Despite the decline, improving regulation, growing institutional involvement and expanding blockchain adoption are keeping long-term optimism alive, with 2026 increasingly being seen as a potential turnaround year for the crypto market.
Bitcoin has seen a sharp pullback in 2025, sliding nearly 30 per cent from its record high levels as weak trading activity, technical breakdowns and continued selling by long-term holders kept prices under pressure.
Despite the decline, improving regulation, growing institutional involvement and expanding blockchain adoption are keeping long-term optimism alive, with 2026 increasingly being seen as a potential turnaround year for the crypto market.
Over the year, the crypto ecosystem recorded steady advancements. Decentralised finance platforms continued to expand, stablecoins gained wider acceptance for payments and settlements, and several countries moved ahead with pilot projects for central bank digital currencies.
Developer activity also remained strong, especially across the Asia-Pacific region and other global markets, with millions of developers building applications on blockchain networks.
These trends highlighted growing interest in blockchain technology despite price volatility.
The weakness in Bitcoin prices has been driven by a mix of technical and market factors. Prices slipped below the key 365-day moving average, which triggered further selling pressure.
Despite the price decline, several major developments shaped the crypto market in 2025. Early in the year, the United States announced the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, a move that highlighted Bitcoin’s growing importance at a national and strategic level.
This step was widely seen as a signal of increasing acceptance of digital assets within traditional financial systems.
Regulatory clarity also improved during the year. The passage of the GENIUS Act by mid-2025 provided a clear framework for US dollar-backed stablecoins.
This helped boost market confidence and is expected to support broader adoption of stablecoins by businesses and financial institutions.
Another key milestone came in December, when the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission allowed listed spot crypto products to trade on registered futures exchanges.
The decision marked an important shift toward stronger regulatory oversight, better transparency, and deeper institutional participation in the crypto market, especially across borders.
“With stronger regulation, rising institutional interest and sustained developer activity, market participants remain hopeful that these foundations will support long-term growth once investor confidence returns,” experts stated.
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