Bitcoin’s 58.8% return beats gold and S&P 500 – Why investors should take note

• Bitcoin decoupled from U.S. bond yields, as investors increasingly view it as a store of value.
• Liquidity inflow into Bitcoin currently places it ahead of the S&P 500 and gold, suggesting that investors may be changing their preferences.

Bitcoin [BTC] has maintained its position as a top market asset, especially after trading above $100,000.

At press time, it ranked as the 7th most valuable asset in the world, with a market capitalization of $2.09 trillion, placing it ahead of Facebook and silver.

Recent analysis of Bitcoin’s performance suggests that the asset is attracting major liquidity from investors, who appear to be rotating capital from other markets. Here’s why.

BTC decouples from U.S. Bond yields in rare market shift

A recent report by CryptoQuant suggests an ongoing decoupling between Bitcoin’s price and U.S. bond yields.

Historically, Bitcoin tends to decline when bond yields rise, and vice versa. However, current data shows that the asset continues to rally alongside the 5-year, 10-year, and 30-year U.S. Treasury yields.

Source: CryptoQuant

This unusual trend in Bitcoin’s correlation with macroeconomic indicators implies that investors may now view it as a store of value, offering protection during periods of quantitative tightening.

Bitcoin outperforms Gold and S&P 500 in YTD returns

AMBCrypto extended its analysis by comparing Bitcoin’s performance to gold and the S&P 500. The results reinforce the growing narrative: Bitcoin is leading the pack.

According to Artemis data, Bitcoin has delivered a 58.8% return, outpacing gold’s 46.7% and the S&P 500’s 11.5%, despite gold’s massive $23.185 trillion market cap.

Source: Artemis

This strong performance indicates that institutional investor sentiment is increasingly in favor of the digital asset.

Data from CoinGlass further supports this view. Bitcoin spot ETFs ended the past week on a positive note, recording $1.37 billion in inflows, with an average daily purchase of $274 million.

Source: CoinGlass

This trend adds to the broader confluence, suggesting that investors will continue accumulating the asset.

U.S. investors could play a key role in Bitcoin’s ascent

Bitcoin’s Exchange Reserves continue to decline, with only 2.49 million BTC available across trading platforms at the time of analysis.

A sustained drop in reserves typically indicates a tightening supply, a key metric that can significantly drive up both demand and price.

Source: CryptoQuant

One important factor influencing this trend is the premium index for U.S. and Korean investors—two groups that have notably impacted the asset price movements.

At the time of writing, both the Coinbase Premium Index and the Korean Premium Index remain in positive territory, indicating strong buying interest.

If these premiums continue to rise, it would suggest increased demand from these investor groups.

Source: CryptoQuant

Notably, the Coinbase Premium Index serves as a critical metric.

A significant rise at the start of the week often indicates fresh capital flowing in from other asset classes, contributing to Bitcoin’s upward momentum.