Bitcoin’s First Full-Year Split From Stocks in Over a Decade

Bitcoin has broken its long-standing correlation with equities, marking the first time in over a decade (since 2014) that it has diverged from stocks over a full year; the S&P 500 has climbed over 16% while Bitcoin is down 3%. This decoupling challenges expectations that regulatory optimism and institutional interest would ensure sustained crypto performance, especially as traditional markets see accelerating capital spending and AI stock rallies. Crypto-specific pressures, including forced liquidations and a sharp drop in retail participation, have worsened Bitcoin's underperformance. While market sentiment has weakened, some analysts suggest this divergence might be a normal pullback unwinding earlier excess gains, as Bitcoin still outperforms equities on a multi-year basis, despite the current calendar-year contrast.

(Source：BeInCrypto)