Quarterly losses of nearly $2.5 billion spark debate over whether bitcoin's low point has been reached.

The Bitcoin market has witnessed a staggering bleed in the first quarter of 2026, with large-scale investors incurring substantial losses. Daily averages reveal that prominent Bitcoin holders have shed a whopping $300 million-plus per day, culminating in a cumulative loss of over $30.9 billion during the initial three months of the year. This staggering figure draws parallels with the downturn experienced in 2022. A closer examination of the data indicates that "shark" investors, who hold between 100 and 1,000 BTC, are shouldering daily losses of approximately $188.5 million, while their "whale" counterparts, boasting 1,000 to 10,000 BTC, are hemorrhaging around $147.5 million daily. The combined daily loss for these two cohorts totals roughly $337 million.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, the founder of a prominent Chinese Bitcoin mining company has expressed vehement opposition to the latest proposed updates to the Bitcoin protocol.

Market pundits attribute the intensified selling pressure to escalating macroeconomic uncertainty, with surging inflation expectations, the escalating influence of AI-driven trading, and waning market confidence conspiring to prompt large investors to expedite their stop-loss sales. This, in turn, perpetuates downward pressure on the market. Meanwhile, long-term investors continue to grapple with daily losses of around $200 million, casting a gloomy shadow over the prospect of an imminent market rebound. According to institutional assessments, Bitcoin remains vulnerable to downside risks, as multifaceted pressures continue to weigh on the cryptocurrency. Some market experts foresee a potential bottom for Bitcoin in the range of $40,000 to $50,000, should current conditions persist.