Crypto winter looms in 2026, but Cantor sees institutional growth and onchain shifts
Bitcoin could be heading into a prolonged downturn, according to Cantor Fitzgerald, but that is likely to be a prelude to the crypto industry entering a more stable, institutionally driven phase.
Markets are probably in the early phase of a crypto winter, echoing bitcoin’s historical four-year cycle, according to a year-end report by analyst Brett Knoblauch. Bitcoin is roughly 85 days past its peak, and Knoblauch suggests prices could remain under pressure for months, possibly even testing Strategy’s (MSTR) average breakeven price near $75,000.
Unlike past downturns, however, this one may not be defined by mass liquidations or structural failures. Institutional participants, not retail traders, are now shaping the…
