Santiment CEO "Institutional Participation to Intensify... Crypto Market Volatility to Increase" [Coin Interview]

Interview with Maksim Balashevich, CEO of Santiment

Complexity and Expertise in the Crypto Market to Increase

Trump Effect... Regulatory Environment Expected to Improve

Bitcoin and Ethereum to Continue Strong Performance

Maksim Balashevich, CEO of Santiment / Photo = Santiment

"The cryptocurrency market will experience a wave of institutional entry starting in 2025. The market will become more complex, and bidirectional volatility will increase."

Maksim Balashevich, CEO of the global on-chain analysis platform Santiment, shared this outlook on next year's cryptocurrency market in an interview with Bloomingbit on the 19th.

We delved into the blockchain industry and market outlook as predicted by this veteran of the crypto industry and data analysis expert.

Complexity and Expertise in the Crypto Market to Increase

CEO Balashevich believes that institutional participation in the crypto market will surge from next year. The growing market size has made cryptocurrencies attractive enough assets for institutions.

He stated, "Since the debut of the Bitcoin (BTC) Spot ETF this year, institutional participation in the crypto market has been ongoing," and predicted, "In addition to this year, next year, various asset managers such as hedge funds, family offices, and pension funds are likely to allocate assets to multiple cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH)."

However, he pointed out that the notion that institutional participation will unconditionally lead to a rise in crypto prices is mistaken. CEO Balashevich explained, "The increase in market participation by institutional investors is generally a positive signal. However, as institutions like BlackRock increase, they will view the market from both long and short positions, leading to increased volatility and making the market more professional and complex."

Trump Effect... Regulatory Environment Expected to Improve

CEO Balashevich anticipates that the global crypto regulatory landscape will change positively after the Donald Trump administration takes office in January next year.

He said, "Trump showed a very crypto-friendly attitude through his election pledges," and added, "Crypto regulations are likely to become more open and flexible, centered around the United States and Switzerland, and will positively impact the European and Asian markets."

Donald Trump has proposed election pledges to promote the crypto industry, including △Strategic Bitcoin Asset Reserve △Support for Bitcoin (BTC) Mining in the U.S. △End of Crypto Regulation Crackdown △Abolition of Bitcoin Capital Gains Tax △Ban on CBDCs.

He believes that the improved regulatory environment will lead to more active research into Web3 use cases, such as AI data processing. CEO Balashevich stated, "Santiment is also actively investing in and researching various use cases, such as stablecoins, decentralized lending markets, and AI-driven data processing."

Bitcoin and Ethereum to Continue Strong Performance

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), which have already risen to major asset classes, are likely to continue their strong performance.

CEO Balashevich said, "No one knows when the market turning point will come in the future, but Bitcoin and Ethereum, which are currently leading the market, are expected to continue their strong performance," and added, "In particular, Ethereum is likely to rebound from negative sentiment and oversold conditions."

He continued, "The market always follows cycles. Simplifying indicators and analysis is necessary to effectively respond to the up and down cycles."

Meanwhile, he expressed somewhat negative views on altcoins other than Ethereum. He predicted, "Major altcoin projects like Solana (SOL) may face growth challenges due to technical issues and competitive pressure."