Throughout its history, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been subject to significant price fluctuations, whether that's due to larger macro factors impacting all asset classes or during "crypto winters" tied to industry concerns.
But with a crypto-friendly Trump administration and expectations for passage of a cryptocurrency market structure bill, many onlookers expected another bull run in digital assets to start 2026. However, it's been the exact opposite. Bitcoin is down more than 21% so far this year, and it fell to $60,062.00 last week — its lowest level in roughly 16 months. That marked a drop of nearly 50% from its record back in October 2025.