is ending. Horsley is betting on a new age that bears similarities to investing in companies on Wall Street. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan has recently urged cryptocurrency investors to look beyond Bitcoin. For most people looking to dip their toes in the cryptocurrency market for the first time, the instinctive thing to do for years has been to scan the list of top coins on aggregation platforms like CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko and pick an asset that seems to align with them. But this approach to cryptocurrency investing may soon be at an end as the market matures, according to Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley. 'I think the CoinMarketCap leaderboard era of crypto is close to its end,' Horsley said on Wednesday. He drew parallels to Wall Street, noting that investors did not pick companies by comparing market capitalizations. Don't Miss: — no wallets, just price speculation and free paper trading to practice different strategies. Grow your IRA or 401(k) with Crypto – . 'Is it interesting to invest in Walmart? Adobe? Mastercard? Johnson & Johnson?' He quizzed rhetorically. 'You don't answer that question by looking to see how their ranking in the S&P and market caps compare. You don't invest in Exxon because its market cap is cheaper than Eli Lilly & Co.' Horsley said that instead, investors made picks by building a thesis around the business, considering its place in the market and prospects. 'I think that's what's coming in crypto,' he said. 'These things are not all the same.' Indeed, the idea of narrative-driven investing has been gaining momentum in recent years as new sectors emerge in the market, such as tokenization, games, middleware services, and even AI projects. Trending: New to crypto? on Coinbase. Last week, Bitwise investment chief Matt Hougan advocated for cryptocurrency investors to look beyond Bitcoin and diversify their portfolio across several verticals. He compared the cryptocurrency landscape to the internet in 2004. Hougan noted that many would have been tempted to invest in only Google at the time due to the dominance of search, but added that while that would have paid off, it wouldn't have been the best strategy in hindsight. 'Google did exceptionally well. Today it's one of the most valuable assets in the world. But other categories did well, too- in fact, the best performer turned out to be Netflix. That wasn't obvious in 2004,' he said. Hougan said that, like the internet, blockchain is a general-use technology. He added that, as such, it is hard to predict which vertical will outperform in the next decade. 'History suggests you'd want to own a basket of crypto assets,' he said. 'Don't fret about picking winners; invest in the big picture.' Still, it is hard to blame most new investors for getting overwhelmed, as there are thousands of projects to choose from, and risks tend to increase the smaller the project. Underscoring these risks, CoinGecko reported in April that over 50% of cryptocurrencies have failed. Read Next: A must-have for all crypto enthusiasts: . 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Image: Shutterstock Send To MSN: 0 This article Bitwise CEO Says, 'CoinMarketCap Leaderboard Era Of Crypto Is Close To Its End,' Backs Thesis-Based Investing originally appeared on
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Stablecoin Bill Approval Could Trigger a Long-Term Crypto Bull Market: Bitwise
Progress on the stablecoin bill in the U.S. could lead to a multi-year crypto bull market, asset manager Bitwise said in a report Tuesday. The Senate agreed to advance the GENIUS Act to a final vote on Monday, the report noted, which means that the U.S. could pass its first piece of crypto legislation this summer. "Outside of the January 2024 approval of spot bitcoin ETFs, this is the most important regulatory development in the history of crypto. It may even be bigger," wrote Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies whose value is tied to another asset, such as the U.S. dollar or gold. They play a major role in cryptocurrency markets and are also used to transfer money internationally. The Senate's Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act mandates federal regulation for stablecoins with a market cap of over $10 billion with the potential for state regulation if it aligns with federal rules. The House of Representatives' STABLE Act calls for state regulation without any conditions. Bitwise noted that stablecoin issuers have to follow a number of regulations but there is no "overarching federal framework." The GENIUS Act provides that regulatory framework. Once approved, this could set the stage for a long-term rally in crypto assets other than just bitcoin BTC, Bitwise said, and the biggest potential beneficiaries are ether ETH, solana SOL and decentralized finance (DeFi) assets such as uniswap UNI and aave AAVE. The stablecoin market could reach $2.5 trillion in size in no time, from $245 billion currently, the report in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Crypto influencer WendyO breaks down XRP drama and ETF delays
It's been an exciting week in crypto. Bitcoin just hit a new all-time high of $109,700 on May 21, 2025. The previous highs were around $109,600 or $109,500, depending on the exchange. Either way, this is a big milestone for Bitcoin and the crypto industry as a whole. One of the biggest headlines this week was the Genius Act. There was a lot of confusion online, with some people saying it passed and others saying it didn't. What actually happened is that the U.S. Senate voted 66 to 32 to move forward with debating the bill on May 20. This means it hasn't passed yet, but it's going through the next steps, like debate and possible revisions. We should know more soon. The Genius Act includes new rules for stablecoins and crypto issuers. It would require monthly reserve reports, limit stablecoins to being backed by liquid assets like U.S. Treasuries, and ban yield-bearing stablecoins. It also adds anti-money laundering requirements and limits Big Tech from issuing their own coins. Analysts believe this could help legitimize the space and bring billions into crypto. The Bitwise CIO, Matt Hougan, even said it could be one of the biggest regulatory wins in crypto history, and could pave the way for a multi-year bull market. There's also been some drama between the Bitcoin maximalists and the XRP community. Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, posted that Senator Cynthia Lummis canceled a planned meeting with him and won't reschedule. While we don't know the exact reason, some are speculating. Either way, public officials should engage with all parts of the crypto space to get a full picture. In other Ripple news, XRP and Micro XRP futures officially launched on the CME on May 19. This is big since CME is the largest derivatives exchange. XRP futures contracts are for 5,000 XRP, and Micro contracts are for 25 XRP. Both are cash-settled. Wendy also flagged growing friction between Bitcoin maximalists and XRP supporters. 'Brad Garlinghouse posted on X that Senator Loomis will not meet with him. They had a meeting scheduled, but she cancelled and declined to reschedule,' she said, while encouraging officials to engage with a wide range of voices. Meanwhile, XRP futures went live on May 19. 'CME group launched XRP and micro XRP futures... Both are cash settled,' WendyO confirmed. However, not all the news was bullish. 'The SEC delays decisions on XRP and Dogecoin ETFs,' she noted, though she remains optimistic: 'I personally think this SEC is incredibly pro-crypto and they will in fact approve these ETFs.' The SEC delayed its decision on spot ETFs for XRP and Dogecoin from 21Shares and Grayscale. This is pretty typical. While delays are frustrating, they give time for public input and careful review. Many analysts still expect approvals later in 2025, likely in Q3 or Q4. Ripple also signed two new customers in the UAE: Zan Bank and Mammo. This expansion comes after Ripple received a license from Dubai's financial regulator, which lets them offer full payment services in the region. Lastly, Robinhood is acquiring Bitstamp, which is building a perpetual DEX on the XRP Ledger. That's bullish news for Ripple, as it brings more financial tools and use cases into the XRP ecosystem. Thanks for tuning in — see you at Bitcoin 2025! Crypto influencer WendyO breaks down XRP drama and ETF delays first appeared on TheStreet on May 22, 2025
