Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is increasingly being treated as a monetary asset rather than a speculative trade, as institutional capital concentrates in BTC and leaves most altcoins struggling to keep up.
Bitcoin Separates From The Rest Of Crypto
Messari’s 2026 outlook frames 2025 as a turning point where Bitcoin decisively broke from the broader crypto market.
While earlier cycles saw capital rotate from BTC into higher-risk tokens, the opposite trend now dominates.
Bitcoin’s market share has climbed above 57%, up from roughly 37% three years ago, even as many large-cap altcoins remain deeply below prior highs.
From December 2022 through late 2025, Bitcoin rose more than 400%, while most major tokens lagged.
Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) gained about 135% over the same period, while several Layer-1 assets posted negative returns.
Messari argues this divergence reflects a repricing of Bitcoin as crypto money rather than another high-beta digital asset.
ETFs And Treasuries Drive Persistent Demand
A major force behind Bitcoin’s resilience has been institutional demand through spot ETFs and corporate treasuries.
According to Messari, spot Bitcoin ETFs now hold more than 1.3 million BTC, representing over 6% of the asset’s total supply.
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust Full story available on Benzinga.com
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