Kevin O’Leary Returns to Crypto, Eyes Major Exchange Adoption as Industry Turning Point

Kevin O’Leary told The Block’s Gareth Jenkinson at the Avalanche Summit in New York that he is buying new crypto positions for the next market cycle. He highlighted the importance of a major stock exchange adopting a blockchain network as a potential watershed moment for the sector.

New Crypto Positions and Market Outlook

O’Leary said he is “back in the saddle” and placing bets on crypto assets for the upcoming cycle. He emphasized that the next phase of investing will involve identifying which blockchain achieves broad adoption and in which industry sector.

Exchange Adoption as a Catalyst

The O’Leary Ventures chairman explained that the first major exchange to adopt a blockchain would trigger wider financial‑ecosystem demand for that chain to meet the exchange’s compliance requirements. He described such an event as a “watershed moment” for the industry.

Regulatory Landscape

Addressing recent setbacks for the Clarity Act, O’Leary expects crypto regulation to re‑enter the policy agenda as lawmakers develop tax frameworks for digital assets. He noted that implementing tax policy typically leads to increased, not decreased, regulation, and does not anticipate the Clarity Act passing before the upcoming midterm elections.

Bitcoin Allocation Perspective

Regarding Bitcoin, O’Leary sees potential for the cryptocurrency to represent 1% to 3% of alternative‑asset allocations, drawing a parallel to institutional gold holdings.

Other Investment Focus

He also mentioned that his AI‑related investments are directed toward power‑infrastructure projects in Norway, Finland, Alberta, and Utah, as well as uranium projects, rather than AI model development.