Bitcoin price slump versus gold’s gains highlights evolving crypto market

Bitcoin (BTC) and gold are showing very different profiles in 2026. Gold has climbed 153% since the start of 2024, while Bitcoin is down roughly 30% over the same stretch. One analyst said that the gap lines up with steady growth in global money supply, cooling appetite for risky tech stocks, and falling crypto exchange balances. Together, these changes are shaping how both assets are trading in the market. Rising liquidity and tech stock speculation fail to supercharge BitcoinIn an X post, Fidelity director of global macro, Jurrien Timmer said that gold has behaved as expected in a bull market, with sharp pullbacks attracting short-term buyers. Timmer described gold as a pure “hard money” asset that has tracked global money supply growth closely.Bitcoin follows the global money supply growth over time, shown by the steady rise in global M2 (orange line). When M2 expands, BTC has generally trended higher. However, the chart shows that Bitcoin’s strongest rallies occurred when liquidity growth aligned with rising software and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) stocks, each being a proxy for speculative appetite. Bitcoin, Global Liquidity, and SaaS stocks. Source: Jurrien Timmer/XIn 2017–2018 and again in 2020–2021, the software stocks posted gains of roughly 58% and 93% year-over-year, and Bitcoin price rallied sharply during those periods. In 2022, software stocks fell by around 58%, and Bitcoin experienced a deep drawdown even as the money supply levels stayed elevated. The data shows that money supply growth supports the long-term trend, while shifts in tech-sector speculation tend to amplify or dampen Bitcoin’s price swings. This indicates that Bitcoin carries hard money exposure and high-beta characteristics, amplifying moves in both directions.Timmer noted that liquidity is ample while speculative sentiment sits in a bear phase. In this scenario, gold and money supply have rallied together, while Bitcoin has struggled to keep pace.Related: Bitcoin threatens new breakdown as US PPI sends gold to 1-month highGold draws demand on crypto exchangesDemand on crypto-native platforms has also rotated toward gold-linked products. On Jan. 5, Binance launched 24-hour, 7-day gold futures trading. The cumulative volume of this product is approaching $35 billion, with more than $4 billion recorded on the most active day. The weekly volume averages about $4.7 billion, according to crypto analyst Darkfost.  Perpetual trading volume on Binance. Source: CryptoQuantActivity accelerated immediately after gold posted a two-day correction exceeding 20%. The spike highlights the demand for tokenized exposure to traditional hard assets within crypto venues.At the same time, CryptoQuant data shows Binance’s total portfolio value across BTC, ETH, XRP, and major ERC20 and TRC20 stablecoins has fallen to roughly $102 billion. That marks the lowest reading since April 2025, down from about $140 billion in August 2025. Binance's total reserves for BTC, ETH, and XRP. Source: CryptoQuantThe $38 billion decline reflects lower asset prices and user withdrawals into self-custody during bearish volatility. For Bitcoin, this points to reduced capital on exchanges, which may signal cautious trader positioning and thin near-term liquidity. Related: Bitcoin to $30K? Analysts debate when and at what price BTC will bottomThis article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.