Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoreNews is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoreNews on whether to sell, buy or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk.
CryptoreNews covers fintech, blockchain and Bitcoin bringing you the latest crypto news and analyses on the future of money.
Bitcoin experiences its weakest start to the year in eight years, according to CoinGlass., 2026/04/02 18:05:11
Bitcoin concluded the first quarter of the year with a decline of 23.2%, approximately at $20,500. This marks the worst performance for the leading cryptocurrency from January to March in the past eight years.
Bitcoin commenced 2026 trading within the range of $87,500–88,700, reaching an intra-quarter peak of $97,000. However, the price of the leading cryptocurrency later dropped significantly to $66,700–68,000. Consequently, Bitcoin has lost nearly 47% from its historical high of $126,128 recorded in October. Currently, BTC is trading at around $66,000 with a market capitalization of $1.3 trillion.
The decline in the first quarter of 2026 occurred amid a substantial outflow of capital from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). In the first eight weeks of the year, approximately $4.5 billion was withdrawn from Bitcoin ETFs. This represents one of the longest streaks of outflows since the introduction of Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024.
Related Posts
The majority of the capital outflow took place over five weeks starting from the end of January, with the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) from BlackRock and Fidelity Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) from Fidelity being the primary funds affected. At the beginning of January, there was an influx of funds into Bitcoin-linked ETFs totaling around $1.8 billion, but this trend was quickly reversed due to selling pressure.
The decline of Bitcoin from January to March was exacerbated by the military conflict in the Middle East, which led to rising oil prices, while persistent inflation prompted the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) to adopt a more cautious approach.
According to forecasts from the CryptoQuant platform, Bitcoin may continue to face selling pressure in the coming months and is unlikely to surpass the $72,000 mark. However, analysts at Bitwise noted that Bitcoin is becoming increasingly resilient to economic and political risks.
