Recently, the performance of global risk assets has set a sample for the market rhythm in 2026. Many are still waiting for next week's market, but institutional money has already started to move.

In the past week alone, net inflows into global crypto trading platforms exceeded $3 billion, reaching a six-month high. What does this mean? It indicates that large funds are positioning themselves in advance.

This cycle is different from previous ones. The trend in the crypto market will reference the rhythm of traditional assets, but the gameplay is entirely different. Specifically, Bitcoin is likely to start at $42,000 and move in three phases: Q1 as the accumulation phase ($42,000–$45,000), Q2 with a breakout ($45,000–$50,000), and Q3 entering an acceleration phase ($50,000–$60,000). The driving forces behind this are mainly twofold—expectation management around the halving cycle, and progress in the implementation of mainline technical project tracks.

Interestingly, the divergence in this cycle will be particularly pronounced. Leading projects and mainstream tracks may perform very differently, and the gains from choosing the right direction will far outweigh the risks of choosing the wrong one. In simple terms, the key now is to identify which are the main tracks and which are just side players.

For those looking to seize opportunities in 2026, now is actually a good window to get on board. But the prerequisite is that you need to understand what story the market is telling.