Bitcoin ended the first quarter of 2026 at $68,200 after falling 22% over the period, its weakest opening three months since 2018. The slide erased an early push higher that had briefly carried the cryptocurrency close to $95,000 before the market turned lower.
A Sharp Turn After A Strong StartFrom there, the market kept swinging. Bitcoin managed a brief rebound to around $70,000 later in February, but the recovery faded. Selling pressure returned as tension in the Middle East spread through risk markets, and Bitcoin slipped again, touching about $63,000 before the quarter ended.
It gained 8% in 2019, lost 10% in 2020, surged over 100% in 2021, slipped 1.40% in 2022, and then rebounded with gains of 70% in 2023 and 65% in 2024. The pattern broke again in 2025 with an 11% decline before this year’s deeper drop.
Geopolitical Stress Kept Traders On Edge April Brings A Different Seasonal PatternDespite the weak finish to March, the report noted April has often been a better month for Bitcoin. Coinglass data cited in the report shows an average April gain of 11.90% and a median return of 5% over the years, which has kept some traders looking for a rebound even after the rough quarter.
Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
