Bitcoin Is Down 25%, Erasing All Gains From the Trump Rally. Should Investors Be Worried?

For many investors, this might seem like the worst possible time to invest in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC). After all, Bitcoin is now down nearly 25% from an all-time high of $109,000 in January. And tariff uncertainty and market volatility will continue to weigh heavily on the crypto market for the foreseeable future.

But all is not lost. In fact, if history is any guide, now might be the best possible time to add to your Bitcoin position.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

Here's why.

Bitcoin as a store of value

It's not an understatement to say that, since President Donald Trump announced Liberation Day on April 2, the global financial markets have turned upside down. Even President Trump admits that investors are getting a little "yippy."

Iconic American tech stocks have lost trillions of dollars in market value. The U.S. dollar is now trading at its lowest level in three years. The threat of a global trade war involving China has analysts frantically revising their forecasts for every single stock in the S&P 500.

Image source: Getty Images.

Amid all this market chaos, Bitcoin could become a safe haven asset and a store of value. That is the scenario that Bitcoin enthusiasts have been talking about for more than a decade now. As they see it, Bitcoin will begin to see record inflows if nations around the world decide to follow through on their "Sell America" promises.

If money is no longer flowing into U.S. government debt or dollar-denominated assets (such as U.S. stocks), where is all that money going to go? The obvious, no-brainer answer is gold. And that's where things get interesting, because Bitcoin is often described as "digital gold," due to its inherent scarcity and disinflationary properties. So, while the lion's share of the money might flow into physical gold, another portion could flow into "digital gold."

That's why I'm keeping a close eye on investor inflows into the spot Bitcoin ETFs. These numbers are reported on a regular basis, and it's one of the best ways to tell if the "Bitcoin as a store of value" argument is resonating with investors. If record-high Bitcoin ETF outflows in Q1 suddenly become record Bitcoin ETF inflows in Q2, then you'll know that investors are beginning to view Bitcoin the same way they view gold.

Bitcoin's historical track record

Even though Bitcoin is significantly off its January highs, it still trades at a price of $83,500 and is only down 10% for the year. Keep in mind: Bitcoin was trading for just $70,000 on Election Day. So, over the past six months, Bitcoin is up nearly 20%. That's not quite the massive "Trump Rally" everyone expected, but it's still a nice bump.

But I get it -- Bitcoin's recent performance over the past few months has been disappointing, and at times, heartbreaking. Bitcoin started the year with so much promise and so much fanfare, and now it looks like it might become collateral damage in a global trade war.

If it's any solace, a 25% downturn in the price of Bitcoin is nothing new. Bitcoin is famous for its volatility. It's capable of massive spikes on the way up, as well as massive spikes on the way down. Over its 15-year history, it has actually experienced five distinct periods when it has lost 75% or more of its value.

But you know what? Each time, it has bounced back, better than before. After Bitcoin collapsed in value by 65% in 2022, it responded with triple-digit returns in 2023 and 2024. In fact, in both years, it was the best-performing asset in the world, and it wasn't even close.

Should you buy Bitcoin?

Historical performance, of course, is no guarantee of future performance. But it does suggest that Bitcoin is far more resilient than many people assume. As long as you take a long-term perspective, Bitcoin could be one of the best investments you ever make.

Throughout April, market analysts on CNBC have been commenting on how willing retail investors have been to "buy the dip." Maybe we're all simply in denial. But it seems almost impossible that the "Magnificent Seven" stocks have been crushed the way they have, and that Bitcoin was at one time perilously close to dropping below $70,000.

However, if there's one asset that was purpose-built for a volatile world, it's Bitcoin. It was created in response to the global financial crisis of 2008. As a result, I'm going to do what Bitcoin investors have been doing for more than a decade.

Yes, I'm going to "buy the Bitcoin dip."

Should you invest $1,000 in Bitcoin right now?

Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Bitcoin wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $502,231!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $678,552!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 800% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 156% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of April 14, 2025

Dominic Basulto has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.