Bitwise CIO’s Bold Call: Crypto Market Primed for 20x Explosion by 2035

The prediction lands like a lightning strike in a clear sky—a twentyfold expansion. Not a gentle climb, but a seismic revaluation of the entire digital asset class.

The Math Behind the Mania

Forget incremental gains. This forecast sketches a trajectory from niche to necessity, where today's market cap becomes a rounding error. It's a bet on mass adoption finally catching up to the technology's decade-long head start.

Institutions Are Already Positioning

Smart money isn't waiting for the memo. They're building the infrastructure now—custody, trading desks, regulatory frameworks—transforming crypto from a speculative playground into a core portfolio holding. The old guard's skepticism is becoming a fading echo.

The Road to 2035: Bumps, Bridges, and Breakthroughs

The path won't be a straight line. It'll be paved with regulatory skirmishes, technological leaps, and the occasional spectacular flameout that sends traditional finance commentators into a gleeful, 'I-told-you-so' frenzy—their favorite pastime besides forecasting recessions that never arrive.

So, strap in. The next decade promises to rewrite the rules of finance, proving that sometimes, the most radical forecasts are just early.

— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) December 10, 2025

Speaking about the future of digital assets, Hougan emphasized that the industry is entering a period of accelerated institutional adoption, supported by regulatory progress and the tokenization of real-world assets.

Institutional Capital and Regulatory Shifts Accelerate Growth

Hougan referenced U.S. SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s estimate that as much asin traditional assets could eventually migrate onto blockchain-based systems—highlighting the enormous potential for market expansion.

He noted strong capital inflows into Bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Bitwise expects, reinforcing the trend of institutional investors treating crypto as a mainstream asset class.

As more institutions enter the market, financial products tailored for professional investors are becoming more sophisticated. Hougan said broad-market crypto index funds, which address volatility and single-asset risk, are likely to gain traction by 2026.

Regulators in the U.S. are also making progress:

• Legislative efforts around stablecoins continue to advance.
• The Department of Labor is considering updates that could allow crypto allocations in 401(k) retirement plans.
• New ETF applications, including for Ripple (XRP), signal a lowering barrier to entry.

Tokenization of Real-World Assets Gains Momentum

Alongside regulatory developments, Hougan highlighted real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, such as real estate and bonds, as one of the most transformative trends in modern finance.

Major Wall Street institutions are already experimenting with blockchain-based management of tokenized financial products. The sector has surpassedin circulating tokenized assets, and analysts expect significant growth as tokenization unlocks new forms of liquidity.

Bold Forecasts for Bitcoin and the Crypto Market

Long-term forecasts for Bitcoin remain strongly bullish:

• BTC could surpass USD 200,000 in 2025
• BTC could reach USD 1 million by 2029

These predictions cite increasing nation-state adoption and the possibility of Coinbase being added to the S&P 500.

Bitwise describes the coming years as thedriven by the fusion of AI and meme coins, pending IPOs of crypto-related companies, and a rapidly maturing global infrastructure.

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