PrimeXBT: AI is setting the mood for markets, and crypto is following

So far this year, Bitcoin and the Nasdaq have been performing quite differently. Tech stocks kept setting records on the back of the AI mania, while the primary cryptocurrency was struggling in a full-blown bear market. The same driving force underpinned both trends: Artificial Intelligence. It directed capital allocation and now appears to be shaping the daily performance of both tech stocks and crypto assets. Two markets, one split Bitcoin peaked at around $126,000 in October 2025, but fell sharply in the following months, bottoming just under $58,000 in early July. During the same timeframe, the Nasdaq 100 climbed about 23%. For most of 2024 and 2025, Bitcoin and the Nasdaq 100 moved in the same direction. From late 2025, they split, and Bitcoin only began to recover in the summer. The gap widened most in the second quarter of 2026, when Bitcoin plunged about 14%, and the Nasdaq 100 rose about 28%. Bitcoin fell in three of the last four full quarters. In two of them, the Nasdaq 100 rose. Where the money went Bitcoin seemed to lack the catalyst AI enjoyed this year. The sector benefited from new product launches, rising earnings, and massive investment commitments. Amazon, Alphab...