Crypto investors are reassessing market strategies after a volatile 2025 that failed to deliver a broad-based bull run.
Bitcoin peaked in line with its historical four-year cycle, but the expected blow-off top and altcoin surge did not materialise.
Entering 2026, sentiment remains cautious despite growing alignment between institutions, corporations and regulators.
Analysts say institutional capital is increasingly reshaping crypto market structure and price behaviour.
Bitcoin is now deep into its fourth halving epoch, a period historically linked to peak market performance.
Some analysts believe Bitcoin may have already topped in late 2025, reflecting diminishing returns as the asset matures.
Bitcoin will break the four-year cycle and set new all-time highs.
Matt Hougan and Ryan Rasmussen said.
They argued that institutional flows and reduced leverage are weakening traditional cycle drivers.
Stablecoins are emerging as one of crypto’s most durable use cases, underpinning payments and onchain liquidity.
The stablecoin market has surpassed $300 billion in circulation, driven by expanding real-world adoption.
Regulatory clarity in the United States is accelerating stablecoin integration into traditional finance.
Investors are increasingly targeting stablecoin infrastructure rather than the tokens themselves.
Tokenised real-world assets are moving from experimentation to mainstream financial adoption.
Major asset managers have launched blockchain-based funds and settlement platforms tied to traditional assets.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $88,648.66.