Here's how much Bitcoin underperformed the stock market in the last 12 months

Bitcoin materially lagged the stock market over the past 12 months: by May 27, 2026 the S&P 500 had rallied ~26.98% while BTC fell ~30.35%, producing an overall underperformance for Bitcoin of roughly 56%. The piece frames stocks—driven largely by AI-led rallies and stand-out performers like Nvidia—as delivering faster, larger returns than crypto, drawing investor attention and limiting crypto upside despite bullish institutional year-end forecasts for BTC ($100k–$150k). The market impact: equities have assumed the high-return narrative formerly occupied by crypto, contributing to crypto consolidation and weaker YTD performance across digital assets. Institutional optimism contrasts with recent price action, leaving mixed signals for positioning and flows into crypto versus AI-exposed equities.