Digital Assets Are 2026’s Worst-Performing Major Asset Class, With Bitcoin Down 34.6%

Digital assets are the worst-performing major asset class so far in 2026.

Cointelegraph wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on August 9 that digital assets have posted the weakest performance this year compared with gold, silver, the Nasdaq and the Russell 2000 Index.

TradingView data show silver has surged 106.97% since the start of the year, the strongest return among major assets. Copper and gold followed with gains of 66.80% and 60.41%, respectively.

By contrast, digital assets have posted negative returns. Bitcoin has fallen 34.60% year to date, while Ethereum is down more than 50%.