- Bitcoin fell 6% in 2025, but research firm K33 predicts a strong rebound in 2026.
- The firm cites Fed rate cuts, Trump administration support, and new crypto legislation as key drivers.
- US bitcoin reserves, potential 401(k) access, and the CLARITY Act could also boost bitcoin demand.
The largest cryptocurrency is on track to end 2025 in a bear market and down 6% from levels at the start of the year. That's the opposite of what many may have expected from bitcoin, given the burst of excitement that took over after Donald Trump, the "crypto president," kicked off his second term in January.
But despite a losing year, the crypto looks on track for a better 2026, thanks to a bundle of catalysts that should take bitcoin to new records, according to the crypto brokerage and research firm K33.
In a recent report to clients, the firm said it believed much of bitcoin's underperformance in 2025 was attributable to "isolated bubbles" and "temporary leverage imbalances" in the crypto market.
"When prices and fundamentals move in opposite directions, opportunities arise. With this in mind, we enter 2026 with a constructively bullish view," the firm wrote. "Bitcoin will outperform equity indices and gold in 2026," they added.
Here are the six catalysts K33 thinks will take bitcoin higher:
