Bitcoin and gold have become the two worst-performing major asset classes in 2026, creating an unprecedented situation in financial markets.
According to Charlie Bilello, Chief Market Strategist at Creative Planning, gold has declined 7.5% since the beginning of the year, while bitcoin has fallen 7.3%.
Although both assets have long been regarded as stores of value, their performance today has lagged behind traditional investments, including stocks, bonds, and even cash.
It is particularly noteworthy that both recorded losses, as Bitcoin and gold are often seen as alternatives to traditional financial assets during periods of economic uncertainty.
However, by 2026, neither had achieved positive year-to-date returns, weakening their appeal as reliable hedges against market volatility.
Far exceeds gold
Despite Bitcoin's underperformance this year, it remains the undisputed winner over the long term among the major asset classes tracked by Bilello.
Since 2011, Bitcoin has delivered an annualized return of approximately 120.6%, significantly outperforming traditional financial assets.
In comparison, the annualized return on gold during the same period was only 6.3%.
If you look at the performance over the past few years, this gap becomes even more apparent.
Bitcoin was the top-performing major asset class in 2024, surging 121%. Gold then took the lead in 2025, skyrocketing 63.7% and outperforming other investments.
However, by 2026, their fortunes underwent a dramatic reversal, both landing at the bottom of the performance rankings.
This rare change highlights that even assets with historically strong returns can quickly lose their market leadership.
Although the latest data represents a historical first in Bilello's comparison records, the final ranking for 2026 remains uncertain, as there are still more than two months until the end of the year.