Bitwise Declares Crypto’s Bottom, but Who Needs Certainty Anyway?

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Ah, Bitwise Asset Management! The oracle of cryptographic mischief, declaring with a flourish that the current crypto drawdown bears the unmistakable scent of a cyclical low. Yes, weak prices hand-in-hand with robust on-chain and business fundamentals, a pattern that last pirouetted into view in the ethereal Q1 2023, just before the grand multi-year rally-a veritable ballet of digits!

In his Q4 2025 “Crypto Market Review,” the illustrious Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan declares this quarter to be an inflection point-an important one, mind you-because, as he charmingly notes, “the signals are not all moving in the same direction.” A veritable cacophony of financial symphonies! “Every once in a while,” he mused, “the charts are mixed.” And how mixed they were, reminiscent of a particularly overzealous salad, tossed haphazardly in the aftermath of FTX’s dramatic collapse. Up, down, sideways-what a delightful mess! And yet, in the two years that followed, crypto prices took flight like an over-caffeinated pigeon.

Bitwise’s claim hinges upon the curious divergence between market performance and usage metrics in Q4-a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma! Ethereum, the darling of the blockchain, tumbled down by 29% whilst its transactions soared higher than a kite in a windstorm, up 24.5%. And those crypto equities? They took a nosedive, plummeting 20%, while the underlying companies reveled in revenues growing at a pace three times faster than any stock market sector. A paradox worthy of the finest philosophers!

The price tape, however, weighed heavily on the spirits. The Bitwise 10 Large Cap Crypto Index fell 26.29% in Q4, finishing 2025 down 10.64% year-to-date. Bitcoin, in all its splendor, found itself down 23.48% in Q4 (a mere 6.26% drop in 2025), while Ethereum, our melancholic friend, plummeted 28.59% in Q4 (down 11.03% in 2025). A tragic tale of woe!

Yet, amidst the chaos, the report reaffirms the market’s resilience: total crypto market capitalization stood proudly at a staggering $2.78 trillion as of December 31, with Bitcoin claiming 63.6% and Ether a respectable 12.9%. Picture it: a grand bazaar of digital currencies, bustling with potential!

these advisors control a staggering $16 trillion in assets, and early flows, like a timid tap dancer, are expected to begin slowly before gaining momentum.

In closing, Hougan refrains from declaring any single variable as the ultimate trump card but intricately ties the bottom thesis to the ongoing improvement of fundamental data. He mentioned drafting the memo on January 16, right around the time crypto began performing its early-year dance of strong returns. “If the fundamental data stays steady,” he mused, “I think that trend could continue.” Ah, the optimism of a market analyst!

As of the moment the ink dried on this digital parchment, the total crypto market cap stands at an exhilarating $3.00 trillion. Let the games continue!

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2026-01-23 09:04