Bitcoin Drops 10% in 2026, Lagging Stocks and Gold Amid Policy Uncertainty

May 2, 2026

May 2, 2026

Bitcoin has declined approximately 10% so far this year. The cryptocurrency’s performance lags behind major U.S. stock benchmarks, gold, and the U.S. dollar index, even after receiving a boost following the onset of the Iran conflict.

While U.S. stocks have surged to record highs in a risk-on rally—with April marking one of the strongest months in recent years—bitcoin has not followed suit. The digital asset recently traded below the $79,000 level and continues to move sideways. Max Kahn, chief of Digital Wealth Partners, noted that equities and bitcoin do not always move in tandem, particularly over shorter periods. He explained that stocks are currently benefiting from corporate earnings, share buybacks, and monetary policy outlooks, whereas bitcoin is more influenced by flows into exchange-traded funds and overall investor positioning.

Some digital asset experts suggest that the average bitcoin holder may be inclined to sell near the $80,000 level after experiencing losses for several months. Additionally, the Clarity Act, a piece of crypto legislation that some investors believe could revitalize the sector, has seen slow progress. Disagreements have emerged between big banks and the crypto industry over stablecoin yields, and a proposed ethics clause that would prevent senior government officials, including family ventures of the Trump family, from personally profiting from crypto assets has also caused friction.

At the Bitcoin 2026 conference in Las Vegas earlier this week, White House adviser Patrick Witt stated that the industry would experience rapid growth once the Clarity Act becomes law. However, traders on Polymarket estimate the probability of it passing this year as less than even odds. Alex Thorn, head of research at crypto firm Galaxy, attributed the delay to multiple unresolved questions rather than a single issue. Alaska Representative Nick Begich, also speaking at the conference, announced his intention to revive the BITCOIN Act, which would designate bitcoin as a federal strategic reserve asset and require the U.S. government to acquire 1 million bitcoin over five years.

  1. 1. INTRODUCTION

    Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

    1. REPORT DESCRIPTION
    2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
    3. DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
    4. GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS
  2. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    A Quick Overview of Market Performance

    1. KEY FINDINGS
    2. MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
  3. 3. MARKET OVERVIEW

    Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

    1. MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. MARKET FORECAST TO 2035
  4. 4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

    Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

    1. TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
    2. BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
    3. MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
    4. MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT
  5. 5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

    Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

    1. TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
    3. TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
    4. LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES
  6. 6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

    Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

    1. TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
    2. TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
    3. UNSATURATED MARKETS
    4. TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
    5. MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS
  7. 7. PRODUCTION

    The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

    1. PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
  8. 8. IMPORTS

    The Largest Import Supplying Countries

    1. IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
  9. 9. EXPORTS

    The Largest Destinations for Exports

    1. EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    2. EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
    3. EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
  10. 10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

    The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

  11. 11. COUNTRY PROFILES

    The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

    This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition
    PRO

    1. 11.1

      United States

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    2. 11.2

      China

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    3. 11.3

      Japan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    4. 11.4

      Germany

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    5. 11.5

      United Kingdom

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    6. 11.6

      France

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    7. 11.7

      Brazil

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    8. 11.8

      Italy

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    9. 11.9

      Russian Federation

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    10. 11.10

      India

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    11. 11.11

      Canada

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    12. 11.12

      Australia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    13. 11.13

      Republic of Korea

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    14. 11.14

      Spain

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    15. 11.15

      Mexico

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    16. 11.16

      Indonesia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    17. 11.17

      Netherlands

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    18. 11.18

      Turkey

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    19. 11.19

      Saudi Arabia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    20. 11.20

      Switzerland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    21. 11.21

      Sweden

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    22. 11.22

      Nigeria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    23. 11.23

      Poland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    24. 11.24

      Belgium

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    25. 11.25

      Argentina

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    26. 11.26

      Norway

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    27. 11.27

      Austria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    28. 11.28

      Thailand

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    29. 11.29

      United Arab Emirates

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    30. 11.30

      Colombia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    31. 11.31

      Denmark

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    32. 11.32

      South Africa

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    33. 11.33

      Malaysia

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    34. 11.34

      Israel

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    35. 11.35

      Singapore

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    36. 11.36

      Egypt

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    37. 11.37

      Philippines

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    38. 11.38

      Finland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    39. 11.39

      Chile

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    40. 11.40

      Ireland

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    41. 11.41

      Pakistan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    42. 11.42

      Greece

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    43. 11.43

      Portugal

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    44. 11.44

      Kazakhstan

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    45. 11.45

      Algeria

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    46. 11.46

      Czech Republic

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    47. 11.47

      Qatar

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    48. 11.48

      Peru

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    49. 11.49

      Romania

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
    50. 11.50

      Vietnam

      • Market Size
      • Production
      • Imports
      • Exports
  12. LIST OF TABLES

    1. Key Findings In 2025
    2. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    3. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    4. Per Capita Consumption, by Country, 2022–2025
    5. Production, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    6. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    7. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    8. Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    9. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    10. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    11. Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
  13. LIST OF FIGURES

    1. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    2. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    3. Consumption, by Country, 2025
    4. Market Volume Forecast to 2035
    5. Market Value Forecast to 2035
    6. Market Size and Growth, By Product
    7. Average Per Capita Consumption, By Product
    8. Exports and Growth, By Product
    9. Export Prices and Growth, By Product
    10. Production Volume and Growth
    11. Exports and Growth
    12. Export Prices and Growth
    13. Market Size and Growth
    14. Per Capita Consumption
    15. Imports and Growth
    16. Import Prices
    17. Production, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    18. Production, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    19. Production, by Country, 2025
    20. Production, In Physical Terms, by Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    21. Imports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    22. Imports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    23. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
    24. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    25. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    26. Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    27. Exports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    28. Exports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    29. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
    30. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    31. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
    32. Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)