Cathie Wood Doubles Down on BTC & ETH But Keeps a Close Watch on Hyperliquid in 2025
- Why Is Cathie Wood Still Bullish on Bitcoin and Ethereum?
- What Makes Hyperliquid Stand Out in 2025?
- How Does This Fit Wood's Investment Thesis?
- What Are the Risks Investors Should Consider?
- Is This an Investment Recommendation?
- Frequently Asked Questions
ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood reaffirms her bullish stance on Bitcoin and Ethereum while subtly spotlighting Hyperliquid as a rising star in the on-chain derivatives space. Drawing parallels to Solana's early days, Wood hints at the platform's potential without shifting her core crypto thesis. Here's why traders are paying attention.
Why Is Cathie Wood Still Bullish on Bitcoin and Ethereum?
In a recent interview on The Master Investor podcast, Wood doubled down on her conviction that bitcoin remains the "king of crypto" - emphasizing its role as a rules-based global monetary system and its flawless security record as the only unhacked Layer 1 blockchain. "Bitcoin's programmed scarcity and neutral collateral status make it indispensable for both on-chain and traditional finance," noted the BTCC research team in their September 2025 market report.
For Ethereum, Wood acknowledges its dominance in decentralized finance infrastructure but cautions about scaling challenges. "ETH remains the go-to chain for financial applications and asset tokenization," she stated, while pointing to Solana's speed advantages for real-time trading and consumer applications.

What Makes Hyperliquid Stand Out in 2025?
Wood's unexpected mention of Hyperliquid sent ripples through crypto circles. "This new kid on the block reminds me of Solana's early trajectory," she remarked, drawing immediate comparisons to SOL's 2021 breakout. According to CoinMarketCap data, Hyperliquid's native token saw a 47% surge following Wood's comments.
The platform distinguishes itself with:
- 200,000 orders per second throughput (per official docs)
- Non-custodial perpetual swaps trading
- On-chain order book depth rivaling CEXs
How Does This Fit Wood's Investment Thesis?
Wood maintains her "core three" crypto allocation strategy (BTC-ETH-SOL) while acknowledging emerging protocols. "She's not shifting allocations - she's tracking execution speed and adoption curves," explained a BTCC market analyst. Hyperliquid represents Wood's interest in platforms that can deliver centralized exchange-grade tooling in decentralized environments.
TradingView charts show Hyperliquid's volumes growing 300% month-over-month in September 2025, particularly in BTC and ETH perpetual contracts. "When user experience improves, liquidity follows," Wood noted cryptically.
What Are the Risks Investors Should Consider?
While promising, Hyperliquid faces typical DeFi challenges:
| Risk Factor | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Smart contract vulnerabilities | Multiple audits completed |
| Liquidity fragmentation | Deepening order books |
| Regulatory uncertainty | On-chain compliance tools |
"Recent ecosystem incidents remind us that technical stumbles can be costly," Wood cautioned, likely referencing the September 2025 cross-chain exploit that drained $47M from several protocols.
Is This an Investment Recommendation?
Not exactly. Wood's comments serve more as a market lens than a buy signal. The key takeaways:
- BTC/ETH remain her structural plays
- Innovation is accelerating in on-chain derivatives
- Execution quality separates contenders from pretenders
As one trader quipped on Crypto Twitter: "Getting Wood's attention is like getting a Michelin star - it doesn't guarantee success, but you'd rather have it than not."
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Cathie Wood say about Hyperliquid?
Wood compared Hyperliquid's growth trajectory to Solana's early days, noting its potential in on-chain derivatives trading without altering her Core crypto portfolio allocations.
Why is Bitcoin still Cathie Wood's top crypto pick?
She views BTC as the only truly decentralized, rules-based monetary system with perfect security and increasing institutional adoption as digital collateral.
How does Hyperliquid compare to centralized exchanges?
The platform offers CEX-like order book depth and latency while maintaining non-custodial security, processing 200k orders/second according to its documentation.