ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood has identified four cryptocurrencies she believes offer strong diversification benefits for modern investment portfolios: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), and Hyperliquid (HYPE).

Against consensus thinking these days, bitcoin, ether, Solana, and perhaps hyperliquid could be good diversifiers. Since early 2020, the correlation between the bitcoin price and the gold price has been very low, 0.14. Gold led bitcoin in the last two major bitcoin bull markets. https://t.co/7qQ1MAKuQW

— Cathie Wood (@CathieDWood) January 31, 2026

Speaking on February 1, Wood said these cryptocurrencies demonstrate price behavior that differs from traditional risk assets, giving them the potential to improve risk-adjusted returns when added to diversified portfolios.

Why ARK Invest Sees Crypto as a Strategic Diversifier

According to Wood’s analysis, Bitcoin’s correlation with gold has remained extremely low—around 0.14 since early 2020—highlighting how digital assets move independently from traditional safe havens.

Historically, gold has often rallied before Bitcoin during bull markets, Wood noted. However, Bitcoin’s fixed supply of 21 million coins and its independence from centralized financial systems give it a unique value proposition, particularly during inflationary periods.

These characteristics, she argues, make select cryptocurrencies effective tools for managing portfolio risk rather than mere speculative instruments.

“Digital assets are increasingly being recognized as part of sophisticated investment strategies,” Wood said, emphasizing that BTC, ETH, SOL, and HYPE can complement traditional holdings by reducing overall volatility while enhancing long-term return potential.

Institutional Adoption and Blockchain Infrastructure Fuel Crypto’s Investment Case

Wood also pointed to the rapid maturation of crypto market infrastructure as a key reason digital assets are becoming viable diversification vehicles.

Institutional adoption continues to expand, while decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems are adding real-world utility beyond trading. ARK’s latest research highlights that tokenized real-world assets on public blockchains have reached approximately $19 billion, signaling growing integration between traditional finance and blockchain technology.

Meanwhile, global usage of stablecoins such as USDT has surpassed $300 billion, demonstrating strong demand for crypto-based payments and cross-border transfers.

Stablecoins now represent ~$310B in circulating supply
More than $30T in annual on-chain settlement volume

That scale is why U.S. stablecoin policy stalled this month… ? pic.twitter.com/f9VGe43kPR

— Reveel (@r3vl_xyz) January 30, 2026

Together, these trends suggest that digital assets are evolving into functional financial tools rather than purely speculative products.

As the ecosystem matures, Wood believes cryptocurrencies—especially Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Hyperliquid—are increasingly positioned to play a long-term role in diversified portfolios.