Bitwise: Bullish on Bitcoin's Performance in the Second Half of the Year, AI and Regulation Will Spark a New Altcoin Season
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan and Research Lead Ryan Rasmussen express strong bullish sentiment on Bitcoin's long-term prospects, suggesting that its $1 million price target may be too conservative. They argue Bitcoin serves a dual role: as digital gold and a potential global settlement asset, especially amid declining trust in traditional monetary systems. Despite a weak Q1 2026 where nearly all crypto assets and prices saw double-digit declines, the analysts remain optimistic due to strong forward-looking catalysts, including institutional adoption via Bitcoin ETFs from major firms like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.
Geopolitical instability, such as Iran’s mention of using Bitcoin for international payments, increases the value of Bitcoin’s “out-of-the-money call option” as a non-political, global settlement currency. This enhances its appeal beyond a mere store of value.
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Additionally, Hougan highlights that a clearer regulatory token framework under current SEC leadership, combined with AI efficiency gains and high-performance blockchains, could fuel a new “altseason” by late 2026. This may lead to a wave of legitimate, value-capturing token projects, unlike the earlier ICO boom.
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Bitwise also announced an Avalanche ETF, citing its unique architecture and rapid growth in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, which has surged 10x to nearly $30 billion in two years. The firm believes Layer 1 blockchains are still early in their growth cycle, with significant potential ahead.
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