Bitcoin Q1 2026 Price Drop 23.8%, Marking Worst Performance Since 2018

BlockBeats News, April 1st. According to The Block, Bitcoin experienced a 23.8% drop in the first quarter of 2026, marking its worst first-quarter performance since 2018. In comparison, Bitcoin's price fell by 50% in the first quarter of 2018. Adding to this, with a 23% decline in the fourth quarter of 2025, Bitcoin has now dropped approximately 41.6% over the past six months.

Analysts attribute this decline to multiple factors. Andri Fauzan Adziima, the research director at Bitrue, stated that the first-quarter downtrend was mainly driven by outflows from Bitcoin spot ETFs, coupled with persistently high inflation, a cautious Fed stance, and overall market risk aversion. Bitcoin spot ETFs saw a net outflow of $4.965 billion in the first quarter, with $18 billion flowing out in the first two months, partially offset by $13.2 billion inflows in March.

Nevertheless, analysts believe that Bitcoin's long-term belief remains unshaken. Min Jung, a researcher at Presto Research, said: "There is little evidence to suggest a structural shift in long-term Bitcoin belief, and the trend of institutional participation and adoption remains intact, indicating that this decline is more cyclical rather than fundamental." She pointed out that the premise of a trend reversal in the second quarter is a greater certainty in the macro environment, particularly the situation in the Middle East.

Nick Ruck, the research director at LVRG, stated: "To reverse the trend in the second quarter, ETF funds need to flow back in, clear progress needs to be made in U.S. crypto-friendly regulations, and monetary conditions need to shift towards a looser direction."