# Bitwise CIO Expects Crypto Buying Opportunity but Cannot Predict Timing By Token Post Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/insights/57600 Published: 2026-11-15T01:30:09.000Z Updated: 2026-11-15T01:30:09.000Z Section: Insights & Views > Hougan compared current fatigue with mid-2018, when decentralized finance helped drive a breakthrough after the downturn. Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan said crypto markets are still absorbing long-term pressures and may need a period of relief; he expects a major buying opportunity but cannot predict its timing. Hougan compared current conditions with mid-2018, when many market participants became tired and left. He included elections, Binance and tighter monetary policy among the longer-term factors the market is processing. His earlier [assessment of crypto’s cycle low]() also included a warning that the market could face several weeks of uncertainty. Hougan pointed to decentralized finance (DeFi) as the innovation that helped drive a breakthrough after the 2018 downturn. He speculated that innovation could play a similar role again, while saying such shifts are difficult to anticipate. If a breakthrough were easy to foresee, he said, it would prompt business plans involving billions of dollars. ## Links in this article - [assessment of crypto’s cycle low](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/people/54386)