2026 in the eyes of institutions: Bitcoin breaks the four-year cycle, 100 new ETFs take the stage

【CoinPush】Asset management giant Bitwise recently provided their outlook for the 2026 crypto market, and this forecast list is worth paying attention to.

First is Bitcoin. They believe BTC will break the traditional four-year cycle pattern and reach new highs. Interestingly, Bitcoin’s volatility is expected to become more stable, even lower than that of tech giants like NVIDIA. This suggests that institutional investors may have more confidence in Bitcoin’s stability.

Regarding ETFs, Bitwise predicts that these products will absorb over 100% of the new supply of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, reflecting a surge in demand from traditional financial institutions. Meanwhile, the US market is expected to launch over 100 crypto-linked ETF products, indicating rapid market acceptance.

The on-chain treasury (similar to ETF concept in on-chain asset management) is projected to double in size, and Ethereum and Solana are expected to hit all-time highs—provided the CLARITY bill passes. From an institutional perspective, half of Ivy League endowments may enter the crypto space, signaling a shift in traditional elite capital attitudes toward Web3.

The forecast also covers several other dimensions: crypto asset stocks will outperform tech stocks; Polymarket’s open interest will surpass levels seen during the 2024 election, setting new records; stablecoins may face criticism for allegedly undermining emerging market currencies; and the correlation between Bitcoin and traditional stocks will further decrease.

These predictions reflect a core trend—accelerating institutionalization, with crypto assets moving from the fringe to the center of mainstream finance.