Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Winters past: Bitcoin plunge brings back memories of 2018

Winters past: Bitcoin plunge brings back memories of 2018

Memories of 2018 are sparking fears that a repeat is playing out now after the world’s largest cryptocurrency plummeted 50 percent from its most recent high of almost $69,000 in November.

There are few things scarier for investors than a bear market — unless you’re involved in crypto, in which case a winter is worse.

The chilling term refers to a sharp slump, followed by a drop-off in trading and months of market doldrums — a phenomenon that memorably befell the crypto market in 2018. Bitcoin’s price plunged by more than 80% to as low as $3,100 from the end of 2017 through December of the following year, a period characterized by the boom-and-bust of initial coin offerings and several big banks shelving their plans to start cryptocurrency trading desks. Bitcoin wouldn’t reach a new high until December 2020, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Memories of 2018 are sparking fears that a repeat is playing out now after the world’s largest cryptocurrency plummeted 50% from its most recent high of almost $69,000 in November. The crypto universe has shed more than $1 trillion in market value on growing conviction that the Federal Reserve is set to start ratcheting back the ultra-accommodative policy settings that fueled a boom in risk assets. The pullback has hit all corners of the crypto ecosystem, from Bitcoin to memecoins and publicly listed crypto exchanges. While the collapse has been rattling enough on its own, it has spawned an even bigger concern that the pain may persist for many months, according to UBS.

“There’s this question of how do we characterize that and the nearest analogy is probably 2018, which is this idea of a crypto winter,” James Malcolm, head of foreign exchange research at UBS, said by phone. “It looks likely to be a fairly difficult and potentially prolonged period and therefore, the crypto winter analogy is quite good. Remember, the crypto winter in 2018 wasn’t just over the Northern Hemisphere winter months. It basically extended for a whole year — so it was a crypto winter that lasted effectively a year.”


Bitcoin on Tuesday continued to decline, falling as much as 3% to trade at $35,721. The coin has spent more than 60% of the year so far trading lower, posting only nine sessions in the green.

Mentions of “crypto winter” and “crypto ice age” have flooded social media amid the latest drop. “Gm gm — make sure you stay warm, crypto winter is in full force,” Twitter user @brycent_ posted on Monday, using the crypto shorthand for “good morning” to start his tweet. “Enjoy this #bitcoin winter,” user @mir_btc tweeted over the weekend.

To Antoni Trenchev, co-founder and managing partner at Nexo, there’s a definite chill in the air. Bitcoin has already satisfied half of his two-part crypto-winter definition: a sharp decline in prices.

“I’m not looking for a re-run of the last ‘crypto winter,’” he said. “Undeniably, there are regulatory and macro storms ahead, and another leg down to $28,000-$30,000 can’t be ruled out in the current risk-off climate.”

Unlike the winter of three years ago, investment in the crypto-sphere remains robust — at least for now. In January alone, crypto-exchange FTX announced the launch of a $2 billion venture fund to target Web3 opportunities, while the Financial Times reported that Andreessen Horowitz is looking to raise $4.5 billion for crypto funds. Of course, a prolonged slump could douse enthusiasm for the sector.

Outside of venture capital, companies are also looking to expand into corners of the crypto ecosystem. Filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that Walmart Inc. is preparing to create its own cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens. Meanwhile, GameStop Corp. reportedly is also planning to launch an NFT marketplace for gamers by the end of the year.

To Tacen Inc.’s Budd White, that momentum is a sign that the crypto complex is in the midst of repricing, rather than a freeze.

“I don’t believe we are entering a crypto winter because there is still increasing momentum on the build-side — we are just seeing more realistic pricing of what is currently built,” said White, chief product officer and co-founder at the software development company that builds open-source, blockchain-based software.

The looming threat of intensified regulatory action adds to the risks embedded in the crypto complex. The Fed is considering the launch of its own digital currency, while crypto mining’s energy use has attracted scrutiny from the U.S. Congress and foreign governments.

“The White House may soon unveil some national security challenges posed by cryptocurrencies and the Fed’s paper on central bank digital currencies didn’t answer any questions on if we will see a digital dollar or how they could work with stablecoins,” said Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at Oanda Corp. “The regulatory environment got a lot cloudier now.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
×