Investing.com– Bitcoin steadied on Tuesday after improving risk appetite helped the world’s largest cryptocurrency log some strength in the beginning of 2026, although renewed concerns over treasury companies stalled the crypto’s advance.
Strategy Inc (NASDAQ:MSTR), the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, on Monday disclosed a substantially higher unrealized loss on digital assets in the fourth quarter, as the value of the company’s holdings deteriorated through 2025.
Broader crypto prices drifted higher in tandem with Bitcoin, although they largely lagged gains in other risk-driven sectors, specifically technology stocks.
Risk appetite improved as markets shrugged off the initial shock of a U.S. incursion into Venezuela, which also saw the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Markets were now awaiting more clarity on Washington’s plans for the Latin American country.
Bitcoin rose 1.3% to $93,576.7 by 00:59 ET (05:59 GMT). The world’s largest crypto was nursing a more than 6% loss in 2025.
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Saylor’s Strategy discloses $17.44 bln unrealized loss in Q4
Michael Saylor’s Strategy on Monday evening disclosed an outsized, $17.44 billion in unrealized losses for the fourth quarter of 2025, tied largely to a drop in the value of Bitcoin, its biggest holding.
A directly comparable figure for the fourth quarter of 2024 was not available. Strategy had posted a $670.8 million net loss in Q4 2024.
Strategy adopted accounting standards last year that required it to include the fair value of its Bitcoin holdings in its earnings- a change that sparked wild profit and loss swings in its quarterly earnings.
Shares of the Bitcoin treasury slumped nearly 50% in 2025, as investors broadly soured on the long-term prospects of its crypto hoarding strategy. A prolonged downturn in Bitcoin’s price, along with Strategy being snubbed for inclusion in a key U.S. stock index, also dented sentiment towards the company.
A slump in Strategy’s share price sparked concerns that the company may have to sell its Bitcoin holdings to meet future debt and shareholder obligations- a scenario that could spur massive selling pressure on Bitcoin’s price.
Crypto price today: altcoins rise, XRP outperforms
Broader crypto prices were mostly positive tracking Bitcoin, while XRP outpaced its peers.
XRP surged 12% on increasing capital inflows into spot exchange-traded funds, while supply of the crypto was also seen declining on major exchanges.
World no.2 crypto Ether rose 2% to $3,220.24, while BNB rose 0.6%.
Solana and Cardano rose 2.5% and 5.5%, respectively.
Among memecoins, Dogecoin added 0.4%, while $TRUMP rose 2.6%.
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