Bitcoin and Gold Rank Near Bottom of Bilello’s 2026 Asset Comparison
Bitcoin and gold are both down in the reported 2026 year-to-date figures. Gold has fallen 7.5% and Bitcoin 7.3%, according to Charlie Bilello, chief market strategist at Creative Planning. Both trail stocks, bonds and cash in Bilello’s comparison.
- Gold is down 7.5%; Bitcoin is down 7.3%.
- Bilello says both lag stocks, bonds and cash.
- The comparison’s date and methodology are not specified.
The figures compare returns. They do not settle what either asset is for. Gold and Bitcoin are often described as stores of value or potential hedges, but those labels do not guarantee gains or protection from losses over a given period.
The two assets are not interchangeable. Gold is a long-established physical commodity. Bitcoin is a digital asset with a much shorter trading history and a more volatile price record. Similar performance in this snapshot does not mean they behave alike or serve the same purpose.
A weak snapshot beside strong historical returns
The reported 2026 declines contrast with longer-term figures attributed to Bilello’s comparison. Since 2011, Bitcoin’s annualized return is reported at approximately 120.6%, compared with 6.3% for gold.
An annualized return expresses performance as an average yearly rate over a longer period. It does not mean Bitcoin gained 120.6% every year. The average can also obscure sharp losses along the way. The comparison does not specify the exact start and end dates, benchmarks, currency or calculation method behind these figures, making them difficult to reproduce or assess precisely.
Recent annual rankings show how quickly leadership can change. Bitcoin gained 121% in 2024, making it the best-performing major asset class in the comparison. Gold led in 2025, gaining 63.7%. In the reported 2026 snapshot, both trail stocks, bonds and cash.
Bilello calls Bitcoin and gold occupying the bottom positions together a historic first in his comparative data. The full set of assets and the historical dataset are not specified, so the claim applies to his comparison, not necessarily to every asset market or historical period. Gold’s reported decline is also slightly larger than Bitcoin’s: 7.5% versus 7.3%.
What the comparison can and cannot show
The exact date of the performance snapshot is not specified. The available information also does not identify which stock, bond and cash benchmarks were used, whether returns include income, or how cash performance was measured. Those details matter because different indexes and calculation methods can produce different rankings.
The figures do not explain what drove the declines. Without a stated date, methodology or market analysis, attributing the losses to a particular event or trend would be speculation.
Both assets lost value over the period covered by the figures. That alone does not show whether either hedged a particular risk. A hedge is assessed against a defined exposure and time horizon, not simply by whether its price rose or fell. The snapshot offers a limited view of performance, not a complete test of either asset’s role in a portfolio.
Key questions and answers
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How much are Bitcoin and gold down in 2026?
The reported year-to-date figures show gold down 7.5% and Bitcoin down 7.3%. The exact date covered by the snapshot is not specified.
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What does “historic first” refer to?
Bilello uses the phrase for Bitcoin and gold occupying the bottom positions together in his asset comparison. The underlying historical dataset and full asset list are not provided.
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Do the declines show that Bitcoin and gold failed as hedges?
Not by themselves. The figures show losses over the measured period, but assessing a hedge requires specifying the risk and time horizon it was meant to address.
The practical takeaway is narrower than either a bullish or bearish slogan. The reported rankings show how Bitcoin and gold performed over one unspecified period, while the long-run figures describe a different span. Neither set of returns, on its own, settles how either asset will perform next or whether it fits a particular investor’s needs.
