Bitcoin may be carving out a new identity as a reliable store of value during periods of financial turbulence, according to the New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG).
Greg Cipolaro, NYDIG’s head of research, highlighted in a recent note that Bitcoin’s behavior has noticeably shifted, showing signs of decoupling from traditional risk assets for the first time in a meaningful way.
Throughout April, Bitcoin climbed over 13%, even as U.S. stock markets like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq faltered under pressure from President Trump’s sweeping new tariffs. Traditional safe-haven assets such as gold and the Swiss franc outperformed as well, but Bitcoin’s rising independence caught particular attention.
Cipolaro pointed out that while the dollar and U.S. Treasuries lagged, Bitcoin began acting less like a speculative tech asset and more like a non-sovereign store of value, similar to gold. The move coincided with rising volatility across equities, currencies, and bonds, pushing investors to search for alternatives outside U.S.-centric markets.
Yet, the list of viable alternatives remains short. Gold commands a $22 trillion market cap, whereas Bitcoin’s sits at about $1.8 trillion — a fraction by comparison. Still, Bitcoin’s unique position as a monetary-focused asset, unlike many other cryptocurrencies tied to decentralized platforms, reinforces its emerging status as a hedge.
While Bitcoin’s rebound has been strong, Cipolaro emphasized that the rally still appears early-stage, with little evidence of speculative overheating. If current trends hold, Bitcoin could continue strengthening its role as a global safe-haven asset in the evolving economic landscape.
On-chain analyst Willy Woo has shared a long-term vision for Bitcoin that distances its value from fiat benchmarks and aligns it with a slice of the global economy.
Strategy has acquired 1,045 more BTC for $110.2 million, raising its total holdings to 582,000 BTC—worth over $62 billion.
Michael Saylor, the outspoken Bitcoin advocate and founder of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), has once again signaled the company’s intention to add more BTC to its already massive holdings—continuing what appears to be a weekly accumulation ritual.
Bitcoin is trading roughly 7% below its record high of $112,000, facing renewed selling pressure amid a broader market cooldown.