Since the start of 2025, Bitcoin has shown greater resilience compared to other crypto sectors, with assets like Ethereum, Solana, and industry-specific niches such as AI frameworks, agent-based projects, and meme coins experiencing far steeper losses, according to data from Delphi Digital.
Project building and building with AI frameworks were hit the hardest, plunging an average of 84.05%, while agent-based projects have dropped 70.27% year-over-year. Memecoins, which traders had high hopes for in 2025, have also taken a major hit, tumbling 51.74%.
Notably, a Binance survey from December 2024 revealed that nearly 45% of users believed these sectors would emerge as some of the strongest performers in the new year—expectations that have not materialized.
The downturn has not been limited to AI and meme coins. The gaming infrastructure sector has suffered a similar fate, declining by 51.54%, while modular solutions projects have fallen by 47%. AI and DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) projects have also struggled, losing 42.41% of their value. In contrast, the Layer 1 sector has been relatively more stable, recording a smaller decline of 26%.
Bitcoin, despite briefly dropping below $90,000, has held up better than most assets, recording the smallest losses among Delphi Digital’s benchmark cryptocurrencies. While Ethereum and Solana have seen returns drop by 25.5% and 24.8%, respectively, the average decline across benchmark assets sits at 18.53%—still significantly lower than the losses suffered by AI, gaming, and meme coins.
Meanwhile, a report from 10x Research suggests that much of the inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, which have attracted $39 billion in net inflows since January 2024, are driven by short-term trading. Markus Thielen estimates that only 44%—or $17.5 billion—represents long-term holdings, while 56% is fueled by arbitrage strategies like the “carry trade,” where investors buy spot Bitcoin via ETFs while shorting futures.
If you want to read more news articles like this, visit DeFi Planet and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and CoinMarketCap Community.
“Take control of your crypto portfolio with MARKETS PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools.”
