Is the "iPhone moment" for cryptocurrency coming? Venture capitalists and traders reveal crypto investment strategies for the next decade

The crypto market is quietly entering a moment that many venture capitalists, researchers, and traders see as a “historic turning point.” Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang describes the current transformation as an “iPhone moment,” while others believe the wave of institutional adoption will render the four-year cycle completely obsolete. With the rise of AI, this article compiles insights from several market leaders to help readers understand the present and future of the crypto market.

The Arrival of the iPhone Moment? Paradigm Welcomes a “Crypto Epic Adoption Cycle”

Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang recently stated that right now, for crypto, it’s like the “Netscape era for the internet or the iPhone moment for smartphones”—we’ve reached a true breakout stage:

Crypto is more vibrant than ever before, far beyond our wildest dreams, both on the institutional side and the cypherpunk side.

In his view, as the financial foundations of ETFs, regulations, and institutional adoption rapidly take shape, innovation in the crypto industry is poised to materialize, crossing the critical point from “feasible to scalable” technology.

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Is the Four-Year Cycle Dead? VC Warns: The Crypto Industry Is Crossing the Chasm

Moonrock Capital founder Simon Dedic approaches the topic from the “Crossing the Chasm” model, proposing three possible market scenarios.

He believes there’s a 75% chance that the current market cycle has reached the “about to cross the chasm” stage, which means the four-year cycle will become completely obsolete. Crypto’s price movements will become increasingly tied to macro environments, fundamentals, and industry demand, rather than halving events or narrative-driven speculation.

At the same time, there’s a 20% chance we’re still in the “early adoption” phase, which could mean another 1 to 3 years of bear market as the market self-adjusts before moving forward. Lastly, there’s just a 5% chance we’re still stuck in the chasm, with the crypto industry becoming an endless PvP environment.

Simon concludes, “Regulatory tailwinds, institutional adoption, and rapid infrastructure growth all point to the possibility that we’re on the eve of the largest adoption wave in history.”

As the on-chain casino shrinks into a niche market, now is the time for the industry to mature and start playing the game seriously—another incredible decade is about to begin.

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Traders Remind to Develop Research Habits: Opportunities Lie Where No One Cares

Renowned trader Ansem offers a practical perspective: “The best opportunities appear when market sentiment is at its worst and no one wants to do research.”

He emphasizes that many of his successful trades came from “discovering undervalued narratives or assets before the market notices them:”

Even if you’re not actively trading, you should develop the habit of doing research every day.

Don’t Live Only in the Crypto World—Cross-Market Investing Is Key to Survival

Crypto investor Pentoshi also offers advice: “If you only trade crypto, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice.”

He points out that the next decade will be the most intense period of technological development in human history, with generational opportunities arising from AI, robotics, and crypto:

Your mission is to put yourself in the best possible position, with portfolios in both stocks and crypto, to profit from them. At the same time, stay as objective as possible and set emotions aside.

In other words, cross-asset investment and a macro perspective are gradually becoming survival rules for the new generation of investors.

Cycles Are Being Rewritten—Investors Must Update Their Strategies

Combining the insights of VCs and traders, it’s clear that the crypto market is heading into a completely different era: “The four-year cycle is gradually becoming obsolete, mainstream adoption is taking over as the real driving force, bringing more rational, fundamentals-based, generational investment opportunities. Now is the time to do research and diversify across markets to aim for outsized returns.”

It’s clear that the crypto market is no longer just a narrative-driven capital rotation game but is becoming the next major industry linked to global technological advancement. Therefore, investors need to stay prepared and research constantly, building a more mature and comprehensive investment framework to wait for opportunities to arise.

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This article, “The Arrival of Cryptocurrency’s ‘iPhone Moment’? VCs and Traders Reveal Crypto Investment Rules for the Next Decade,” first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.