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Bitcoin is down, but could bear market be nearing its end?

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Bitcoin is down, but could bear market be nearing its end?

Bitcoin slid more than 2% to $67,000 on Tuesday, reflecting broader risk aversion across markets as Wall Street reopened after the Presidents’ Day holiday.

Summary

  • Tech and crypto remain under pressure, while defensives are mixed, with selective strength emerging in activist-driven and travel names.
  • Bitcoin has fallen about 29% over the past month, sparking debate over whether the downturn is nearing a bottom or has further to run.
  • “I believe that bitcoin has already capitulated with that big move from 100k-> 60k,” one analyst says.

Crypto weakness coincided with renewed pressure on technology and software shares, where investors continued to grapple with the potential for AI-driven disruption. The Nasdaq-100 underperformed, slipping 0.3%, while the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF dropped more than 2.7% in midday New York trading. The software-focused fund has now declined in 11 of the past 15 sessions, pushing its year-to-date losses to nearly 25%.

Broader equity indices were largely flat, masking sharp divergences beneath the surface. Financial stocks rebounded after weeks of weakness, while consumer staples lagged.

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Travel Tickers

Travel-linked shares stood out as a pocket of strength. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings surged 11% after Elliott Investment Management disclosed a stake exceeding 10% and signaled plans to push for strategic changes following the cruise operator’s prolonged underperformance.

Peers rallied in sympathy, with Carnival Corp. rising about 4% and Royal Caribbean Group gaining 3%.

In travel and leisure, Airbnb Inc. added 3.7%, extending momentum from last week’s earnings report. Southwest Airlines Co. jumped more than 6% following a wave of analyst upgrades from Susquehanna and UBS.

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But what about Bitcoin?

The top cryptocurrency has fallen about 29% over the past month, sparking debate over whether the downturn is nearing a bottom or has further to run.

Trader Altcoin Sherpa pointed to past cycles for comparison, noting that both the 2017–2018 and 2021–2022 bear markets saw steep 75–85% drawdowns and took roughly a year from all-time high to final bottom. Each cycle ended with a sharp capitulation event — including the 2018 plunge from $6,000 to $3,000 and the 2022 crash tied to FTX — followed by several months of accumulation.

However, Sherpa argues the current cycle may differ. The 2024–2025 rally was slower and more consolidation-heavy than prior vertical surges, and structural factors such as spot ETFs, reduced speculative excess, stronger support in the $50,000–$70,000 range, and already-flushed altcoin froth could shorten the bear market timeline, potentially avoiding a full 365-day decline.

“I believe that bitcoin has already capitulated with that big move from 100k-> 60k,” Sherpa says. “I believe we are now in the ACCUMULATION phase of the cycle. Accumulation can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months.”

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Crypto World

Stripe-Owned Bridge Gets OCC Conditional Approval for Bank Charter

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Stripe, Government, Banks, Stablecoin

Stablecoin platform Bridge, owned by the payments processor Stripe, said it had received conditional approval to operate as a federally chartered national trust bank under the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

In a Tuesday notice, Bridge said it had received conditional approval from the banking regulator, allowing the company to “operate stablecoin products and services under direct federal oversight” once fully approved. Bridge said the charter would allow it to offer custody of digital assets, issue stablecoins and manage stablecoin reserves.

“Our compliance framework already positions Bridge to be GENIUS ready,” said the company, referring to the stablecoin bill signed into law in July 2025. “Now achieving a national trust bank charter will provide our customers the regulatory backbone they need to build with stablecoins confidently and at scale.”

Stripe, Government, Banks, Stablecoin
Source: Bridge

Bridge is one of several crypto-aligned companies seeking a national trust bank charter from the OCC following the passage of the GENIUS Act. In December, the agency conditionally approved applications from BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets and Paxos to convert their respective state-level trust companies, and conditionally approved Circle and Ripple for national trust bank charters.

Related: Bankers push OCC to slow crypto trust charters until GENIUS rules clarified

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According to OCC records, Bridge applied for a bank charter in October and was given approval on Feb. 12. Stripe acquired the platform in 2025 as part of a $1.1 billion deal for the company to support stablecoin payments.

In a Wednesday letter, the American Bankers Association (ABA) urged the OCC to slow its approval of crypto companies for national bank trust charters, saying rules under the GENIUS Act were still unclear. According to the banking group, companies could use national trust charters to essentially bypass oversight by US financial regulators.

“[…] ABA strongly encourages OCC to be patient, not measure its application decisioning progress against traditional timelines, and allow each charter applicant’s regulatory responsibilities to come fully into view before moving a charter application forward,” said the letter.

US policymakers still considering how to handle stablecoin rewards

As US lawmakers in the Senate advance bills to establish a comprehensive digital asset market structure framework, White House officials continue to meet with representatives from the crypto and banking industries to address stablecoin yield. Addressing stablecoins within the market structure bill, as well as issues related to tokenized equities and conflicts of interest, could be a sticking point for many lawmakers ahead of a potential vote in the Senate.

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