Wall Street Begins Buying Altcoins

白话区块链 · 2026-02-28T07:34:25+00:00

Recently, major global asset management firms like BlackRock and Apollo have started purchasing DeFi Tokens, signaling increased institutional interest in altcoins, which could promote legalization in the field and attract more investors. Although differences in smart contract infrastructure still exist, more institutions are expected to enter the market in the coming months, though caution is still advised. The author's investment criteria include low price-to-earnings ratios, stable buyback mechanisms, and ongoing team development.

白话区块链

2026-02-28 07:34:25

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Setting aside price trends, exciting things are happening in the crypto space right now. This month, some of the world’s largest asset management firms are beginning to buy DeFi tokens:

BlackRock: After supporting its BUIDLTokenized fund trading on Uniswap, they purchased an undisclosed amount of $UNI tokens.
Apollo Global Management: Announced plans to buy up to 90 million MORPHO tokens (about $170 million) over the next 48 months.
Citadel Securities and Ark Invest: Invested in LayerZero’s $ZRO tokens.

This is the first major traditional finance (TradFi) institution to include DeFi tokens in its portfolio.

Additionally, just a few weeks ago, Jupiter received a $35 million investment from ParaFi Capital, with trades executed at spot prices. This was unheard of a few years ago, as most VCs have historically bought tokens at large OTC discounts and sold immediately after unlock.

Institutions and VCs are now willing to buy DeFi tokens at public market prices, which seems like a very bullish long-term signal.

Why is this important?

The largest global institutions holding altcoins could exert significant buying pressure on certain tokens, similar to what happened with Bitcoin (BTC) over the past two years. Moreover, this legitimizes the industry and may encourage many retail investors, even skeptics in places like Saudi Arabia, to start investing.

Coupled with recent mainstream dApp buyback mechanisms, this could be what’s needed for altcoins to explode in the next cycle.

I realize most people have completely lost trust in altcoins, often for good reason. Frankly, most tokens in this space will never hit new all-time highs (ATH) again.

But at the same time, I believe projects with strong fundamentals could see explosive growth in the next bull cycle, giving us a glimpse of what a true “altcoin season” looks like. Thanks to institutional interest, BTC has risen from $16,000 to $124,000 in this cycle. For altcoins, the buying pressure needed to trigger massive surges is somewhat lower.

What should we expect next, and what are my plans?

I believe what we’re seeing now is just the beginning. BlackRock (just bought UNI) has historically set the tone for the industry. When it takes action, the rest of the financial sector usually follows.

I expect more institutions to announce altcoin purchases in the coming months.

Even so, I think it’s still early to buy altcoins. Because before BTC approaches cycle lows, even with institutional inflows, altcoins are unlikely to perform well. Historically, bottoms tend to occur about a year after cycle peaks, around October.

Given the current macro trend, if history repeats, the bottom of this BTC cycle might be in Q3 or early Q4 2026, and I wouldn’t be surprised. Based on past cycles, March 2026 could be a good month for crypto performance, but even if there’s a rebound, I believe it won’t last more than a few weeks.

Considering all these factors, my plan is to significantly increase exposure to altcoins and BTC in Q3. Until then, I plan to dollar-cost average (DCA) only when BTC holds key support levels.

Which altcoins do I plan to buy?

There’s still plenty of time before Q3 to decide, but my current criteria are:

Low P/E ratio: Calculated as Token Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV) divided by annual revenue (ideally below 15).
High circulating supply and low emission rates.
Buyback plans or other mechanisms that drive real value through stable tokens.
Teams that continue rapid development and delivery during bear markets.
True product-market fit (PMF): Users use the product because it’s genuinely good, not just for token rewards.

I’m not joking—there aren’t many projects that meet all these standards. But I believe these are the most likely to attract institutional interest. Some projects on my radar include: Fluid, Jupiter, AAVE, Pendle, Hyperliquid, Lighter, EtherFi, and Sky. I’ll wait until closer to Q3 to share specific purchase plans.

This cycle has demonstrated how institutions validate BTC’s investment status. Now, they’re putting real money into testing the value of altcoins.

As crypto shifts toward an institution-led era, I believe major institutional purchases of altcoins could be the main catalyst for the next bull run. The bear market may not be over yet, but I have no doubt that a new bull cycle will arrive.

Make sure your positions are properly aligned.

Article link: https://www.hellobtc.com/kp/du/02/6238.html

Source:

DEFI18.56%

UNI-6.83%

MORPHO-5.54%

ZRO-12.96%

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