How Bitcoin’s Volatility Is Testing Crypto’s Appeal: QuickTake

Bitcoin’s volatile start to 2026 saw the world’s largest cryptocurrency tumble at one point to its lowest level in over a year, wiping out the gains it had made since Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office.

The downturn extended a slide that began in October, after the digital asset had been propelled higher for much of 2025 by the US president’s pro-crypto agenda. Growing geopolitical tensions and their impact on financial markets has curbed the appetite of risk-taking investors, aiding haven assets such as gold to the detriment of Bitcoin.

How bad is it? ...