2025 has been a very eventful year for the Bitcoin network and BTC as an asset. The ecosystem recorded notable growth and expansion, alongside rising adoption from traditional finance entities.
But it hasn’t been a smooth ride. As the year unfolded, Bitcoin experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly, from major wins and institutional adoption to setbacks, controversies, and unresolved challenges.
The Good
Shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump took office, he approved the creation of a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a digital asset stockpile. This development set the stage for increased BTC adoption, with institutions and U.S. states opening their doors to the leading cryptocurrency.
Flows into the U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) market rose and remained elevated. Several countries also enacted laws that comprehensively regulated Bitcoin and other digital assets.
Most firms gained exposure to BTC via ETFs, while others became Bitcoin Treasury companies and acquired the digital asset directly. This consistent demand from institutions and retail investors fueled the momentum that drove BTC to multiple all-time highs (ATHs) this year. Between July and August, BTC went on a roll, becoming the fifth-largest asset by market cap in the world and surpassing Google. Before the market turned for the worse in October, BTC rallied to an ATH above $126,000.
The Bad
On the network front, the Bitcoin mainnet saw no major developments, aside from the adoption and scaling of layer-2 chains like the Lightning Network. Although developers are keen on expanding Bitcoin’s utility, the network’s programmability is somewhat limited. Bitcoin’s unique dynamics have made the network a bit distinct from the broader crypto ecosystem.
In 2025, BTC’s correlation with the traditional finance sector increased, and the asset became more sensitive to macroeconomic catalysts. This growing correlation came from rising institutional investment as capital from corporate entities linked the crypto asset to traditional finance.
Additionally, the Bitcoin network saw increased mining difficulty and expanded hardware. While this strengthened security, it also triggered miner capitulation, which forced some miners off the network.
The Ugly
Demand stopped growing after a major liquidation event that wiped out $19 billion in market value in early October. It marked the first negative October returns since 2018, and the big BTC buyers ghosted the market. BTC has dropped to prices below psychological levels and is currently struggling to stay above $90,000.
With the bears dominating in recent months, the state of the market has dashed investor hopes of another rally before the bull phase ends. Currently, all technical indicators suggest the market is at the onset of a bear cycle, which has significantly impacted profitability for both miners and investors. Investors are shifting to traditional assets like gold.
Interestingly, the four-year Bitcoin cycle may have died in 2025 – experts now insist that subsequent BTC rallies will be driven by demand waves, rather than the quadrennial halving events.
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