Summary Despite immense growth in stock indexes and metals, the year-over-year performance for Bitcoin in 2025 was actually negative. But year-over-year change fails to capture the total volatility and opportunity within the period. Bitcoin surged from $75,000 to a new record high of $126,000 - a 70% rise from trough to peak. Ethereum rallied 250% to reach new all-time highs of $4,950 in August before correcting. Risk appetite remains stable in 2026, so in the absence of violent volatility, regular discounted cash flows into cryptocurrencies make sense at these levels. Solana, for instance, could present an interesting alternative, currently trading 50% off its lows. By Elior Manier Cryptocurrencies have been getting whiplashed, with investors noting a stark contrast: despite immense growth in stock indexes and metals, the year-over-year performance for Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) in 2025 was actually negative . But this headline carries a significant bias. First, year-over-year change fails to capture the total volatility and opportunity within the period. Bitcoin, for example, surged from $75,000 to a new record high of $126,000 - a 70% rise from trough to peak. Traders with a solid game plan who capitalized on these swings fared far better than the yearly close suggests. It is also worth remembering that the crypto pioneer is still up a staggering 480% since its 2023 lows and 123% since 2024, despite finishing 2025 down 3% overall. In a similar vein, Ethereum ( ETH-USD ) experienced high-volatility flows, rallying 250% to reach new all-time highs of $4,950 in August before correcting. While it closed the year down roughly 3% compared to January 1st, 2025, it remains up 260% from its 2023 lows. With the implementation of the Fusaka upgrade - enabling significantly cheaper transaction costs and higher efficiency - the second-largest cryptocurrency could see a fundamental "demand floor" that would act as cushion against more downside. Furthermore, Bitcoin wasn't the only game in town. Several altcoins posted remarkable gains in 2025, decoupling from the majors. Binance Coin ( BNB-USD ): Up 40% Monero ( XMR-USD ): Up 136% ZCash ( ZEC-USD ): Up a massive 860% The most successful traders were those who leveraged these swift gains, cashing out at relative highs before re-entering at the recent lows. The question now is where things go in 2026. Risk appetite remains stable, so in the absence of violent volatility, regular discounted cash flows into cryptocurrencies make sense at these levels. Solana ( SOL-USD ), for instance, could present an interesting alternative, currently trading 50% off its lows . Let's dive right into the daily charts and technical levels for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. A Quick Glance at the Crypto Market Cap from 2019 to 2026 Total crypto market cap weekly chart, rebounding from its channel lows (Source: TradingView) Overall, the crypto market remained very resilient at its lower bound. Bitcoin Daily Chart and Technical Levels Bitcoin (BTC-USD) Daily Chart, January 6, 2026 (Source: TradingView) Closing above on the daily would further confirm its breakout beyond its harsh October downtrend. The main crypto is still not out of its neutral outlook until it breaches the $100,000 level again. Levels of interest for BTC-USD trading: Support levels: $88,000 to $93,000 major support turned pivot Current weekly lows $89,340 $85,000 mid-term support (+/- $1,500) $75,000 key long-term support Resistance levels: $94,170 50-Day MA $98,000-100,000 resistance $104,000 200-Day MA Resistance at previous ATH $106,000-108,000 Current ATH resistance $124,000-126,000 Ethereum Daily Chart and Technical Levels Ethereum (ETH-USD) Daily Chart, January 6, 2026 (Source: TradingView) Having breached the $3,000 key psychological level and holding above, buyers are forming a bull uptrend above the 50- and 200-Day Moving Averages. Watch how the bullish trendline holds. Levels of interest for ETH-USD trading: Support levels: 50- and 200-day moving averages $2,500-2,700 June key support (November lows) $2,620 session and weekly lows $2,100 June war support $1,385-1,750 2025 support 2025 lows $1,384 Resistance Levels: $3,000 to $3,200 major momentum pivot (test of the $3,000 level) $3,500 (+/- $50) resistance and descending channel highs $3,800 September lows $4,000 to December 2024 top higher time-frame resistance zone $4,950 current new all-time highs Solana Daily Chart and Technical Levels Solana (SOL-USD) Daily Chart, January 6, 2026 (Source: TradingView) With the price action getting bullish from a 3-month consolidation, bulls will want to break above $150 to relaunch bullish prospects and hold the upward trendline. Levels to keep on your SOL-USD charts: Support levels: Main support $125-130 Weekly lows $123 $100 to $115 main support Resistance levels: $140 to $150 major pivot (testing) Channel highs and October pivot resistance $165-170 $180 to $190 resistance Psychological level $200-205 $253 cycle highs Safe Trades, and Happy New Year! Original Post Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.
