I find myself returning to this observation repeatedly because it captures a harsh truth that only financial markets can reveal.
The worst decision this year wasn’t buying Bitcoin—it was missing out on it entirely. Holding onto dollars quietly eroded your wealth.
The US dollar has been weakening steadily, and enthusiasm for assets that serve as alternatives to the dollar has been growing louder every day.
If you invested in tangible assets, you were rewarded noticeably and visibly—charts showing impressive gains prompted late-night messages from friends sharing screenshots.
Gold soared beyond $5,000 per ounce, silver surged into triple digits, and even the S&P 500 posted gains for the year so far.
Yet when examining Bitcoin—the asset famed for being a gateway out of fiat currency—the results seem underwhelming at best.
The performance summary suggests Bitcoin barely moved. Many simply shrug this off and move on to other investments.
This is a misstep worth reconsidering deeply.
The true narrative hidden within these numbers is stranger than expected—and it revolves around timing rather than price alone.
If you’re interpreting these figures like most people would,the conclusion seems straightforward.
Precious metals dominated,the energy sector performed respectably,equities held steady,the dollar weakened,and Bitcoin remained essentially unchanged.
However,this apparent stability masks an important detail about how Bitcoin operates around the clock.
A Unique Trading Schedule Sets Bitcoin Apart
Unlike traditional markets,BItcoin trades nonstop—24 hours a day,seven days a week.With no closing bell or weekend pause,it can be bought or sold anytime—even during flights or late-night news crises.
Other assets trade mostly during set hours.Most futures contracts operate nearly all day Monday through Friday,but they close over weekends.BItcoin’s continuous availability sounds advantageous—but here,it appears costly.
A Fair Comparison Reveals More Nuance
BItcoin’s flat performance looks worse when comparing only overlapping trading times across all assets.I analyzed returns both including all timestamps,and restricting data to periods when every market was open.The overlap window spanned January 2nd midnight UTC through January 27th afternoon UTC:
Asset
Return (Overlap-only Window)
BItcoin
-1 .24 %
Gold +16 .44 %
Silver
+46 .17 %
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This shows BItcoin’s “flat” story doesn’t hold up well under closer scrutiny.The real cost of holding BItcoin emerges sharply during specific time frames:
B Itcoins Weekend Weakness Defines Its Year
An intriguing pattern stands out clearly:B Itcoins returns split dramatically between weekdays and weekends from Janurary first through twenty-seventh:
<TH PERIOD < TH UTC DAYS < TH COMPOUNDED RETURN JANUARY FIRST TO TWENTY-SEVENTH
In essence,B Itcoins price action rises steadily throughout each workweek but loses ground consistently over weekends,resulting in near-zero net change overall.
This weekend dip occurred mainly on two Saturdays ending January eighteenth (-1 .97%)and twenty-fifth (-3 .33%).B Itcons failure to sustain rallies outside normal market hours reveals who controls trading flows after-hours.
&ldquoDigital Gold&rdquo Priced Differently Shows Another Story
People often measure B Itcon value against dollars,but evaluating its worth relative to leading hard assets offers deeper insight.During overlapping market hours,B ITCON priced against gold,silver,and S&P futures showed declines:
Thead>
Tr>
Th>B ITCON Priced In Th>
Th Change Overlap Only Window Th>
Tr>
Td>>Gold Ounces Td>
Td>-15.
18%
Td>
Tr>
Tr>
Td>>Silver Ounces Td>
Td>-32.
44%
Td>
Tr>
Tr>
Td>>S&P Futures Td>
T D>-02.
66%
T D>
Table
This highlights why missing exposure feels painful despite no dramatic crashes.BITCOIN’s purchasing power erodes compared with traditional safe havens favored amid geopolitical uncertainty.This anxiety dominates mainstream narratives:The Washington Post attributes precious metal surges partly to central bank buying amid declining confidence in fiat currencies.The Guardian describes gold breaking $5000 as investors seeking refuge.World Bank forecasts sustained strength for metals due ongoing policy risks.BITCOIN theoretically should excel here,yet data tells another tale.
<BITCOIN Behaves Like Risk Asset Rather Than Safe Haven
Correlation analysis over hourly overlapping periods reveals BITCOIN correlates moderately with equities (~0.40),but shows little relation with gold (-0.06) or silver (~0):
BITCOINS behavior aligns more closely with equity risk profiles rather than precious metals.As risk-off sentiment rises traders liquidate positions especially on weekends where crypto markets remain open.This creates sharper moves due lower liquidity outside regular business hours.
Why This Matters Moving Forward
For BITCONTO regain footing alongside metals,it must halt weekend losses.That claim provides clear criteria for monitoring future trends.If upcoming weekends yield neutral or positive returns,the damaging cycle breaks allowing bitcoin space among macro hedges.Persistent weakness means continued opportunity costs.Bitcon faces competition from longstanding anti-fiat strategies linked also institutional ETF demand.Standard Chartered projects prices near $150K by end-2026 excluding corporate treasury purchases.WEEKENDS represent unique windows where conventional finance rests but crypto continues.Trading maturity requires stable flows willing hold risk across full weeks.Or sufficient depth minimizing impact of weekend selling.Markets will reveal which scenario unfolds.
Human Side Of The Story
Most investors feel regret not correlation.They see soaring gold,silver while bitcoin lags seeming indifferent.Then zoom closer noticing weekday momentum evaporates come Saturday mirroring human emotions.Mondays bring resolve.Fridays confidence.Saturdays doomscrolling.Sundays bargaining.Bitcoind charts reflect collective psychology weekly effort met by weekend retreat.It becomes refuge used by traders shedding risk afterhours because its liquidity never sleeps even as global leaders post online.This subtle dynamic defines bitcoin’s uneven journey so far—not spectacular crashes nor breakouts—but slow leaks timed precisely.
What To Watch Next
& W hat To Watch&l tp;>& Why I tm s Important&l tp;&g tp;
Bitcoin’s Weekend Performance Each Week
The direction matters more initially.A shift toward flat or positive outcomes breaks previous patterns.
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Ratios indicate if Bitcon gains credibility relative actual leaders.
S&P Market Sentiment Trends
A rising stock index combined with falling dollar signals rotation not panic.Investors reallocating capital diversely.
For now,a simple lesson prevails.Time influences outcomes profoundly.Bitcoind operates continuously without downtime.And this month that relentless pace came at measurable cost.
Changpeng Zhao, widely recognized as CZ and the visionary behind Binance—the globe’s leading cryptocurrency exchange—shared his insights on Bitcoin and…
