Bitcoin, Gold Become Worst Performers of 2026 in Historic First

In this unexpected turn, neither asset has managed to achieve positive returns year-to-date in 2026, which challenges their standing as dependable shields against market instability. This simultaneous decline is especially striking because Bitcoin and gold are often regarded as alternatives to conventional financial instruments when economic worries mount.

Charlie Bilello, who serves as the chief market strategist at Creative Planning, reports that gold has shed 7.5% since the start of the year, while Bitcoin has fallen by 7.3%. Currently, these two commodities lag behind conventional investments, encompassing stocks, bonds, and even cash, despite their reputation as assets that retain value.

Looking at the bigger picture, though Bitcoin is struggling this year, the world's largest cryptocurrency still stands as the definitive long-term victor among the major asset classes tracked by Bilello. Over the span since 2011, Bitcoin has delivered an incredible annualized return of roughly 120.6%, significantly surpassing traditional financial holdings. For context, gold has managed an annualized return of only 6.3% across that same duration.

The divergence in fortunes becomes even more pronounced when observing their recent trading history. In 2024, Bitcoin claimed the top spot among major asset classes, registering an impressive 121% increase. That following year, gold secured the victory in 2025, rocketing up 63.7% and outperforming rival investments. Nevertheless, their trajectories have flipped dramatically in 2026, placing both assets at the bottom of the performance charts. This peculiar shift highlights how rapidly market dominance can transform, even for assets boasting exceptionally robust historical results. While these most recent figures mark a historic first in Bilello's comparative data, the definitive rankings for 2026 remain unconfirmed, as there are still over two months remaining before the year concludes.

Why it matters

This unexpected downturn challenges the traditional view of Bitcoin and gold as reliable hedges during economic uncertainty. Investors should watch how these assets perform in the remaining months of 2026 to see if their historic trends can be reversed.