Crypto In 2025, Is DAT Season Over & Market Outlook With Jordi Alexander
Crypto In 2025, Is DAT Season Over & Market Outlook With Jordi Alexander
220 days agoEmpireBlockworks
Podcast18 min 17 sec
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Exercise caution as the crypto market appears overheated and may be due for a short-term correction, which could present a better buying opportunity. While Bitcoin is a solid long-term holding, consider waiting for a market-wide dip before adding to your position. For active users, participating on emerging PerpDex platforms like LIDR and Aster could be a strategy to farm potential airdrops. Avoid the Discounted Asset Token (DAT) theme, which is considered over, and be wary of tokens like Ethena (ENA) where hype has already been priced in. Finally, keep the AI in Web3 sector on your watchlist for a potential resurgence in Q4 2024 or Q1 2025, focusing on projects with real applications.

Detailed Analysis

General Crypto Market Outlook

  • The current market is described as confusing. The broader macro environment is very strong, with gold and stocks performing well, which would typically be bullish for crypto, but crypto assets like Bitcoin have been lagging.
  • Liquidity is not spread out but is instead concentrating in specific narratives or themes (like the "PerpDex war"). These themes can be short-lived, with capital rotating to the next hot thing within a week or two.
  • The speaker, Jordi Alexander, believes the market is in a "tail alts moment," where smaller, more speculative altcoins are seeing big pumps. Historically, this phase of the market "usually doesn't end well" and often precedes a correction.
  • He is not bearish long-term but expects a short-term "reset" or "flush out" due to excessive leverage in the market, evidenced by a recent large liquidation event. After this correction, he expects the market to resume its upward trend, potentially led by Bitcoin.
  • The traditional "four-year cycle" based on Bitcoin's halving is considered less relevant now. This is due to constant money printing by central banks (like the Fed) and increasing government involvement in the crypto space.

Takeaways

  • Be Cautious in the Short-Term: The market may be overheated, especially in speculative altcoins. A market-wide correction or "flush out" is possible.
  • Patience is Key: It may not be the best time to aggressively buy into the market. The speaker advises waiting for a "good dip to buy."
  • Focus on Macro Trends: The long-term bullish case for crypto is supported by a macro environment of high government debt and money printing, which devalues traditional currencies.

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • Bitcoin's performance has been "lackluster" recently, failing to keep pace with the rally in gold.
  • It is described as looking "so cheap relative to gold," suggesting it may be undervalued on a comparative basis.
  • The speaker is still holding Bitcoin but anticipates it could go lower in a broader market correction before it eventually "leads the way" in the next recovery.

Takeaways

  • Long-Term Hold: Bitcoin is viewed as a solid long-term holding, especially given its relative value compared to gold.
  • Expect Volatility: While the long-term outlook is positive, be prepared for potential short-term price drops. A market-wide dip would likely pull Bitcoin down with it.

PerpDex (Perpetual Decentralized Exchanges) Sector

  • This sector is currently the hottest narrative in crypto, referred to as the "PerpDex war."
  • Hyperliquid has been the clear winner so far, but new competitors are emerging and gaining traction, including LIDR and Aster.
  • The speaker warns that this is a difficult space. He mentions Vertex as an example of a great product whose token still struggled to perform, showing that a good product doesn't guarantee investment success.
  • A key challenge for these platforms is balancing the need to offer airdrops to attract users against the risk of creating massive selling pressure that hurts the token price.

Takeaways

  • Hot but Risky Sector: The PerpDex sector offers high potential rewards but also comes with significant risk and competition.
  • Airdrop Farming Potential: For active users, participating on these platforms to "farm" potential airdrops could be profitable. The speaker notes that the Hyperliquid airdrop was very lucrative for early users. A strategy could be to open accounts and trade on several of the new platforms.
  • Understand the Tokenomics: Before investing in a PerpDex token, it's crucial to understand its airdrop and token unlock schedule, as these events can create significant selling pressure.

Key Projects Mentioned:

  • Hyperliquid: The current market leader, but it faces a dilemma on whether to issue a second airdrop, which could create billions in selling pressure. Upcoming token unlocks are another factor to watch.
  • LIDR: An emerging competitor praised for its zero-fee model and focus on retail users. The speaker disclosed he is an angel investor in this project.
  • Aster: Described as the "Binance Hyperliquid," this project has a very high valuation already, which could make it difficult to absorb a future airdrop without a negative price impact.

DAT (Discounted Asset Tokens) Season

  • The speaker believes the "DAT season" is "over." This refers to the trend of investing in tokens that represent a treasury of other crypto assets (e.g., a fund that holds BTC and ETH and issues its own token).
  • The primary reasons for this view are a lack of retail appetite for these products and shrinking discounts to their net asset value (NAV).
  • The model is evolving, with newer projects trying to act more like "operating companies" with real cash flow, which is seen as a positive development.

Takeaways

  • Theme Has Faded: The investment thesis of buying discounted crypto treasuries appears to have lost momentum. Investors should be cautious with projects still following this model, especially "copycat" ones.
  • Ethena (ENA) as a Cautionary Tale: Ethena is used as an example of the risks. Despite a stream of "incredible" positive news (like a Binance integration), its token has been "down only." This is because the hype was "front-run" by early investors who are now selling, overwhelming any new buying pressure. This highlights the danger of buying into a narrative after the price has already run up significantly.

AI in Web3

  • The intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Web3 is identified as a major theme to watch for the future.
  • The speaker is very bullish on the category and expects an "AI season part two" to emerge, possibly in Q4 2024 or Q1 2025.
  • For this theme to take off, the space needs a "few killer apps" that successfully integrate AI with crypto's infrastructure.
  • A specific investment mentioned was in Everlin, a company focused on tokenizing AI-generated video.

Takeaways

  • Future Growth Area: AI is a promising long-term narrative within crypto. While not the current focus of the market, it's a sector worth monitoring for future investment opportunities.
  • Look for Real Applications: The success of this theme will depend on projects building useful products, not just hype. Keep an eye out for projects that are creating "killer apps."

Low Float, High FDV Tokens

  • This market structure, where a project launches with a small circulating supply (low float) but a very high fully diluted valuation (high FDV), is seeing a "huge resurgence."
  • This can lead to massive short-term price pumps and "short squeezes."
  • However, the speaker warns that this is not a healthy long-term structure. As more tokens unlock over time, it creates constant selling pressure, and the chart often becomes "down only."

Takeaways

  • High-Risk Strategy: Investing in low float, high FDV tokens is extremely risky. While they can offer explosive short-term gains, they carry a high risk of long-term price decline as supply increases.
  • Check the Unlock Schedule: Before investing, always research a project's tokenomics and find out when and how many new tokens will be released into the market. This is a critical risk factor.
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Episode Description
This week Jordi Alexander joins the show live from the Origin Summit alongside Felix Jauvin. We deep dive into where are we in the cycle, is DAT season over, finding opportunity as an investor & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jordi: https://x.com/gametheorizing Follow Felix: https://x.com/fejau_inc Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from David Canellis. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:33) Where Are We In The Cycle? (4:40) Perp DEXs (8:49) What To Focus On As An Investor (11:06) Is DAT Season Over? (16:41) Final Thoughts -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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