The FUD of 2025 hasn’t just rocked risky assets.
Instead, crypto stocks were also hit hard. The expanding DAT ecosystem acts as a double-edged sword: market volatility forces investors to sell stocks, which in turn increases pressure on risky assets.
Strategy [MSTR] show this clearly. The stock ended 2025 down 45%, its worst year since the 2022 bear market. The domino effect? Bitcoins [BTC] The October crash, which prompted $20 billion in liquidations.
Source: TradingView (MSTR/USD)
Naturally, the question arises: will 2026 be different?
Notably, even during the 2025 bear market, key sectors (RWA, stablecoins, DeFi, etc.) saw massive capital inflows. That momentum is driving adoption and as a result, analysts expect it to generate returns in this cycle.
The main driver? Institutional question. Now that the sector-wide influx is increasing, analysts shout 2026 will be an ‘institutional cycle’, with an eye on a Bitcoin target of $150,000 by the end of the year. The big question: will data in the chain support this?
Fundamentals Driving Bitcoin’s 2026 Cycle
The most important takeaway of 2025? A clear difference between the crypto sectors.
Take the RWA tokenization market for example. According to RWAxyz, it ended the year at $18 billion – a 210% jump that highlights strong momentum in tokenized assets. Stablecoins followed suit and supply increased by more than 50%.
Together, these fundamental factors shape Bitcoin’s prospects for 2026. The impact is already visible down the chain. According to the attached diagram, this is indeed the case institutions buy 76% more BTC than miners produce, creating a supply shortage.
Source: TradingView
Given these factors, it wouldn’t be a stretch to call 2026 an “institutional cycle.”
In this context, the 2025 bear market actually acted as a much-needed break. During this period, capital flowed into long-term sectors, drawing a clearer line between speculation and fundamentals.
Then, with this momentum2026 could be a breakout year for Bitcoin’s DATs. MSTR’s 4% rally underlines the shift, while growing institutional demand could push the crypto towards a year-end target of $150,000.
Final thoughts
- The capital inflow into RWA, stablecoins, etc. is creating strong fundamentals, while institutions are buying more Bitcoin than what miners are producing.
- After the bear market lull in 2025, current momentum supports a potential “institutional cycle,” with a year-end BTC target of $150,000.