According to a recent analysis by Fortune, Bitcoin and Ethereum are enduring one of their toughest year openings on record, with Bitcoin about 46% below its all-time high and Ethereum roughly 60% under its peak. Since January, the S&P 500 is up approximately 0.4%, the Dow Jones has gained 2.3%, and gold and silver have advanced around 17% and 14%, underscoring a divergence from crypto.

At the World Liberty Forum held this week at Mar-a-Lago, Eric Trump again projected that Bitcoin could eventually climb to $1 million per coin and said he has never been more optimistic about the asset's future. Donald Trump Jr. used the same event to denounce traditional banking as a "Ponzi scheme" and claimed that the Trump family moved into crypto after banks closed hundreds of Trump Organization accounts in early 2021. The brothers also alleged that other conservative clients were "debanked" and positioned their World Liberty Financial project as part of an effort to modernize finance, while Bitcoin traded around $66,258, roughly 50% below its $126,000 peak from last October.

Standard Chartered has sharply lowered its XRP price forecast, reducing its end-of-2026 target from $8 to $2.80 after last month's broad crypto market downturn. The token, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency, recently rebounded about 2% over the week and was trading near $1.47, but the bank's digital assets team no longer expects a new all-time high this year. The bank also trimmed its price projections for Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana as part of a wider reassessment of major digital assets.

Market analyst Sam Daodu reviews past Bitcoin cycles, noting that 40%–50% corrections have frequently retraced within nine to fourteen months when no systemic breakdown occurs. He also points to a realized price near $55,000 as a potential floor, while Bitcoin surpassed its 2021 peak in March 2024 after a 28‑month recovery.

After reporting its fourth‑quarter results, Strategy’s leadership said the firm would withstand further Bitcoin (BTC) weakness, even as the token briefly approached $60,000 and MSTR stock fell to about $104. Founder Michael Saylor and CEO Phong Le highlighted a $2.25 billion cash reserve against $888 million in annual preferred dividends and $8.2 billion of low‑ and zero‑interest convertible bonds, with Le noting Bitcoin would need to drop roughly 90% for the company’s BTC holdings to only match its debt. Both Bitcoin and MSTR later rebounded, with BTC around $69,256 and the stock climbing above $130, easing immediate pressure on Strategy’s balance sheet.

Bitcoin has dropped 50% from its all‑time high and recently touched $60,000, its lowest point since October 2024, signaling a new bear phase. Based on historical halving‑cycle timing and the Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) on‑chain indicator, analyst NoLimit expects the next major bottom to form between October and November 2026. He projects that Bitcoin could eventually fall into a $45,000 to $50,000 range by the end of 2026, which he views as the likely cycle low.

On Thursday, Bitcoin extended its sell‑off and briefly traded under $67,000, its lowest level since November 2024. Market analyst Hugo Crypto highlighted Stifel’s report projecting a potential move toward $38,000, while ETF data showed net outflows of about 7,925 BTC for the day and roughly 19,090 BTC over the past week.

Ripple said on Wednesday that its institutional prime brokerage, Ripple Prime, has integrated Hyperliquid to provide access to on‑chain derivatives liquidity and cross‑margining for DeFi positions alongside existing assets. Following the update, HYPE advanced toward the $35 area after a roughly 64% two‑week gain, while XRP declined about 20% over the past week.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell below $73,000 on Tuesday, briefly touching around $72,900, its lowest since November 2024. The token is down roughly 4% in 24 hours and about 15% over seven days, while Ethereum dropped 25% and XRP about 17% week‑on‑week. The sell‑off has widened across major cryptocurrencies.