Overview
- Bitcoin set a record above $126,000 in October 2025, fell about 30% into year‑end, and was near $90,500 on Jan. 9, 2026.
- Galaxy reports options markets imply roughly equal odds of $70,000 or $130,000 for June 2026 and $50,000 or $250,000 by year‑end.
- The top 2025 gainers were Bitcoin Cash, Zcash, Monero, Pax Gold, and MYX Finance, though several now trade well below their peaks.
- Analysts caution that privacy‑coin momentum may fade in 2026, with Zcash already down about 17% early this year.
- Pax Gold rose roughly 70% in 2025 and could see continued interest as a gold proxy, while Ethereum’s institutional role is cited as a basis for a potential rebound despite last year’s underperformance.