Cryptocurrency’s wild ride in 2025

President Donald Trump’s second term began in January on an extremely crypto-positive note. 

Late last year, after Trump’s victory, David O. Sacks was named White House AI and crypto czar. Meanwhile, SEC Chair and crypto skeptic Gary Gensler announced plans to step down. 

Bitcoin’s subsequent rise in 2025 mirrored the gains made by gold as the political storms Trump has produced have frayed investor nerves.

READ MORE: How much time AI saves advisors — and how they spend it

But, it hasn’t been completely sunny for bitcoin enthusiasts this year. After reaching an all-time high of over $120,000 in early October, the price has been steadily going down. By late November it was below $85,000 and falling. The steady sell-off has erased bitcoin’s gains for the year and then some.

This sort of rise and fall stokes fear for advisors and clients alike. Financial Planning’s own research in 2025 showed that the wild swings from record gains to precipitous losses were part of the reason for advisor hesitancy.

Scroll down to read a round-up of Financial Planning’s coverage of a banner year for crypto.