As the cryptocurrency market gears up for 2025, bitcoin and ethereum are positioned for significant gains, according to Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise Asset Management.

Speaking with Aaron Arnold, Co-host of Altcoin Daily, Hougan discussed the potential for bitcoin to hit six figures and ethereum to break its all-time highs, driven by key factors like the bitcoin halving, ETF adoption, and growing applications in decentralized finance (DeFi).

When asked about his 2025 bitcoin price outlook, Matt Hougan flirted with the idea of bitcoin cracking $200,000.

"I think it's going to be a new all-time high. I think it's going to be six-figure bitcoin for sure. And the question is, is it a one handle or is it a two handle?" He emphasized the significance of the upcoming bitcoin halving and the anticipated impact of ETFs, adding, "The setup for 2025 is really exceptional."

Hougan also pointed to broader economic factors that could boost bitcoin's value. "We have governments continuing to abuse fiat currencies, stimulus in China, rate cuts. That's a pretty positive picture," he noted. When Arnold pressed about the possibility of bitcoin reaching $200,000, Hougan affirmed, "I think that's certainly within the realm of possibility."

Turning to ethereum, Hougan expressed a contrarian bullish stance. "I'm actually quite constructive on ethereum right now. It's the leading blockchain for stablecoins, DeFi, and tokenization," he explained. He highlighted that traditional financial players are likely to choose ethereum for building on a public blockchain, saying, "Most likely, you're going to choose ethereum."

Hougan believes that with positive stablecoin legislation and growth in ethereum-based applications, the cryptocurrency could hit new highs. "If we see those two things, absolutely ETH could move to all-time highs," he asserted. Concluding his insights, he remarked, "All-time highs in 2025 is certainly within the realm of what we could see."