The divergence between Bitcoin’s price trajectory and the global M2 money supply has intensified since the middle of 2025, with the gap widening noticeably throughout early 2026. This separation marks a significant shift, as investors have historically leaned on the strong correlation between these two metrics to forecast Bitcoin’s directional moves.
Split Opinions on What Decoupling Means
The market remains deeply divided on interpreting this phenomenon. Fidelity Digital Assets, in its January analysis, takes a constructive stance. The firm expects that as central banks shift toward monetary stimulus and the Federal Reserve concludes its quantitative tightening (QT) cycle, the M2 money supply growth rate should accelerate through 2026—a development the company views as supportive for Bitcoin valuations.
Echoing this optimism, analyst MartyParty forecasts that Bitcoin prices will eventually align with M2 expansion, suggesting current underperformance presents a catching-up opportunity.
The Bearish Warning
Not all observers share this upbeat assessment. Mister Crypto presents a contrarian viewpoint, noting that when Bitcoin decouples downward from M2 growth, historical precedent frequently signals a market peak followed by a protracted downturn lasting 2-4 years. Meanwhile, Capriole Investments founder raises a separate concern: the decoupling could reflect emerging threats from quantum computing advances potentially compromising Bitcoin’s cryptographic security.
The Broader Context
Despite these uncertainties and competing narratives, the institutional and retail investment community continues to regard Bitcoin as a reliable long-term value store, maintaining conviction that fundamentals remain intact regardless of near-term price-M2 dynamics.
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Bitcoin's Growing Distance From M2 Money Supply Sparks Market Debate
The divergence between Bitcoin’s price trajectory and the global M2 money supply has intensified since the middle of 2025, with the gap widening noticeably throughout early 2026. This separation marks a significant shift, as investors have historically leaned on the strong correlation between these two metrics to forecast Bitcoin’s directional moves.
Split Opinions on What Decoupling Means
The market remains deeply divided on interpreting this phenomenon. Fidelity Digital Assets, in its January analysis, takes a constructive stance. The firm expects that as central banks shift toward monetary stimulus and the Federal Reserve concludes its quantitative tightening (QT) cycle, the M2 money supply growth rate should accelerate through 2026—a development the company views as supportive for Bitcoin valuations.
Echoing this optimism, analyst MartyParty forecasts that Bitcoin prices will eventually align with M2 expansion, suggesting current underperformance presents a catching-up opportunity.
The Bearish Warning
Not all observers share this upbeat assessment. Mister Crypto presents a contrarian viewpoint, noting that when Bitcoin decouples downward from M2 growth, historical precedent frequently signals a market peak followed by a protracted downturn lasting 2-4 years. Meanwhile, Capriole Investments founder raises a separate concern: the decoupling could reflect emerging threats from quantum computing advances potentially compromising Bitcoin’s cryptographic security.
The Broader Context
Despite these uncertainties and competing narratives, the institutional and retail investment community continues to regard Bitcoin as a reliable long-term value store, maintaining conviction that fundamentals remain intact regardless of near-term price-M2 dynamics.