BTC price faces pressure as markets brace for a sustained rise in long-term yields driven by economic deficits, particularly in Japan.
The gap between the United Statesâ longer-dated and shorter-dated bonds has widened to its highest level since 2021, signaling potential trouble for Bitcoin (BTC) in 2026.
Key takeaways:
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A wider gap means long-term yields are rising, which can pressure Bitcoin.
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Japanâs long-bond sell-off is driving the move and pulling US yields higher.
Rising yield gap can hurt equities (and Bitcoin)
Bitcoinâs market outlook looks increasingly bearish, if an assessment made by David Roberts, head of fixed income at Nedgroup Investments, on the global equity market is to be believed.

Roberts told Bloomberg that equities would suffer due to âa sustained push higher in yield.â He said the pressure is concentrated in longer-dated yields, particularly in Japan.
This week, Japanâs 30-year bond yield rose to a record 3.92%, widening its gap with the two-year bond yields by 220 bpsâ325 bps.

It can increase by another 75 bpsâ100 bps, said Lauren van Biljon, senior portfolio manager at Allspring Global Investments, citing Japanâs Prime Minister Sanae Takaichiâs election vows to increase spending.
The US 30-year yield closely tracks its Japanese counterpart, indicating that it would rise alongside in the coming weeks or months.

Higher yields typically reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like equities, which increases the probability of Bitcoin, a âhigh-betaâ risk asset, dropping alongside.
Related: Spot Bitcoin, Ether ETFs see heavy outflows as âinstitutional cautionâ grows
The assessment aligns with the so-called four-year cycle, which predicts BTCâs price to bottom in the $40,000-$50,000 range by the end of 2026.

Can BTC catch up to goldâs âhistoric alpha grabâ?
Goldâs outperformance is adding another headwind for Bitcoin, according to Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Mike McGlone.
In a Friday post, McGlone argued that goldâs âhistoric alpha grabâ is pulling capital toward the traditional inflation hedge at a time when higher long-term Treasury yields are also competing for flows.

In that setup, Bitcoin faces a tougher hurdle to reclaim key psychological levels at or above $100,000, especially if investors continue to favor lower-volatility stores of value over high-beta risk assets.
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