The year 2025 has highlighted a sharp performance split between cryptocurrencies and precious metals, with gold and silver rallying strongly while bitcoin loses momentum.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) climbed as much as 40% year-to-date by October before reversing direction and now sits roughly 6% lower for the year.
The downturn followed bitcoin’s record high of $126,000 in October, after which the asset fell by around 28%.
Gold has emerged as a clear winner in 2025, rising about 72% year-to-date and adding an estimated $13.2 trillion in market value.
Silver has delivered even stronger gains, surging 155% year-to-date to reach a market capitalisation of roughly $4.2 trillion.
Silver’s rally has elevated it to the position of the world’s third-largest asset by market value.
Gold is also approaching an eight-month winning streak, a level of consistency last seen in 1980.
Together, gold and silver have added close to $16 trillion in market capitalisation during 2025 alone.
The broader cryptocurrency market has shown mixed results, underscoring uneven investor sentiment.
Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) is down more than 11% year-to-date, while XRP (CRYPTO:XRP) has slipped 9% over the same period.
Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) has fallen roughly 34%, Dogecoin (CRYPTO:DOGE) is lower by about 60%, and Cardano (CRYPTO:ADA) has declined by 55%.
Binance Coin (CRYPTO:BNB) has been a notable outlier, posting a gain of around 20% year-to-date.
Analysts say bitcoin’s slowdown reflects more than a simple shift into traditional safe-haven assets.
The divergence between crypto and precious metals suggests investors are reassessing risk rather than just fleeing to safety.
Piyush Walke said.
Market observers point to geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainty, and concerns over a slowing US economy as key pressure points.
The Kobeissi Letter described current conditions as a structured bear market fuelled by elevated leverage.
Bitcoin’s narrow range fits typical year-end behaviour as investors rebalance into stronger assets.
Sean Farrell said.
Some commentators argue the weakness represents a temporary decoupling rather than a long-term structural issue.
Capital usually flows first into gold and silver during macro stress, with bitcoin following later.
Ash Crypto said.
Seasonal patterns are also shaping expectations, with historical data showing January rebounds after weak Decembers.
Crypto research firm 10X Research said a roughly 30% correction over several months has reset technical indicators.
The firm added that easing market pressure could support a short-term bounce if conditions stabilise.
Longer-term outlooks remain cautiously optimistic despite near-term volatility.
Bitcoin’s long-term potential still exceeds that of precious metals.
Colin Lewis said.
Major banks have trimmed forecasts, with Standard Chartered cutting its year-end bitcoin target to $100,000.
Bitcoin currently trades near $90,125, leaving uncertainty over whether it can recover before the end of 2025.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $87,181.57