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.
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