Bitcoin Falls 22% in Early 2026, Q1 Drop Threatens to Match 2018 Bear Market Pace

Bitcoin has declined roughly 22% since the start of 2026, retreating from about $87,700 to the mid-$60,000 range and recently trading near $68,670, CoinGlass data show. The first quarter could become Bitcoin's weakest opening to a year since the 2018 bear market, when BTC dropped around 49.7%, with five consecutive weekly declines including an estimated 10.2% slide in January. Ether has fallen about 34.3% in the first quarter, ranking as its third-worst Q1 across nine observed periods. Analysts cited by LVRG Research and DaanCrypto characterise the downturn as part of a historically volatile first-quarter pattern and describe the current move as a correction phase within a longer-term framework shaped by institutional participation, macro conditions and halving-cycle dynamics.