What are the best crypto strategies 2026? Crypto got heavily mogged this year by index funds and boomer rocks. What’s the incentive for retail investors to stay in this market when it’s risky and it also underperforms TradFi?
One case of this is 21-year-old Madrid student Joaquin Morales, who kept buying
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on every dip. The problem was that it kept dipping. A pro-crypto White House was, and institutions were piling in, but it was not enough.
Many such cases.
“I caught the falling knife like five times,” Morales said. One word sums up his year: traicionero. Treacherous.
Crypto entered 2025 with tailwinds from looser regulation, easing rates, and institutional buy-in. It exists with Bitcoin roughly 10% lower year over year and close to $1T wiped from total crypto market capitalization. So what do you NEED to know heading into 2026 to avoid a washout?
DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025
Best Crypto Strategies 2026? The Data Shows a Market Reset, Not a Collapse
Crypto Fear and Greed Chart
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On the first day of Christmas we bring you … data. Data will be your fren in 2026.
On-chain data backs up the current downward shift with crypto. Glassnode metrics show realized losses spiking in Q4 as short-term and long-term holders capitulated, selling parts of their bags.
(Source: Glassnode)
TradingView data shows spot volumes cooling across majors, not collapsing, suggesting exhaustion rather than panic. Meanwhile, FRED liquidity indicators show that global financial conditions are easing into year-end, even as risk assets stall.
Crypto recalibrated in 2025, but it’s also showing that many of the old narratives are failing.
DISCOVER: Top 20 Crypto to Buy in 2025
Will Crypto 2026 Look Different Than Crypto 2025?
On the second day of Christmas, we present to you that the next cycle won’t be driven by meme narratives or retail leverage. It will be quieter and more structural.
Stablecoins are already processing billions of dollars daily, becoming increasingly invisible to end users. Tokenized Treasuries and funds are growing faster than native crypto assets, and regulation is no longer absent. It’s uneven – and even full of Trump-related scams -but things are quickly leveling out.
6 months ago, Raoul Pal said we are in an elongated business/debt cycle and that bitcoin would climb higher and then we would see a -35% drawdown and “everyone will be sure that it is over… and it won’t be over.”
You need to watch this again. And again. And again. pic.twitter.com/0bHYifsaVV
— Crypto Tony (@CryptoTony__) November 24, 2025
BTC will remain volatile, but institutional adoption has changed its floor. Based on historical drawdowns and current derivatives positioning, a wide range between $80,000 and $175,000 in 2026 is plausible without breaking the broader trend.
The Real Risk Isn’t Code. It’s People
And on the third and final day of Christmas (yes, we went with three… sounded better in my head), every major crypto failure in 2025 traced back to human behavior. Poor governance. Overconfidence. Bad incentives.
That won’t change in 2026! What will change is that as traditional finance (TradFi) moves further into crypto, expectations will rise. The projects that survive will operate responsibly at scale.
We won’t belabour you and say “wE aRe EaRly” but the best projects are already here. It’s a matter of who benefits from long-term use.
EXPLORE: Seeking a Career Change? Become a Bitcoin Bounty Hunter in Fordow, Iran
Key Takeaways
What are the best crypto strategies 2026? Crypto got heavily mogged this year by index funds and boomer rocks
Every major crypto failure in 2025 traced back to human behavior. Poor governance. Overconfidence. Bad incentives.
The post Expert Predicts Best Crypto Strategies 2026: Where Will Retail Unlock Real Gains Next Year? appeared first on 99Bitcoins.