Bitcoin News: Bitcoin Experiences Worst Q1 in Ten Years, Raising Cycle Concerns Amid Economic Instability

In Q1 2025, Bitcoin (BTC) recorded an 11.7% decline, marking its weakest first-quarter results since 2015, as reported by NYDIG Research. This drop, influenced by uncertainty in economic policies, profit-taking actions, and rising global trade tensions, has reignited discussions about the current status of the crypto market cycle.

A Ten-Year Low Opening for Bitcoin

Bitcoin’s performance in Q1 2025 ranked 12th out of the last 15 first quarters, which significantly contrasts its usual strong starts to the year. The last time BTC began a year so poorly was in 2015, during a drawn-out bear market that followed the Mt. Gox collapse. Although the asset eventually recovered, the poor start raises concerns regarding the course of 2025.

After Donald Trump’s election victory in November, the crypto markets surged due to optimism surrounding pro-crypto regulations and a more favorable stance from the SEC. However, this bullish outlook was shaken in early April when Trump announced extensive reciprocal tariffs on international trade partners.

This announcement resulted in a $5.4 trillion loss in the U.S. equities market over just two trading days, pushing the Nasdaq 100 into bear market territory and driving the S&P 500 down to its lowest level in 11 months.

Although Bitcoin initially demonstrated some resilience by decreasing less than 4% during the stock market downturn, it has since fallen below $80,000, raising concerns about the potential for macro-driven risk aversion to extend into the crypto market.