Bitwise CIO Identifies 4 Promising Cryptocurrencies for 2026! “Bitcoin and Three Altcoins Included in the List!”

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan revealed four cryptocurrencies he believes should be held while the bear market continues: Bitcoin ($BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and Chainlink ($LINK).

Speaking on the When Shift Happens podcast, Bitwise CIO Hougan also explained why he chose these cryptocurrencies.

Hougan, who opened a bearish headline for Bitcoin and Chainlink, said the following:

1) Bitcoin ($BTC):

Despite the declines, Hougan said Bitcoin was the single clear winner.

However, despite Bitcoin’s success and distinctiveness, Hougan suggests creating a portfolio rather than investing in a single winner.

Hougan said that markets are currently pricing in a roughly 0% probability of actively buying Bitcoin beyond the assets seized by the US government. However, he estimates this probability to be between 10-25%.

“If the US were to buy Bitcoin, I think the price would jump almost instantly to half a million dollars or more.”

2) Chainlink ($LINK):

Hougan’s most interesting altcoin choice appears to be Chainlink. Hougan’s argument for $LINK rests on a single point: “If stablecoins and tokenization grow as expected, oracles will become the core infrastructure, and Chainlink will dominate this market.”

At this point, Hougan believes that tokenization alone represents a much greater opportunity than stablecoins.

Finally, Hougan added that he also sees opportunities in Ethereum and Solana.

*This is not investment advice.