Bitcoin price drops 50% from historical highs, but Wall Street and corporations are疯狂ly increasing holdings

February 25 News: Bitcoin’s trading price in February 2026 dropped to $64,492, nearly 50% below its all-time high in October 2025. Despite the price decline triggering market panic, institutional and corporate adoption of Bitcoin continues to accelerate.

BeInCrypto reports that retail investors are pessimistic about Bitcoin’s price outlook, with searches for “Bitcoin to zero” reaching an all-time high. Crypto hedge funds are increasing cash holdings, with the average cash reserve reaching 15.32%, the highest in nearly a year. Nic Puckrin, co-founder of Coin Bureau, notes that this reflects a defensive strategy by institutional investors against short-term price volatility.

However, from a long-term perspective, Bitcoin adoption continues to expand. River data shows that in 2025, institutional investors increased their holdings by approximately 829,000 BTC, including purchases by corporations, governments, funds, and ETFs. U.S.-registered investment advisors allocated nearly $1.5 billion quarterly to Bitcoin ETFs, with no net outflows. Of the 30 largest U.S. companies, 29 hold Bitcoin, though the average allocation is only 0.008%.

On the corporate level, Bitcoin assets added in 2025 totaled $54 billion, with corporate treasuries holding 866,000 BTC. The number of publicly listed companies holding Bitcoin increased to 194, and five new sovereign holders, including funds from Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, and the Czech Republic, have emerged. Currently, 23 countries worldwide hold Bitcoin. River notes that trust in Bitcoin is growing faster than any other asset in history, with its adoption approaching that of the internet.

In payment applications, the number of U.S. merchants accepting Bitcoin payments has doubled, and global Bitcoin usage has increased by 74%. About 60% of the 25 largest U.S. banks are developing Bitcoin products, indicating faster integration between traditional finance and the crypto market. River believes that although current adoption has not immediately driven prices higher, steady institutional and corporate deployment could significantly accelerate Bitcoin’s global adoption in the coming years.