Crypto Winter Could Return in 2026, Motley Fool Warns

Sean Williams of Motley Fool warns that a crypto winter could return in 2026, following historical four-year downturn patterns seen in 2018 and 2022, especially since major catalysts like Bitcoin's halving and the Genius Act are now in the past. Williams notes that Bitcoin is already down significantly from its high and lacks major catalysts for the new year. He also predicts that the Bitcoin treasury strategy, popularized by Michael Saylor, will become a major Wall Street failure in 2026 because companies adopting it are losing money and paying excessive premiums over net asset value compared to easy access via spot Bitcoin ETFs. Furthermore, he is bearish on XRP, predicting a drop to $1, arguing that positive catalysts like the Trump election and regulatory clarity are already priced in, and noting XRP's limited institutional adoption compared to SWIFT. However, Williams sees a potential upside in altcoins if a predicted "deluge" of spot crypto ETF approvals for assets like Avalanche and Cardano occurs. The article also recaps 2025, where Bitcoin saw its first annual loss since 2022, driven down by macroeconomic factors like new tariffs announced in October, suggesting crypto's correlation with traditional risk assets may strengthen in 2026. Conversely, some bullish analysts expect 2026 to bring the anticipated bull run, citing a crypto-friendly White House and potential rate cuts.

(Source：BeInCrypto)