The cryptocurrency sector ended the first quarter on a sour note, with several of its mega-cap coins recording double-digit losses.
What happened: The total cryptocurrency market capitalization shrank from $3.26 trillion on Jan. 1 to $2.68 trillion at the end of the quarter, marking a 17% decline.
Market barometer Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) slid 11% year-to-date. Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), the second most valued cryptocurrency, recorded a much sharper decline of 44%.
Top altcoins such as Solana (CRYPTO: SOL), Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE), and Cardano (CRYPTO: ADA) also failed to escape the downturn, all shedding more than 20% of their value since 2025 began.
The sector struggled largely due to …
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