Bitwise Asset Management CEO Hunter Horsley says the crypto industry is entering a new phase in 2026, driven by rapid institutional adoption and improving regulatory clarity.

Banks Accelerate Crypto Initiatives

In an Apr. 30 interview, Horsley said banks, corporations and financial institutions are moving aggressively into digital assets, with some firms pushing teams to go "from zero to 500 miles an hour" on crypto strategies.

He attributed this acceleration to a combination of clearer regulations, more mature infrastructure and rising demand for assets such as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and stablecoins.

Horsley also pushed back on concerns that Bitcoin is "too expensive," arguing that the more relevant question is whether it becomes a permanent global asset class alongside equities, bonds and real estate.

Under that scenario, he said, significantly higher long-term valuations could be justified.

Structural Tailwinds Support Long-Term Growth

Horsley compared the current stage of crypto adoption to the early internet era, where initial skepticism gave way to rapid, structural transformation.

He said blockchain technology could similarly reshape financial services, with public networks increasingly absorbing functions traditionally handled by legacy institutions.

A key theme in his outlook is market scale.

Horsley noted that Bitcoin is effectively competing for capital within a global asset pool estimated at around $400 trillion, suggesting even modest allocation shifts could have an outsized impact on prices.

He outlined the drivers of the next growth phase, which are growing institutional allocation to alternative assets, generational wealth transfer to younger, crypto-native investors, increasing distrust in traditional financial systems, expanding regulatory clarity and continued growth in stablecoins, decentralized finance and tokenized assets.

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