Matt Hougan is the chief investment officer for Bitwise Asset Management, which is among the largest providers of cryptocurrency index funds with more than $1.5 billion in assets under management.

Hougan is one of the world’s leading experts on crypto, ETF and financial technology. He’s a notable co-author of The CFA Institute’s brief "Cryptoassets: The Guide to Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrency for Professional Investors."

His expertise will be invaluable in discussions about spot ETFs and the future of cryptocurrency at Benzinga's Future of Digital Assets conference, where he will join a fellow ETF veteran, Invesco's Managing Director Anna Paglia, in a panel titled, "The Rise of Crypto ETFs and Regulatory Considerations."

With a career in finance spanning over two decades, Hougan held the prominent role of CEO of ETF.com, an authority on exchange-traded funds. After realizing the potential of the crypto industry, he joined Bitwise Asset Management in 2018.

Hougan also sits on the board of directors of Equbot, creator of the first AI-driven ETFs (in partnership with IBM Watson), and is a strategic advisor to multiple crypto- and financial advisor-related startups, including Blockworks, Stratifi and Exchange.

He is co-founder of Advisor Circle, a product and content studio for the financial industry, and creator of the Futureproof Wealth Festival.

Also Read: Bitcoin Poised For 74% Boost To $59,200 In First Year Post ETF Launch, Predicts Galaxy Digital.

Moderating ETF Expectations

At a recent ETFFGI Global ETFs Insights Summit, Hougan discussed U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs. He gave a ballpark estimation, predicting $55 billion of net inflows. Still, his caveat is that it would take five years to reach that number.

“I do think, if you look at the history of inflows into novel ETFs, that people will be initially disappointed,” Hougan said, referring to exuberant predictions seen on social media, calling for inflows as high as $30 billion in the first year.

"There's just no precedent in the history of ETFs for that," he added.

He drew comparisons with the first U.S.-traded gold ETF, GLD, launched in 2004.

"If you look at GLD, it got $3 billion in year one, but it didn't hit its stride [until] year five, six or seven," he said.

Yet, it is worth noting the surge in interest for GLD coincided with a rally in gold in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Despite his long-term optimism, in the latest interview, Hougan stated ETF approval might still take some time.

"I'm much more optimistic than I've been at any other time during our five-year journey," he said, referring to his tenure at Bitwise.

"But there is no guarantee that we'll get there by January or March," he said, alluding to the regulatory timelines and approval of ETF applications.

Want to gain valuable insights from the pioneers of digital assets who are creating the most exciting tokens in DeFi and NFTs? Don't miss the opportunity to connect with founders, investors, and industry experts on Nov. 14 in New York City at Benzinga's Future of Digital Assets conference.

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Photo: Bitwise, Shuttersotck