Will Bitcoin lose the battle against gold in 2026?

Source: CritpoTendencia Original Title: Will Bitcoin Lose the Battle Against Gold in 2026? Original Link: 2025 was a year of clear victory for gold over BTC in terms of performance. While the precious metal reached +62.7%, the leading cryptocurrency ended the year with -7.4%.

At the start of 2026, this relationship between the two assets seems to remain; however, many analysts believe that this gold dominance scenario may not hold over time.

Complementary Characteristics

Before attempting to answer this question, it is important to keep in mind that both assets share key features. Both gold and BTC are scarce and do not depend on the decisions of the Federal Reserve or other central banks around the world. This independence positions them as safe-haven assets during episodes of global monetary instability.

These similarities lead many financial actors to avoid taking sides for one or the other. On the contrary, some high-profile portfolios, such as Tether, argue that both assets are complementary, making it reasonable to maintain exposure to both.

Still, there is a segment of investors who approach this comparison with a certain fanaticism, fueling an almost ideological rivalry between supporters of both assets.

However, the reality is that both gold and BTC have advantages and disadvantages. Bitcoin stands out for its mathematical scarcity and predictable issuance, while gold is backed by over 5,000 years of history as a store of value.

Will Bitcoin Lose the Battle in 2026?

Considering these elements, the answer to whether Bitcoin will lose the performance battle against gold in 2026 is no. Despite geopolitical tensions and new tariffs, 2026 is shaping up to be a year marked by greater monetary easing.

The Federal Reserve is expected to continue lowering interest rates, a factor that typically has a direct impact on the behavior of risk assets.

In an environment of lower financing costs, capital tends to move out of defensive assets like gold and into instruments with higher return potential, such as stocks and cryptocurrencies. This context could favor a transfer of gains from gold to BTC.

The outcome of this movement could be a slowdown in gold prices, which does not necessarily imply a sudden collapse. Simultaneously, increased monetary liquidity could boost Bitcoin’s price, even toward new all-time highs. In this scenario, BTC would outperform gold during 2026.

It is worth noting that this is just one of the variables that could tip the scales in favor of the cryptocurrency. Another relevant factor is related to the regulatory framework in the United States. The country is advancing in the development of the CLARITY law, an initiative that could provide greater legal clarity for cryptocurrency trading in the US economy.

If realized, this scenario would facilitate an unprecedented influx of capital into BTC, driven by broader adoption.

The Continuous Rise of BTC ETFs

A third key element in this equation is the sustained growth of institutional adoption of Bitcoin. In particular, ETFs offering exposure to the spot price of the cryptocurrency are expected to continue attracting significant capital flows from Wall Street portfolios.

This phenomenon is already beginning to solidify in 2026. Just in the past week, these products recorded inflows exceeding $1.4 billion. While gold remains backed by constant demand from central banks, BTC directly competes with institutional investor interest through these financial instruments.

With these factors on the table, it can be stated that Bitcoin is unlikely to lose the battle by the end of 2026. However, in the first month of this year, the relative performance still favors gold, albeit by a narrow margin.