As 2025 draws to a close, the least we can say is that crypto performance has been lackluster. A look back at this challenging year.
Cryptos are set to wrap up a difficult year
In a post on X on Tuesday, analyst Nicolas Chéron noted that cryptocurrencies were the worst-performing asset class of 2025.
And for good reason: while precious metals are on the rise—with silver up 127.4% and gold up 63.2%—BTC and ETH have fallen by 9.09% and 13.62%, respectively. Meanwhile, other altcoins have fallen by 44.5%, while the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 have gained 20.8% and 16.4%:
Tweet by Nicolas Chéron
In practical terms, we still have to wait a few more days for the monthly close to confirm these results. Nevertheless, it is clear that the mood remains gloomy in the crypto market.
According to data from Coinglass, BTC is currently wrapping up its worst December since 2022, with a 3.56% decline. Furthermore, this is currently the worst fourth quarter since 2018, a trend that also applies to ETH, with respective declines of 23.54% and 29.01%:
Quarterly performance of BTC and ETH
Regardless of how cryptocurrencies perform in the coming days, it is important not to fall into the common trap of assuming that an asset which has outperformed or underperformed the market in one year will necessarily follow the same pattern the following year.
For example, in 2024, BTC rose by 121.47%, while gold rose by 27.07%. Every year is different, and it is especially important to look at long-term performance.
In the case of BTC, it is worth noting a 26,866% increase over 10 years, despite significant correction phases. Moreover, even if we were to enter a bear market, the year 2026 could also see declines before prices soar to new highs in the years to come.
Given such uncertainties, diversification and dollar-cost averaging (DCA) appear to be useful tools.
Meanwhile, the price of BTC stands at $87,140 at the time of writing, down 0.44% over the past 24 hours.
