Bitcoin, ETH, Dogecoin Rally Faces 3 Key Checkpoints: Bitwise CIO

Crypto entered 2026 with a sharp bid, and Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan says the next leg higher hinges on three checkpoints that have less to do with chart patterns and more to do with market plumbing, Washington, and the broader risk backdrop. In a January 6 memo, Hougan wrote that Bitcoin and Ethereum were each up 7% year-to-date as of Monday, January 5, while higher-beta names had moved faster, Dogecoin was up 29% over the same window. The question, he argued, is whether that early strength can turn into something sustained rather than a fleeting January pop. Three Hurdles To Overcome For Bitcoin, ETH And Dogecoin Hougan’s framework starts with a memory the market would rather bury: October 10, 2025, when crypto saw what he called “the largest liquidation event in its history,” with “$19 billion in futures positions wiped out in a single day source: https://www.newsbtc.com/news/bitcoin-eth-dogecoin-rally-faces-3-key-checkpoints/