$15,000 ETH by Year-End? Etherealize Founders Lay Out the Path to a New High | Markets Outlook

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan breaks down the 2025 bear market, central banks’ preference for bitcoin over gold, and Solana’s potential to challenge Ethereum's dominance. Bitwise Chief Investment Officer, Matt Hougan joins CoinDesk’s Markets Outlook with Jennifer Sanasie and Andy Baehr. He explains why he believes 2025 was a bear market and where he sees markets going from here. Hougan breaks down why central banks are eyeing bitcoin as a superior self-custody tool to gold, Bitwise’s on-chain yield vaults, and why he's betting on Solana as the challenger to Ethereum's dominance. With President Trump tapping Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair, Hougan weighs in on what this means for crypto. Notably, Warsh is listed as an investor and advisor on Bitwise’s website.- Timecodes:0:53 - Why Are Markets Down Today?3:13 - Precious Metals vs. Bitcoin7:05 - Why the Crypto ETF Genie is Already Out of the Bottle9:15 - Bitwise’s On-Chain Yield and DeFi Vaults13:22 -What Central Banks Are Asking Bitwise About Bitcoin17:44 - How Matt Hougan Thinks BTC Gets to $6.5 Million in 20 Years19:15 - Beyond BTC and ETH: Matt Hougan’s Case for Altcoins21:00 - Solana vs. Ethereum: The Battle for Wall Street24:20 - What Impact Would Trump’s Fed Reserve Chair Nominee, Kevin Warsh, Have on Crypto? - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

SharpLink CEO, Joseph Chalom joins CoinDesk to explain why Ethereum is poised for 10x TVL growth in 2026, driven by RWA tokenization, sovereign wealth migration, and SharpLink’s role as the world’s second-largest public ETH holder. SharpLink CEO and former BlackRock head of digital assets strategy, Joseph Chalom, joins CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie on Markets Outlook. He  explains why he believes Ethereum’s Total Value Locked (TVL) is poised for 10X growth in 2026. Chalom breaks down how stablecoins, RWA tokenization, and sovereign wealth funds are migrating to decentralized rails, effectively turning Ethereum into the "toll road" of global finance. They also dive into the rise of AI agents in DeFi and how SharpLink is pioneering a new institutional treasury model as the world’s second-largest public ETH holder. -Timecodes0:55 - Bitcoin and Ethereum Price Analysis2:41 - Gold, Silver, and Meme Commodities5:30 - Ethereum vs. Solana: The Battle for Wall Street7:24 - The Future of Tokenized Fund Complexes9:05 - Why the Lack of Crypto Legislation Won't Stop Institutional Builders10:29 - Quantum Computing and AI in Crypto17:11 - Sharp Link’s 2026 Strategy19:57 - How SharpLink Plans to Outlast Traditional Crypto Funds22:13 - Chalom's View for ETH in 2026 - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

Kevin O’Leary reveals why he slashed 27 crypto positions to pivot into a massive $70B energy infrastructure play, focusing strictly on the dominance of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the power required to fuel them. Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary joins Jennifer Sanasie and Andy Baehr on Markets Outlook to break down why he recently slashed 27 crypto positions from his portfolio to focus strictly on the "Two Girl Dance" of bitcoin and ethereum, and the massive energy infrastructure that powers them. Kevin unpacks his 19% crypto allocation strategy, the $70 billion scale of data center development, and why he's moving into private debt markets for turbines. Plus, hear his take on why Solana and other altcoins face a "Sisyphean task" to catch ETH, and his bold prediction for the Clarity Act passage by May 15th. - Timecodes: 0:45 - Kevin O'Leary's Acting Debut 2:24 - Bitcoin Outlook 4:02 - Why Kevin Only Holds BTC and ETH 10:40 - It's Just Software" O’Leary’s Warning on Solana’s Narrative 15:30 - Why Kevin Says Power is More Valuable Than Bitcoin 19:30 - Why Land & Permits are the Ultimate Competitive Advantage 25:09 - Will Clarity Act Pass Before Midterms? - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

In today’s Markets Outlook, Etherealize founders Vivek Raman and Danny Ryan join Jennifer Sanasie to discuss why Ethereum is emerging from "regulatory purgatory" and entering a multi-trillion dollar repricing phase. - Check out CoinDesk’s research report on Pudgy Penguins at: ⁠https://www.coindesk.com/research/pudgy-penguins-a-new-blueprint-for-tokenized-culture⁠. - Timecodes: 01:20 – Will The Clarity Act Pass?02:56 – Why the Founders Remain Optimistic on Crypto Legislation04:47 – Why Danny Ryan Left the Ethereum Foundation for Etherealize05:30 – The Institutional Case for Ethereum11:46 – Why the Stalled Market Structure Bill Won't Stop Growth15:51 – $15,000 ETH: Breaking Down Vivek Raman’s 2026 Prediction20:41 – Can Ethereum Handle an Influx of Assets?22:26 – How Institutions Are Thinking About Privacy - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

Challenging bitcoin's safe haven status with Fairlead Strategies Founder Katie Stockton. In today's Markets Outlook, Katie Stockton of Fairlead Strategies joins CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie to break down why bitcoin is behaving more like a risk asset than a safe haven as it hits critical technical support levels. Plus, she explores the potential for a short-term relief rally and explains how to use the cloud model to manage risk during the current market transition. - Check out CoinDesk’s research report on Pudgy Penguins at: https://www.coindesk.com/research/pudgy-penguins-a-new-blueprint-for-tokenized-culture. - Timecodes: 01:09 - Is Bitcoin Losing Safe Haven Status?04:00 - Critical Support Levels for Bitcoin06:48 - Ether Price Targets and Technicals08:29 - What Does Divergence Between Crypto Assets & the Equities Market Mean?09:24 - Assessing the Altcoin Rotation - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

Exploring the memecoin index's ability to gauge the markets with CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie and Andy Baehr. After a rocky end to 2025, the New Year is off to a fast start with the memecoin index jumping 25% in just five days. In today's Markets Outlook, CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie and Andy Baehr break down the return of retail demand, the impact of the October 10th event, and what's ahead for 2026. - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

Bitcoin's major test in 2026 with Bitlayer Co-Founder Charlie Hu. In today's Markets Outlook, Bitlayer Co-Founder Charlie Hu joins CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie to discuss the major test bitcoin faces following the US military operation in Venezuela. Plus, he analyzes the 2026 market outlook, exploring how hyperinflation and geopolitical shifts are driving bitcoin adoption, and the rise of decentralized finance. - Check out CoinDesk’s research report on the State of Blockchain 2025 commissioned by Input Output Group: https://www.coindesk.com/research/state-of-the-blockchain-2025 - Timecodes: 01:27 - Analyzing the "Relief Rally" 02:21 - Bitcoin as a Lifeline Against Hyperinflation in Venezuela 05:39 - Digital Gold vs. Precious Metals in 2026 08:22 - Biggest Bottleneck Preventing Bitcoin from Entering DeFi 12:36 - Does the Rise of Stablecoins Change the Value Prop of Bitcoin in Emerging Markets? 15:49 - Why Charlie Still Believes Bitcoin is Headed to Another ATH 17:25 - What Charlie is Watching in 2026 - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

Gold's outlook for 2026 with SchiffGold Founder Peter Schiff. Euro Pacific Asset Management Chief Economist Peter Schiff has been named to CoinDesk’s 50 Most Influential list. In this interview with CoinDesk’s Jennifer Sanasie, the SchiffGold founder reflects on gold's record highs, and shares his skepticism of bitcoin, asserting that the cryptocurrency lacks the properties of sound money. He also predicts the collapse of Strategy’s business model and unveils his own pivot to the blockchain: a new tokenized gold product. - For more, check out CoinDesk’s 50 Most Influential article on Peter Schiff: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/12/16/most-influential-peter-schiff.  To see the full list, visit: https://www.coindesk.com/most-influential-2025. - Timecodes:  01:14 - Peter Schiff: The Unlikely Bitcoin Influencer 04:44 - Key Moments that Drove Gold to a Record High 06:23 - Where is Gold Headed in 2026?  10:33 - Why Scarcity Doesn't Make Bitcoin Sound Money 13:23 - The Myth of Government & Central Bank BTC Adoption 15:29 - Peter Warns About the Vulnerability of Bitcoin ETFs and Predicts Strategy’s Collapse 18:56 - Peter Continues to Challenge Michael Saylor to a Debate 20:18 - The Tokenized Gold Future 23:24 - Peter’s Reaction to CZ’s Comments on Tokenized Gold - Break the cycle of exploitation. Break down the barriers to truth. Break into the next generation of privacy. Break Free. Free to scroll without being monetized. Free from censorship. Freedom without fear. We deserve more when it comes to privacy. Experience the next generation of blockchain that is private and inclusive by design. Break free with Midnight, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠midnight.network/break-free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

Where bitcoin is headed and other predictions for the New Year with BitMEX Co-Founder and Maelstrom CIO Arthur Hayes. BitMEX Co-founder and Maelstrom CIO, Arthur Hayes has been named one of CoinDesk’s 50 Most Influential People. He joins CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie, to discuss his famous and persistent $250,000 bitcoin forecast and the macro forces driving it. Plus, he explains why Zcash is his best investment and reveals his top three assets for 2026. To hear more from Arthur Hayes, visit:  X - https://x.com/cryptohayes  IG - https://www.instagram.com/cryptohayes/ Web - https://www.cryptohayes.com  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-hayes-b493b42/  Substack - https://cryptohayes.substack.com/  – For more, check out CoinDesk’s 50 Most Influential article on Arthur Hayes: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/12/11/most-influential-arthur-hayes.  To see the full list, visit: https://www.coindesk.com/most-influential-2025.  – Timecodes:  00:52 - Why What Arthur Says Resonates  01:32 - His Best Spat of 2025 02:25 - Why Zcash Finally Popped Off 04:49 - Arthur’s Zcash Prediction 07:03 - His Top Three Investments of 2025 08:07 - “It Doesn’t Matter Who Wins” - The Election Cycle and Massive Money Printing 12:02 - Is Bitcoin’s Rise Worrisome for the U.S. Economy? 12:55 - Arthur’s BTC Price Predictions 13:45 - The Biggest Crypto Trend of 2026 15:18 - The Biggest Challenge & Biggest Win for the Crypto Industry - Break the cycle of exploitation. Break down the barriers to truth. Break into the next generation of privacy. Break Free. Free to scroll without being monetized. Free from censorship. Freedom without fear. We deserve more when it comes to privacy. Experience the next generation of blockchain that is private and inclusive by design. Break free with Midnight, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠midnight.network/break-free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie.

A look at Forward Industries' strategy leveraging Solana's ecosystem with Multicoin Capital Co-Founder & Managing Partner Forward Industries Chairman Kyle Samani. Speaking with CoinDesk from Solana Breakpoint, Multicoin Capital Co-Founder & Managing Partner Forward Industries Chairman Kyle Samani discusses the biggest news from the event, including major financial firms launching tokenized products on the network. He explains how Forward Industries is actively leveraging Solana's thriving DeFi ecosystem to generate yield—a strategy fundamentally different from bitcoin treasury models, and reveals his prediction for the inevitable consolidation of digital asset treasury companies. - This episode was hosted by Jennifer Sanasie and Marissa Trew.