Alt: Bitcoin Saw Turbulence Through 2025, But Long-Term Trends Point to Resilience, Outperformance Versus Key Assets
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is poised to close the year lower (unless there’s a miracle), as bullish momentum faded into bearish dread in the last quarter of 2025. Yet, on zooming out, the leading cryptocurrency’s growth trajectory appears impressively strong.
Bitcoin’s 2025 Plunge
Bitcoin’s 2025 journey has been like a roller coaster, with its price tumbling from an October peak of $126,000 to a low of $80,000 and currently consolidating in the $86,000-$90,000 range.
The apex cryptocurrency erased all of its 2025 gains in the latest meltdown, and currently trades more than 30% below its all-time highs.
The slump crushed expectations, and how. Bitcoin has sunk 23% in the fourth quarter, which has historically averaged returns of more than 77%.
This period also saw a resurgence in Bitcoin obituaries — instances when critics declared the end of the apex cryptocurrency. As many as nine such obituaries surfaced in the fourth quarter, according to Bitcoindeaths.com
See Also: Strategy CEO Says Big Banks Are Scrambling To Build Bitcoin Services
A Decade Of Dominance
While Bitcoin did not have the best 2025, it remains the top major asset over the past decade, far outpacing gold and stock benchmarks like the S&P 500.
| Asset | 2-Year Gains +/- | 5-Year Gains +/- | 10-Year Gains +/- |
| Bitcoin | +101% | +240% | +20,448% |
| Gold | +119% | +139% | +318% |
| S&P 500 | +45% | +85% | +235% |
Another way to assess an asset’s resilience is how well it bounces from cyclical lows.
During the cryptocurrency winter of 2022, Bitcoin crashed to a low of $16,000. However, it held steady, endured market volatility, and has since surged over 440%
What Are The Bullish Catalysts?
Beneath the surface volatility, Bitcoin has received significant mainstream validation. According to SoSo Value, institutional inflows into spot exchange-traded funds have exceeded $57 billion, with total assets under management worth $114 billion.
Regulatory tailwinds could also power the asset in the near term, as discussions on the cryptocurrency market structure bill, aimed at establishing clear rules for the industry in the U.S., advance.
What Experts Predict For 2026?
Tom Lee, Wall Street veteran and Fundstrat analyst, predicted Bitcoin would hit new all-time highs by the end of January and could surpass $250,000 within months. He also said that “the best years” of the cryptocurrency market are ahead of us.
Grayscale, a prominent digital asset management firm, echoed this prediction, stating that Bitcoin could exceed its previous high in the first half of the year.
It’s worth pointing out that Sean Farrell, Fundstrat’s head of digital asset strategy, issued a contrasting prediction to Lee, indicating that the asset might retrace to the $60,000-$65,000 level by early 2026.
Meanwhile, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz said that Bitcoin has got more “healing to do” and cautioned against going bullish unless the asset breaks $100,000. He, however, expressed confidence that Bitcoin has not yet seen its all-time high and the belief system is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
Price Action: At the time of writing, BTC was exchanging hands at $89,140.29, up 6.02% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Photo Courtesy: vinnstock on Shutterstock.com
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