Consider watching Monero (XMR) for a potential pullback to the $525 - $530 level, which could present a strategic re-entry point for a long-term position. Despite short-term weakness, institutions view current Bitcoin (BTC) prices as a buying opportunity, with MicroStrategy recently purchasing at an average of $91,500. For long-term growth, a guest expert believes Solana (SOL) is positioned to outperform Ethereum (ETH) by 2026 due to significant institutional adoption. A speaker also expressed bullishness on Google (GOOGL), stating they might add to their position even at its all-time high. In the current environment, Gold is performing its role as a safe haven, while experts advise focusing on core crypto themes like DeFi and Stablecoin Finance for the next year.

Monero (XMR)

• A speaker noted XMR reached nearly $600, calling it a "big call of the year."
• Another speaker confirmed they took profits on their Monero position around the $590 level after it broke out towards its all-time high.
• It was the top mover of the week, up 33% at the time of recording.

Takeaways

• The speaker who sold some XMR believes the price may retrace to the $525 - $530 level, which was its previous all-time high.
• This level could be seen as a potential support area or a re-entry point for those who are bullish on the asset long-term, as the speaker expects it to "continue on" after the potential retrace.

Solana (SOL)

• Mentioned as a top performer, up 2% to $141 while other major cryptocurrencies were flat.
• Guest VC Mike Dudas shared a contrarian take that he believes Solana is going to outperform Ethereum as a token in 2026.
• He believes Solana will become a significant institutional chain, noting that significant assets and stablecoins are already moving in high volume on the network.

Takeaways

• Strong bullish sentiment from the guest expert, positioning Solana as a potential long-term winner that could take market share from Ethereum.
• Investors looking for exposure to high-growth Layer 1 blockchains might consider the argument that Solana is well-positioned for institutional adoption.

Bitcoin (BTC)

• The hosts expressed frustration that Bitcoin did not act as a safe haven asset during recent market turmoil, failing to rally alongside gold and silver.
• The price was noted to be around $91,130.
• Despite weak price action, major institutions are still buying. Michael Saylor's MicroStrategy bought $1.25 billion in Bitcoin at an average price of $91,500.
• VanEck's latest projections were mentioned, with a long-term base case target of $1.3 million and a bull case of $53 million by 2050.
• Bitcoin ETFs experienced four straight days of outflows, totaling $250 million on the Friday before the podcast.

Takeaways

• There's a significant disconnect between short-term market sentiment (which is bearish/frustrated) and long-term institutional conviction (which is extremely bullish).
• While the "safe haven" narrative is not currently playing out, the continued accumulation by large players like MicroStrategy suggests they see current prices as a buying opportunity for the long term.

Gold

• Gold and silver rallied on the back of news regarding Fed Chair Jerome Powell and former President Trump, acting as a classic safe haven asset.
• One of the speakers confirmed they still own gold and that it was hitting an all-time high at the time of the podcast.

Takeaways

• In the current environment of geopolitical and economic uncertainty, gold is performing its traditional role as a store of value and a hedge against risk.
• The discussion highlighted that traditional safe havens are currently outperforming crypto-native ones like Bitcoin in times of macro stress.

Google (GOOGL)

• A speaker mentioned that they own Google stock in their personal portfolio.
• The stock was noted to be trading around its all-time high.

Takeaways

• The speaker stated they "might add to Google today," indicating a bullish outlook and confidence in the stock's continued performance. This was presented as one of their three main asset holdings alongside Gold and Monero.

Pump.fun (PUMP)

• The platform's revenue was noted to be back up to $1 million per day.
• An investor in the project, Mike Dudas, gave a detailed analysis:
  • Positives: The team launched and iterated quickly, generated significant revenue, and used their "war chest" to invest in building out their mobile product.
  • Negatives: The team has not yet delivered on a promised airdrop. Communication with token holders and the wider market has been inconsistent and needs improvement.
• Dudas believes the token price is not where it should be relative to the strength of the underlying business.

Takeaways

• The business fundamentals appear strong, but the token may be undervalued due to poor communication and unfulfilled promises to the community.
• An eventual airdrop or improved communication from the team could act as a positive catalyst for the token price. This represents a potential opportunity for investors who can tolerate the risk associated with the current sentiment.

Hyperliquid (HYPE)

• The token experienced a significant price drop, described as a "horrific rug."
• The sell-off was attributed to a single, massive holder (a "cluster" of wallets) who began aggressively unstaking and selling their position.
  • This entity's holdings were initially worth over $100 million.
  • They have been unstaking and selling "nonstop," having already sold an estimated $40 million worth of HYPE.

Takeaways

• The negative price pressure on HYPE is primarily caused by a single large seller, not a fundamental flaw in the protocol itself.
• This could be seen as an opportunity for those who believe in the long-term viability of Hyperliquid, as the artificial selling pressure will eventually end. However, it remains a major risk as long as the large holder continues to sell.

Ethereum (ETH)

• The price was noted to be flat at $3,110.
• A guest expert, Mike Dudas, believes ETH will be outperformed by its competitor, Solana (SOL), in 2026.
• Despite this, institutional players continue to accumulate. Tom Lee's Bitminer was reported to have bought an additional 24,000 ETH.

Takeaways

• The sentiment around Ethereum is mixed. It faces strong competition from newer blockchains, but it continues to attract significant institutional investment.
• Investors should weigh its established network and liquidity against the higher growth potential of its competitors.

Investment Themes & Sectors

• Contrarian Take for 2026: Guest VC Mike Dudas stated that "the obvious things are going to work." He advised against chasing overly complex narratives and recommended focusing on core crypto use cases:
  • Stablecoin Finance
  • DeFi
  • Speculation and Trading (Meme coins, prediction markets, etc.)
• D-Pen (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure): Dudas believes this sector will likely underperform for another year. He cited "messiness" in how value is captured by tokens and noted that most teams in the sector are "horrible marketers."
• AI & Crypto: 2025 was described as a "total washout year" for this narrative, filled with low-quality projects. The guest expects this to change in 2026 with the emergence of more meaningful applications, but it is still very early.

Takeaways

• The expert advice for the coming year is to focus on established, proven sectors within crypto rather than speculating on nascent, unproven narratives.
• Investors may want to be cautious about allocating heavily to the D-Pen sector in the near term, as it may need more time to mature.
• While the AI & Crypto narrative has long-term potential, it is currently in a speculative and underdeveloped phase.