Bitwise CIO: The crypto market is shifting from momentum trading to contrarian bets; further sustained rallies in major cryptocurrencies await legislative clarity.

According to The Block, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan noted in his latest weekly report that as the Nasdaq-100 Index has surged 43% year-to-date and AI-related stocks continue attracting capital, the crypto market is undergoing a shift—from “momentum trading” to “contrarian bets.” Investors must adopt a long-term perspective and focus on fundamentals. Hougan also observed that during this crypto winter, capital has not flowed into mainstream safe-haven assets like Bitcoin; instead, it has poured into mid- and small-cap tokens with distinctive narratives—such as Hyperliquid (up 72% month-to-date), Zcash (up 50%), and Stellar (up 44%). Additionally, he emphasized that uncertainty surrounding the Clarity Act—a proposed legislative framework for crypto market structure—remains a key constraint on institutional capital inflows. Galaxy analysts and Polymarket both estimate the bill’s passage probability at roughly 50–55%. A sustainable rally in major crypto assets may only materialize after the legislation is enacted.