Kevin O'Leary, the "Shark Tank" investor known as Mr. Wonderful, has shared his take on Bitcoin's recent 50% price correction, arguing that "something bigger is happening underneath the price action."
According to O'Leary, the era of widespread altcoin speculation is dead. Meanwhile, quantum computing, which has emerged as a new existential threat, is capping institutional investment.
The collapse of altcoins
During that crash, the broader altcoin market was effectively wiped out, with many assets plummeting 80–90% and failing to recover.
"Institutions finally did the math and realized if you want 90% of the upside and volatility in crypto, you only need Bitcoin and Ethereum," O'Leary stated. "Everything else is just poo-poo coins, worthless, and they got dumped accordingly."
O'Leary himself has liquidated 27 different positions in his portfolio to consolidate capital solely into Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Large sovereign wealth funds and institutional allocators are no longer interested in the "backstory" of niche blockchains, according to the investor.
The quantum threat
O'Leary remains "long Bitcoin," but claims that the threat of quantum supremacy is already causing hesitation among institutional investors.
"The idea that a quantum computer could eventually break the chain is making institutions hesitate," he explained.
The theoretical risk of a powerful quantum computer could craking the elliptic curve cryptography (ECDSA) that secures Bitcoin wallets is a growing concern.
The uncertainty is tangible enough to affect portfolio weighting.
Until this technological anxiety is resolved, "don't expect [institutions] to go beyond a 3% allocation," O'Leary says.
Waiting for clarity
O'Leary claims that the smart money is not leaving since they are waiting for clarity.
"They’ll stay cautious, they’ll stay disciplined, and they’ll wait for clarity. That’s the reality."
This "clarity" likely also refers to the Clarity Act, a piece of U.S. legislation O'Leary has frequently championed
He has previously predicted that the bill could pass by May 2026. As reported by U.Today, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse expects the bill to pass by the end of April.
Vladislav Sopov
Dan Burgin