Looking at the trends in the crypto market over the past couple of years, the momentum of traditional capital entering the space has indeed been fierce—institutional giants like BlackRock and Fidelity are pouring money in one after another, and the scale is truly astonishing.

Whether the four-year cycle of Bitcoin still holds is a topic of ongoing debate, and opinions are divided on whether to continue believing in the halving myth. But behind these discussions, there is a more tangible issue worth noting: the liquidity performance of Bitcoin and Ethereum has clearly set them apart from other tokens. Institutions now treat Bitcoin as digital gold for allocation, and Ethereum, as the core asset of the ecosystem, is also being aggressively positioned. Net buying data from over-the-counter (OTC) trading continues to rise. Compared to those highly volatile, easily zeroed-out altcoins, these two mainstream assets have a clear liquidity advantage—sufficient trading depth, easy to buy and sell, and much more stability.

Interestingly, the prediction market has recently been hotly promoted by institutions, with weekly trading volumes approaching $1.5 billion. But if we really consider who is the "ballast" supporting the entire crypto ecosystem's liquidity, it still comes down to Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Federal Reserve's interest rate cut expectations are pushing incremental funds into the market, and continuous ETF purchases are creating significant capital flows. Ultimately, this money will flow into the most stable and liquid assets.

By 2026, rather than wasting effort on small altcoins, it’s better to follow the institutional approach—hold steady on Bitcoin and Ethereum, which have ample liquidity, so that opportunities for returns are less likely to be missed. Market trends tend to follow the footsteps of large capital, and this logic remains applicable across any cycle.