In a recent
Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $104,000 at the start of the month, marking a staggering increase of 141.72% year-to-date, driven largely by the historic launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States, which amassed $33.56 billion in assets.
Other cryptocurrencies also demonstrated impressive gains: Solana (SOL) rose by 127.71%, XRP skyrocketed by 285.23%, and
Notably, crypto-related equities such as MicroStrategy and Coinbase also saw remarkable increases of 525.39% and 97.57%, respectively.
Beyond price hikes, Bitwise notes that the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies also improved significantly. In the 2024 US elections, crypto-friendly candidates triumphed, enhancing the industry’s prospects.
President-elect Donald Trump, who embraced
Trump’s nomination of Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary—who has previously described crypto as a vehicle for freedom—further signals a shift in the regulatory environment.
As Bitwise’s team looks ahead, they express enthusiasm about entering what they term the “Golden Age of Crypto.” Their predictions are grounded in several key factors, including rising
The report specifically projects that Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana—the “magnificent three”—will continue to outperform traditional asset classes.
In 2024, these cryptocurrencies significantly outpaced the S&P 500, which returned 28.07%, gold at 27.65%, and bonds at a meager 3.40%. Bitwise expects this momentum to carry into 2025, with all three assets setting new all-time highs.
The research notes the continuing demand for Bitcoin, which is being pushed by an injection of funds into Bitcoin
This
Despite its strong performance in 2024, Ethereum has experienced hurdles as investors move their attention to Bitcoin and faster-growing blockchains. However, Bitwise predicts a narrative shift for Ethereum in 2025.
They believe that activity on Layer 2 (L2) solutions such as Base and Starknet will expand dramatically, as will inflows into spot Ethereum ETFs. The rise of stablecoins and tokenized projects on Ethereum is also expected to pique investors’ interest. The firm predicts a significant increase to a new all-time high of $7,000 for the market’s leading altcoin.
Looking ahead, Bitwise anticipates that projects will continue to migrate to the Solana network, expanding its ecosystem beyond memecoins. Bitwise anticipates a significant increase, almost tripling the current price record to a new high of $750 per SOL.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $96,000, while Ethereum and Solana are consolidating around $3,662 and $218 respectively.
Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com