Bitcoin heads into 2026 with renewed acceptance

December 4, 2025

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It’s hard to tell just looking at the price charts if bitcoin (BTC-USD) investors have been naughty or nice.

A bruising November has given way to some relief — and the prospects of a Santa rally. And while the Thanksgiving table chatter might have moved on to prediction markets, more players in the market are taking seriously the idea that crypto is here to stay.

The dramatic swing in sentiment — bitcoin has dropped roughly 30% from its recent highs — has been a painful reminder of crypto’s volatility. But even if banks and a pro-crypto government have made it easier for people to accept digital currencies, investors ultimately are the ones who have to risk their money to push prices higher.

Read more: How to navigate a crypto meltdown

And there are now fewer people willing to do that.

For perspective, gold (GC=F) has risen more than 60% so far this year. Investors have reached for a safe haven from political instability, the “debasement” of fiat currencies, and rising debt loads. (Instead, they found those massive gains, figuratively striking gold as they literally struck it.)

The bullish notion that crypto is the new gold, even as a loose metaphor, strained under the relative performance of the two assets. When markets convulsed during key moments this year, investors treated gold like a refuge and crypto like a bad habit. Which looked even less flattering with the S&P 500 (^GSPC) up about 16% year to date, leaving crypto off the risk-on train.

Criticizing bitcoin’s propensity to crumble under pressure is hardly new. But the fallback position of acknowledging that crypto is still in its early stages in the financial system is also, at this point, a tired comeback.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: (L-R) Brian Armstrong and Larry Fink speak onstage during The New York Times DealBook Summit 2025 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 03, 2025 in New York City.  (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images for The New York Times)
Brian Armstrong and Larry Fink speak onstage during The New York Times DealBook Summit 2025 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Dec. 3, 2025, in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images for The New York Times) · David Dee Delgado via Getty Images

There’s a middle ground, of course, and the mainstream financial industry is planting its flag. Allocating just a little bit toward crypto gives investors some exposure to the upside while minimizing the downside.

Bank of America said earlier this week that it’s endorsing a 1%-4% allocation to digital assets for clients of its Merrill, Bank of America Private Bank, and Merrill Edge platforms. The move follows other big banks and asset managers warming up to crypto, including Morgan Stanley’s global investment committee, BlackRock (in a big about-face), and Vanguard.

The industry’s push into crypto in moderation does put limits on the to-the-moon winnings that have made crypto millionaires. You don’t need to have seen “Ocean’s Eleven” to know that sometimes to win big, you have to bet big.