Insight: 2026 Could Usher in a "Crypto Winter," but Institutionalization and On-chain Transformation Are Accelerating
BlockBeats News, December 29th, Cantor Fitzgerald pointed out in its latest year-end report that Bitcoin may be entering a sustained multi-month downtrend, with the market potentially entering an early "Crypto Winter" in 2026. Analyst Brett Knoblauch believes that Bitcoin has retraced from its recent high for about 85 days, and the price may continue to be under pressure, possibly even testing the average cost line around $75,000 Strategy.
However, unlike previous cycles, this round of decline is less likely to be accompanied by a large-scale liquidation or systemic collapse. Cantor noted that the current market is dominated by institutions rather than retail investors, and the "divergence" between token price performance and on-chain fundamentals is widening, especially in the DeFi, tokenized assets, and crypto infrastructure sectors.
On the regulatory front, the passage of the U.S. "Digital Asset Market Clarity Act" is seen as a key turning point, expected to reduce policy uncertainty and drive banks and asset management institutions to more deeply engage in the crypto market.
Cantor concluded that although 2026 may not herald a new bull market, the institutionalization of the crypto industry, compliance pathways, and on-chain infrastructure are gradually solidifying amid the price cooldown.
You may also like

February 9th Market Key Intelligence, How Much Did You Miss?

After being questioned by Vitalik, L2s are collectively saying goodbye to the "cheap" era
WEEX AI Trading Hackathon Paris Workshop Reveals: How Retail Crypto Traders Can Outperform Hedge Funds
Witness how WEEX's Paris AI Trading Hackathon revealed AI's edge over human traders. Explore key strategies, live competition results & how to build your own AI trading bot.

U.S. Oil (USOR) Price Prediction 2026–2030
Key Takeaways U.S. Oil (USOR) is a speculative Solana-based crypto project that aims to index the United States…

USOR Surges on Meme Narrative Despite No Real-World Asset Backing
Key Takeaways: USOR, a Solana-based token, has seen a notable surge driven by speculative narratives rather than verifiable…

How to Buy U.S. Oil Reserve (USOR) Cryptocurrency
Key Takeaways U.S. Oil Reserve (USOR) is a Solana-based token primarily traded on decentralized exchanges (DEXs). Claims have…

USOR vs Oil ETFs: Understanding Why the ‘Oil Reserve’ Token Doesn’t Track Crude Prices
Key Takeaways The U.S. Oil Reserve (USOR) token has become noteworthy for its claims, yet it does not…

Trend Research Reduces Ether Holdings After Major Market Turbulence
Key Takeaways: Trend Research has significantly cut down its Ether holdings, moving over 404,000 ETH to exchanges recently.…

Investors Channel $258M into Crypto Startups Despite $2 Trillion Market Sell-Off
Key Takeaways: Investors pumped approximately $258 million into crypto startups in early February, highlighting continued support for blockchain-related…

NBA Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Becomes Shareholder in Prediction Market Kalshi
Key Takeaways: Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s two-time MVP, invests in the prediction market platform Kalshi as a shareholder.…

Arizona Home Invasion Targets $66 Million in Cryptocurrency: Two Teens Charged
Key Takeaways Two teenagers from California face serious felony charges for allegedly attempting to steal $66 million in…

El Salvador’s Bukele Approval Reaches Record 91.9% Despite Limited Bitcoin Use
Key Takeaways: El Salvador President Nayib Bukele enjoys a record high approval rating of 91.9% from his populace,…

Crypto Price Prediction for February 6: XRP, Dogecoin, and Shiba Inu’s Market Movements
Key Takeaways: The crypto market experienced a notable shift with Bitcoin’s significant surge, impacting altcoins like XRP, Dogecoin,…

China Restricts Unapproved Yuan-Pegged Stablecoins to Maintain Currency Stability
Key Takeaways: China’s central bank and seven government agencies have banned the issuance of yuan-pegged stablecoins abroad without…

Solana Price Prediction: $80 SOL Looks Scary – But Smart Money Just Signaled This Might Be the Bottom
Key Takeaways Despite Solana’s descent to $80, some traders find security as smart money enters the fray, suggesting…

XRP Price Prediction: Major Ledger Upgrade Quietly Activated – Why This Could Be the Most Bullish Signal Yet
Key Takeaways: The activation of the Permissioned Domains amendment on XRPL represents a significant development in XRP’s potential…

Dogecoin Price Prediction: Death Cross Confirmed as DOGE Falls Below $0.10 – Is DOGE Reaching Zero?
Key Takeaways The death cross event signals potential bearish trends for Dogecoin as its price dips under $0.10,…

Stablecoin Inflows Have Doubled to $98B Amid Selling Pressure
Key Takeaways Stablecoin inflows to crypto exchanges have surged to $98 billion, doubling previous levels amidst heightened market…
February 9th Market Key Intelligence, How Much Did You Miss?
After being questioned by Vitalik, L2s are collectively saying goodbye to the "cheap" era
WEEX AI Trading Hackathon Paris Workshop Reveals: How Retail Crypto Traders Can Outperform Hedge Funds
Witness how WEEX's Paris AI Trading Hackathon revealed AI's edge over human traders. Explore key strategies, live competition results & how to build your own AI trading bot.
U.S. Oil (USOR) Price Prediction 2026–2030
Key Takeaways U.S. Oil (USOR) is a speculative Solana-based crypto project that aims to index the United States…
USOR Surges on Meme Narrative Despite No Real-World Asset Backing
Key Takeaways: USOR, a Solana-based token, has seen a notable surge driven by speculative narratives rather than verifiable…
How to Buy U.S. Oil Reserve (USOR) Cryptocurrency
Key Takeaways U.S. Oil Reserve (USOR) is a Solana-based token primarily traded on decentralized exchanges (DEXs). Claims have…