Recently opening the market software, everything looks half-dead. Volatility is comparable to a flatline on an ECG, neither red nor green, and contract traders are starting to scroll through short videos out of boredom. Retail investors around me are constantly complaining: "Holding coins is like locking in a fixed deposit—no interest at all, might as well just withdraw." Even more outrageous, searches for Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies on Google and Naver have hit new lows this year, and the Fear & Greed Index remains stuck in the "Fear" zone without moving.

But having immersed myself in this circle for 8 years, I have to say something counterintuitive: the more dull and boring the market is, the more it hints at huge opportunities in the next 2 to 3 years. Why? Because institutions are quietly accumulating, and retail investors have long given up trying to call the shots.

It sounds crazy, but think about it carefully—there is actually logic behind it. The crypto market is breaking free from the past four years of "crazy surge—overnight crash" cycle and is beginning to evolve toward a mature stage driven by institutions, regulation, and real-world applications. This is not just my guess; the industry has long reached a consensus.

Matt Hougan, Chief Investment Officer at Bitwise, mentioned that the approval of ETFs, clear regulatory frameworks in the US, and the popularization of stablecoins and asset tokenization will become the engines of long-term growth. His prediction is that by 2026, a gentle but sustainable upward cycle will begin. I personally am very optimistic about this "slow bull" market—different from the past hype-driven "mania bull," this fundamentally supported rise is truly reliable and can last longer.

So instead of complaining about the market being dull here, it’s better to see this dormant period as an opportunity to accumulate chips. The rules of the game have changed, and those who recognize this early will be the ones laughing last.