Clarity Act could expedite the institutional adoption of crypto investing, say ETF managers

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  May 08, 2026 at 20:42  |  9:09  |  CNBC
Speakers

Summary

Matthew Sigel and Sal Gilbertie discuss the bullish outlook for Bitcoin and crypto adoption, highlighting Bitcoin miners' AI convergence and VanEck's Onchain Economy ETF as key plays. They note improved regulatory backdrop and potential Clarity Act acceleration, but remain cautious on altcoins. Overall, the mega trend of institutional blockchain adoption continues.

  • Bitcoin expected to reach all-time high within 12 months, supported by contrarian signals and central bank adoption.
  • Bitcoin miners benefit from AI convergence and power asset bottlenecks, creating a virtuous cycle.
  • VanEck's NODE ETF has outperformed Bitcoin by focusing on cash-flow-generating blockchain companies.
  • Bitcoin's correlation with NASDAQ is high, posing downside risk if equities sell off.
  • Regulatory backdrop has improved; Clarity Act could speed institutional inflows but is not essential.
  • Altcoins like Ethereum and Solana have underperformed listed equities; Matthew remains cautious.
  • Sal Gilbertie sees continued inflows into crypto ETFs and growing blockchain adoption.
  • XRP's use case for cross-border payments is noted but no clear investment call is made.
Trade Ideas
Matthew Sigel Head of Digital Asset Research, VanEck 0:18
Bitcoin to reach all-time high soon.
Bitcoin is likely to reach its all-time high again within 12 months. Investor surveys show high intent to buy, correlations with NASDAQ are high, but derivatives markets show low optimism and high protection cost, suggesting a contrarian rally. Additionally, a central bank adding Bitcoin to its foreign exchange reserves signals a mega trend toward global settlement use.
BTC HIGH
Matthew Sigel Head of Digital Asset Research, VanEck 4:35
NODE ETF outperforms by focusing on cash flow.
The VanEck Onchain Economy ETF (NODE) focuses on companies that earn cash flow from blockchain adoption, such as Bitcoin miners and infrastructure providers. This approach has led to a 75% gain since inception versus Bitcoin's 20% decline, and the ETF remains the preferred vehicle for capturing blockchain value without direct crypto exposure.
NODE HIGH
Matthew Sigel Head of Digital Asset Research, VanEck 5:45
Bitcoin miners benefit from AI convergence.
Bitcoin miners are a key infrastructure play benefiting from AI convergence. They sit on power assets that are a bottleneck for AI, and as AI demand grows, miners need to sell less Bitcoin, creating a virtuous cycle. This is the number one exposure in VanEck's Onchain Economy ETF and a core trade.
WGMI HIGH
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This CNBC video, published May 08, 2026, features Matthew Sigel discussing BTC, NODE, WGMI. 3 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Matthew Sigel  · Tickers: BTC, NODE, WGMI