Bitwise CIO’s ‘Mount Rushmore’ of Crypto: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Chainlink Lead the Rally

# Rushmore'

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan says his long-standing "Mount Rushmore" of crypto remains Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Chainlink. He describes that quartet as the essential exposure for investors who want to play crypto's two biggest macro themes: currency debasement and tokenization.

"It's hard to argue with those four assets not being part of your exposure," Hougan said, framing them as the core, broad-based positions to own in this bull market.

# Why those four

Hougan positions the four assets as complementary ways to access large structural trends. Bitcoin covers the hard-money/currency-debasement narrative. Ethereum captures smart-contract activity and tokenization infrastructure. Solana represents high-throughput application platforms. Chainlink supplies on-chain data and integrations to bridge real-world assets and DeFi.

Hougan maintains that the original four still form the clearest path for broad exposure, even as other projects push for attention.

# Challengers making their case

Hougan says the basket isn't fixed. He highlights three projects that are actively arguing for a spot:

• Hyperliquid: described as making its case to be "chiseled into the Mount Rushmore."
• Zcash: pushing the privacy argument for inclusion.
• Venice: advancing the case for real-world AI applications.

Hougan says he is bullish on several downstream DeFi assets, but he continues to view the original four as the core holdings for broad-market exposure.

# Chainlink: protocol strength versus token questions

He compares his present stance on Chainlink to his prior view of Uniswap, where protocol progress preceded improvements in tokenomics.

# Tokenomics and regulation

Hougan frames current tokenomics across many crypto assets as the "worst version of themselves." He predicts that easing regulatory pressure will prompt progressive improvement in token economics industry-wide. That process, in his view, is already visible in price action for some projects.

# Real-world asset tokenization: a frontier

Hougan flagged increasing interest in pairing tokens with real-world assets. He floated practical examples such as companies distributing rewards via tokenized stocks or fund companies marketing through tokenized funds. He calls the underlying concept — attaching a token to a real asset — an area with significant unexplored potential, while noting that some of the current paired-asset economics look unusual and likely temporary.

# Bottom line

Hougan's message is pragmatic: hold broad exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Chainlink as core positions tied to major macro themes, watch challengers that are building cases for inclusion, and expect tokenomics and regulatory developments to reshape the relative merits of tokens over time.