Bitwise CIO Predicts All Central Banks Will Hold Bitcoin by 2050 as Price Trades 40% Below ATH

On February 23, 2026, Bitwise Invest CIO Matt Hougan countered Sevens Reporter founder Tom Essaye's criticism of Bitcoin, arguing it is still in an early store-of-value phase. Hougan projected that by around 2050, every central bank could own Bitcoin much like gold, even as BTC currently trades about 40% below its October all-time high of $126,000. Essaye, by contrast, dismissed Bitcoin as a speculative asset that neither replaces gold nor serves as a reliable hedge against inflation or market turmoil.