Bitcoin price has fallen 50% from its historical high, but Wall Street and corporations are accelerating their 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 accumulated 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 increased by $54 billion in 2025, with corporate treasuries holding 866,000 BTC. The number of publicly listed companies holding Bitcoin rose to 194, with five new sovereign holders, including funds from Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, and the Czech Republic. Currently, 23 countries/regions worldwide hold Bitcoin. River states that the trust in Bitcoin is growing faster than any asset in history, and its adoption level is 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 significant price increases, steady institutional and corporate involvement could significantly accelerate Bitcoin’s global adoption in the coming years.