The post 3 Checkpoints for Crypto to Reach New Highs in 2026: Bitwise appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Crypto markets need to pass three so-called checkpoints in order to reach new peaks in 2026, which include the US Senate passing a highly-awaited crypto bill, says Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan. “Crypto is off to a good start in 2026,” Hougan said in a note on Tuesday, but added there are “three big hurdles standing between us and new all-time highs.”  Markets are currently down 2% over the past 24 hours, but have gained 5.6%, or around $170 billion, since the beginning of the year, pushing total capitalization to a seven-week high of $3.3 trillion on Wednesday. Hougan said that the Oct. 10 market meltdown, which wiped out $19 billion in futures positions in a single day, caused investors to worry that a major market maker or hedge fund would have to wind down. “These potential sales hung over the market like a heavy fog,” preventing a rally in late 2025, he said. “One of the reasons I think we’ve rallied to start this year is that investors have put October 10 in the rearview.” Crypto markets shed over $1.2 trillion following the Oct. 10 crash but have shown signs of recovery in January. Source: Coingecko CLARITY Act progressing through Congress The US Senate is targeting Jan. 15 for a markup of the CLARITY Act, a process that involves aligning drafts in the Senate Banking and Agriculture committees and pushing the final bill to a vote. “Passage of the CLARITY Act is key to the long-term future of crypto in the US [and would] enshrine core principles into law and provide a strong foundation for future growth,” Hougan said. Related: US lawmakers expected to address market structure markup in January The third “checkpoint” is for the broader equity market to stay intact. Crypto is not highly correlated with…

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Filed under: News - @ January 8, 2026 5:21 am