MARKET NEWS
Bitcoin set for first yearly loss since 2022 as macro trends weigh on crypto - REUTERS
By Hannah Lang
Summary
- Bitcoin soars in early 2025 on election of crypto-friendly President Trump, drop later in year on tariff news
- Analysts cite correlation between bitcoin and risk assets like equity markets
- Crypto awaits Trump administration decisions on industry regulation
Dec 31 (Reuters) - Bitcoin is on track to post its first annual loss since 2022, as macroeconomic pressures and fading momentum weighed on the world's largest cryptocurrency.
Despite reaching a fresh record high this year, bitcoin has struggled to regain its footing since October, and last month experienced its biggest monthly drop since mid-2021. Now, it is on track to end the year more than 6% lower, after posting yearly gains the previous two years. It was last trading at $87,474.2.
After soaring earlier this year with the election of crypto-friendly U.S. President Donald Trump, cryptocurrencies - along with stocks - plummeted in April on his tariff announcements. They quickly rebounded, with bitcoin hitting an all-time peak above $126,000 in early October.
But just days later, on October 10, the market plunged again when Trump announced a new tariff on Chinese imports and threatened export controls on critical software. That sparked more than $19 billion worth of liquidations across leveraged crypto market positions, the largest liquidation in crypto history.
