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Bitcoin price around $64,000, up from $59,000, with Bitwise CIO forecasting a substantial year‑end rise as institutional demand and tokenisation milestones
Bitcoin rallied to roughly $64,000 after hovering near $59,000, and Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan told CNBC the cryptocurrency is at a “turning point” that could see it “substantially higher” by year‑end【3】. The comment comes as institutional investors increasingly add Bitcoin to their portfolios and token‑settlement infrastructure expands, signaling a potential shift in market dynamics.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Price | ~ $64,000 |
| Recent range | $59,000‑$64,000 |
| Catalyst | Spot Bitcoin ETFs, DTCC same‑day settlement tokenisation |
| On‑chain context | ~$300 bn of assets on chain vs ~$600 tn global financial assets |
Hougan highlighted that spot Bitcoin exchange‑traded funds (ETFs) and recent token‑settlement developments by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) mark a “milestone for blockchain adoption”【3】. While the direct price impact of these moves is still early, the growing presence of firms such as BlackRock and Morgan Stanley in Bitcoin‑related products suggests a broader shift from retail‑driven buying to institutional participation.
Over the past decade Bitcoin has delivered an approximate 16,000 % gain, contrasting with a 28 % decline in U.S. dollar purchasing power over the same period【3】. Hougan noted that the current bear market has erased about 50 % of the asset’s peak, less severe than the roughly 80 % drawdowns seen in earlier cycles, indicating a maturing market with potentially reduced volatility as institutional ownership expands【3】.
The CIO pointed out that only about $300 billion of assets are currently on‑chain, a fraction of the roughly $600 trillion in total global financial assets【3】. He argued that if “all capital markets come on chain” the scale of Bitcoin and other digital assets could rise dramatically, reinforcing the longer‑term upside narrative.
Hougan’s outlook hinges on the premise that Bitcoin’s institutionalisation and tokenisation breakthroughs will lift demand, but the timing and magnitude of any price move remain uncertain, leaving the market poised for a potentially decisive year‑end rally.
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AI-assisted synthesis by the TrendWatcher Editorial Desk · sourced from 4 outlets · Jul 18, 2026 · How we report
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