JPMorgan: Crypto Trumps Real Estate As ‘Preferred Alternative Asset Class’

Bitcoin, which traded below $30,000 Wednesday afternoon, has a fair value of $38,000, according to the bank

article-image

Blockworks exclusive art by axel rangel

share
  • Lagged repricing keeps bank more cautious on private equity, private debt and real estate, according to a JPMorgan report
  • There’s little evidence of crypto venture funding drying up after Terra’s collapse, bank analysts say

Digital assets have replaced real estate as JPMorgan’s “preferred alternative asset class,” the bank said in a report Wednesday. 

Public markets have already priced in significant recession risks, and digital assets have re-priced, following the collapse of TerraUSD (UST), according to JPMorgan analysts. 

An algorithmic stablecoin designed to maintain a one-to-one peg to the US dollar, UST traded around 9 cents Wednesday afternoon. 

“A potential lagged repricing keeps us more cautious on private equity, private debt and real estate over the coming quarters,” analysts wrote. “We thus replace real estate with digital assets as our preferred alternative asset class along with hedge funds.”

The analysts’ fair value for bitcoin remained unchanged at roughly $38,000, “implying significant upside for digital assets from here.”

Bitcoin was trading at about $29,700 at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to Blockworks data.

Though the Terra crash has soured sentiment among investors, JPMorgan analysts said there have been relatively limited spillovers to other stablecoins and DeFi more broadly. 

Venture capital funding in the crypto space will be a key metric to watch, they added. Of the $25 billion of venture capital funding so far in 2022, nearly $4 billion came after Terra’s crash.   

“If VC funding dries up from here as a result of the loss of confidence from the collapse of Terra’s ecosystem, then a return to the long winter of 2018/2019 would look more likely for crypto markets,” analysts wrote. “Thus far there is little evidence of VC funding drying up post Terra’s collapse.”

JPMorgan made a strategic investment in blockchain intelligence company TRM Labs in February. 
Earlier that month, the company unveiled a virtual lounge in blockchain-based world Decentraland. The bank said in a report at the time that the metaverse has a market opportunity of $1 trillion in yearly revenue as creators increasingly turn to Web3 to monetize their work.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Cover Chart.png

Research

The tokenization wave has arrived for trading cards, with protocols like Collector Crypt and Phygitals leading the charge. By tapping into the same dopamine loops that made Pop Mart’s Labubu blind boxes a phenomenon, their gacha mechanics show how TCGs can thrive in a crypto-native setting. Yet with razor-thin margins, limited product differentiation, and hype-driven cycles, building a lasting moat is a challenge. In my latest report, I share insights from the Collector Crypt and Phygitals teams on the opportunities and risks shaping onchain TCGs and what comes next for them.

article-image

Our take on durability, valuation, and fundamental catalysts

by Carlos /
article-image

Acquisition of Copium Capital’s strategies strengthens Barter’s offering, but raises questions about solver concentration

article-image

The company says the acquisition strengthens its push to simplify DeFi for consumers

by Blockworks /
article-image

Cboe Futures Exchange aims to introduce long-dated crypto contracts under US regulatory oversight

by Blockworks /
article-image

Client engineers and coordinators earn far less than researchers, despite playing key roles in network stability

article-image

One of the new hires was formerly FTX’s global head of payments