It seemed for a while that a meteoric—if uneven—rise in Bitcoin was all but inevitable, as the top cryptocurrency flew past the $100,000 threshold midway through 2025. However, an October high couldn't last, and despite making a modest recovery to end the year, BTC is once again plummeting early in 2026. In fact, Bitcoin has shed about a quarter of its value since the start of the year and has now sunk to just above half what it traded for only a few months back.
Longtime "HODL-ers" might be willing to ride out a potential prolonged drop in the price of Bitcoin, but more active investors seeking to stop the bleeding are perhaps more likely to find a way to win gains even as the cryptocurrency market is falling. One of the best ways to make a direct bet against Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency is through a unique crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) with a short strategy. Though these funds tend to be highly risky, in the right circumstances, they can turn a bad day for Bitcoin into a win for individual investors.
