Haseeb Grades His 2025 Calls (And Drops His Biggest Predictions Yet)
Haseeb Grades His 2025 Calls (And Drops His Biggest Predictions Yet)
Podcast1 hr 5 min
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Consider Bitcoin (BTC) for a potential run to $150,000 by the end of 2026, driven by expected financial stimulus and a favorable macro environment. The infrastructure enabling stablecoin spending is a key growth area, with providers like Rain identified as a potential "biggest winner" from the predicted 1,000% growth in stablecoin-backed cards. Avalanche (AVAX) is uniquely positioned to onboard major banking and fintech clients, making its ecosystem a prime candidate for institutional-led growth. In decentralized derivatives, watch for market consolidation around leaders like Hyperliquid, Aevo, and Lighter. While BTC's price is expected to rise, its market dominance may decrease, suggesting that select altcoins could offer higher percentage gains in 2026.

Detailed Analysis

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • A price prediction of $150,000 by the end of 2026 was made, driven by expected financial stimulus (rate cuts, fiscally stimulative policies).
  • Bitcoin's dominance is expected to decrease in 2026, following a cyclical "sine wave" pattern where altcoins regain market share.
  • A potential catalyst mentioned is a "capital flight" out of gold and into Bitcoin. This is based on a speculative "asteroid risk" to gold, where the potential for asteroid mining (by companies like SpaceX) could dramatically increase the global gold supply, highlighting Bitcoin's fixed, un-mineable supply.

Takeaways

  • Bullish Sentiment: The speaker is bullish on Bitcoin's price for 2026, citing a favorable macro environment.
  • Price Target: A specific target of $150,000 by year-end 2026 was mentioned.
  • Portfolio Allocation: While bullish on BTC's price, the prediction of decreasing dominance suggests that altcoins may outperform Bitcoin in percentage terms during 2026. Investors might consider this when balancing their portfolio between Bitcoin and other crypto assets.

Ethereum (ETH)

  • Ethereum experienced a "revival" in 2025, successfully pivoting to refocus on scaling the base layer (L1) and supporting developers.
  • It is considered the "home" for the most important components of the current crypto ecosystem: the most stablecoins, the most Real World Assets (RWAs), and the most DeFi activity.
  • This strong foundation makes it the default choice for institutions and corporations entering the space, who prioritize ease of use, developer talent, and access to existing liquidity over minor technical differences.

Takeaways

  • Bullish Sentiment: Ethereum is viewed as a core, fundamental holding that is well-positioned to capture value from institutional adoption and the growth of stablecoins and RWAs.
  • Investment Thesis: Investing in Ethereum is a bet on the continued dominance of its ecosystem and its attractiveness to large corporations and financial players who are looking for the most established and tooled platform.

Solana (SOL)

  • The narrative that "Solana is just gonna eat everything" has cooled off since its peak in late 2024/early 2025. Its market share in key metrics like transaction volume and TVL has declined from its all-time highs.
  • While no longer seen as the sole future, it remains a very large, important, and viable blockchain.
  • Technical improvements, particularly in data indexing, have made it a more attractive platform for projects like stablecoins to launch on.

Takeaways

  • Neutral to Cautious Sentiment: The extreme hype has subsided, leading to a more realistic valuation and role in the ecosystem. It's a major player, but not the "Ethereum killer" some predicted.
  • Competitive Landscape: Solana is the primary alternative to the EVM (Ethereum-based) world. Its future growth depends on its ability to continue attracting users and developers in a competitive market, rather than simply taking over the entire space.

Investment Theme: EVM vs. SVM

  • EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) remains the dominant architecture for blockchains.
  • Corporations and enterprises strongly prefer EVM chains, not because of superior performance, but because of the vast ecosystem of tools, developers, and interoperable contracts. The ease of adoption is a critical business decision.
  • SVM (Solana Virtual Machine) requires hiring specialized Rust engineers and building new contracts, which is a significant hurdle for businesses looking to enter the crypto space easily.

Takeaways

  • Follow the Developers: The "network effect" of EVM is a powerful moat. Investments in EVM-based infrastructure and applications may be lower risk as they tap into the largest existing pool of talent and tools.
  • Corporate Adoption: The preference of corporations for EVM suggests that new "corporate chains" and institutional products are most likely to be built on EVM-compatible technology.

Investment Theme: Perpetual DEXs

  • The market for decentralized perpetual futures exchanges (Perp DEXs) is expected to consolidate around three main venues, with a market share split similar to 40% / 30% / 20%.
  • The current leaders mentioned are Hyperliquid, Aevo (referred to as Aster), and Lighter.
  • A major growth area will be equity perps (trading synthetic stocks), which are predicted to account for 20% of total DeFi perp volume by the end of 2026. TradeXYZ and Ostium are noted as key players.
  • The growth of equity perps is expected to attract mainstream attention, potentially leading to a major insider trading scandal that gets reported in mainstream news.

Takeaways

  • Consolidation Play: Investors should watch the top 3 Perp DEXs for signs of sustained market leadership. The market is unlikely to be a "winner-take-all" scenario.
  • Growth Vector: The rise of equity perps is a key trend. Platforms that successfully and safely offer these products could see significant growth.
  • Risk Factor: The prediction of an insider trading scandal highlights the regulatory risk facing this sector. Increased scrutiny from regulators is a likely consequence of its growth.

Investment Theme: Stablecoins & Neo-Finance

  • Stablecoin supply is predicted to grow by at least 60% in 2026.
  • USDT (Tether) dominance is expected to decline moderately to around 55%.
  • The breakout use case for distribution, especially in emerging markets, will be stablecoin-backed cards. This category is predicted to grow by 1,000% in 2026.
  • Rain is identified as the key B2B infrastructure provider in the card space and the "biggest winner" in this trend. EtherFi is mentioned as a company that uses Rain's backend for its card program.

Takeaways

  • Bullish on Stablecoin Growth: This is a high-conviction bet on the continued global adoption of digital dollars.
  • Pick-and-Shovel Play: Investing in the infrastructure that enables stablecoin spending (like Rain) is presented as a key way to get exposure to this growth, rather than just holding the stablecoins themselves.
  • Emerging Markets Focus: The "neo-finance" trend of using stablecoin-powered apps and cards is a primary driver of financial access and crypto adoption in emerging markets.

Investment Theme: AI & Crypto

  • The 2025 hype around AI agent meme coins has completely flamed out. These were not sound long-term investments.
  • More "serious" decentralized AI players are now gaining mindshare, with Near, Jensen, Prime Intellect, and Noose Research mentioned as examples.
  • The next "mini mania" in AI-crypto will likely occur when AI agents can become true economic actors (i.e., pay each other), but this is not expected to happen in 2026 and is likely more than a year away.
  • A potential acquisition of a crypto wallet by a big tech company like Google, Facebook, or even OpenAI could be driven by the need to facilitate payments between AI agents in the future.

Takeaways

  • Be Wary of Hype: The AI-crypto narrative is prone to speculative bubbles that quickly burst. Focus on projects with tangible use cases.
  • Long-Term Vision: The true convergence of AI and crypto (agents as economic actors) is still on the distant horizon. Current investments should be viewed as very early-stage and high-risk.
  • Watch Big Tech: Keep an eye on M&A activity. An acquisition of a crypto wallet by a major AI player would be a significant signal that the "agent economy" is getting closer to reality.

Specific Project Mentions

  • Polymarket:
    • Described as Dragonfly's "biggest win of the year," having successfully created the prediction market category against consensus.
    • Bullish Takeaway: The platform is expected to continue its "steamroll" of culture and even take market share from traditional betting platforms. It is seen as a dominant, direct-to-consumer winner.
  • Axelar (AXL):
    • Mentioned as a "biggest loss" for Dragonfly, highlighting the risks of investing at market tops and in crowded sectors like interoperability.
    • Bearish Takeaway: The entire bridging/interoperability space has been "crushed." The acquisition of the dev team by Circle also introduces complex token vs. equity questions for investors.
  • Corporate Chains (Tempo, ARK, Robinhood Chain):
    • The speaker is bearish on the 2026 performance of these chains, predicting they will "underwhelm."
    • Bearish Takeaway: These are viewed as "flyer bets" by their parent companies (Stripe, Circle, Robinhood) and not "all-in" strategic commitments. They may struggle to gain traction against neutral, open platforms like Ethereum and Solana.
  • Avalanche (AVAX):
    • Positioned as the likely standout for onboarding Fortune 100 banking and fintech players who want to launch their own blockchains.
    • Bullish Takeaway: Avalanche's focus on customizability (subnets) for privacy and validator control makes it uniquely suited for the needs of large, regulated financial institutions. This could be a significant growth driver for the ecosystem.
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Episode Description
In this episode, we sit down with Haseeb Qureshi from Dragonfly to review his 2025 predictions, grade his calls, and reveal what's actually coming in 2026. Haseeb breaks down stablecoins exploding 60% through neo-banking cards, DeFi consolidating into 3 major players, Big Tech acquiring crypto wallets, and why prediction markets will steamroll everything. We discuss: -Bitcoin Hits 150K, But Altcoin Dominance Declines -Why EVM Won The Architecture War -Stablecoins Explode 60% Through Neo-Banking Cards -DeFi Perps Consolidate Into 3 Major Players -Big Tech Acquires A Crypto Wallet -Fortune 100 Companies Launch More Blockchains -Equity Perps Take Off & Insider Trading Scandals Hit -Buyer's Remorse On Crypto Regulation -Why Prediction Markets Will Steamroll Everything Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:22 AI Agent Predictions Review 06:02 EVM vs SVM Market Dominance 07:38 Kalshi Ad, YEET Ad, Trezor Ad 11:55 Ethereum's Bullish Reversal 15:11 Corporate Chain Reality Check 20:40 App Chain Migration Challenges 23:28 The Death of Airdrops & Points 27:29 Asteroid Mining & Gold's Bitcoin Risk 31:35 Dragonfly's Biggest Wins & Losses 31:50 Halliday Ad, infiniFi Ad, Hibachi Ad 36:17 2026: Fintech Chains Will Underwhelm 39:16 Big Tech Wallet Acquisition Coming 44:20 DeFi Perps 40-30-20 Consolidation 48:35 Equity Perps & Insider Trading Scandals 52:13 Stablecoins Grow 60% Via Neo-Banking 59:50 Crypto Regulation Buyer's Remorse 1:03:05 Prediction Markets Dominate 1:04:34 AI Security & Software Engineering Focus Website: https://therollup.co/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd... Podcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcast Follow us on X: https://www.x.com/therollupco Follow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollup Follow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandy Join our TG group: https://t.me/+TsM1CRpWFgk1NGZh The Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl ๐——๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—–๐—Ÿ๐—”๐—œ๐— ๐—˜๐—ฅ: ๐˜๐˜ฏ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ค๐˜ณ๐˜บ๐˜ฑ๐˜ต๐˜ฐ๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜‹๐˜ฆ๐˜๐˜ช ๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฎ๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ฌ๐˜ด ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ญ ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ฌ, ๐˜ฉ๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ, ๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฎ ๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ. ๐˜ˆ๐˜ต ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ข๐˜ช๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ, ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜บ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ข ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ง๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜ด๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฑ, ๐˜ช๐˜ง ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜บ๐˜ด ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ช๐˜ต ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ณ. ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ต๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ญ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฑ๐˜ญ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฎ, ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง๐˜ง๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ช๐˜ข๐˜ญ ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ฆ. ๐˜ž๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ท๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ด.
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