Bitcoin Heads Toward Its Fourth Annual Decline as Institutional Participation Expands and Regulation Matures

COINOTAG News, citing Bloomberg, reports that Bitcoin is tracking toward its fourth annual decline in history, marking the first retracement not triggered by a major scandal or industry-wide meltdown. The downturn coincides with expanding institutional participation, a maturing regulatory environment, and unexpected public support from U.S. President Trump that surprised market observers.

Since October 10, listed Bitcoin spot ETFs in the U.S. have recorded over $5.2 billion in net outflows, while market depth has fallen roughly 30% from the year’s peak and appetite for a rebound in the derivatives market has waned.

Unlike prior bear cycles, this retracement is not tied to exchange collapses or broad regulatory shocks. Classic bear events followed Mt. Gox (2014), the ICO bust (2018), and the FTX crisis (2022). Analysts note decoupling from the S&P 500 as risk appetite cools and capital reallocates; Apollo Crypto cautions that price momentum lacks sustained follow-through.