Over 70% of institutional investors say Bitcoin is undervalued, according to a new Coinbase survey released this week. The gap between price action and big-money conviction is growing as global markets turn cautious on BTC USD and the broader crypto market.
This caution is evidenced by the Fear and Greed Index sitting at 20 (extreme fear), while this time last week it was at 44 (fear), just on the cusp of moving toward greed, but growing macroeconomic tensions continue to rule the charts.
1/2 Investors are bullish on bitcoin. And institutions are leading the charge.
While our December survey shows broad-based optimism for BTC, there is a clear sentiment gap: 71% of institutions believe BTC is undervalued, compared to 60% of non-institutions.
Has crypto matured… pic.twitter.com/vL6N5IWznv
— Coinbase Institutional 🛡️ (@CoinbaseInsto) January 22, 2026
This Coinbase survey regarding whether Bitcoin is overvalued, fairly valued, or undervalued comes as the combined crypto market cap slipped a further -0.9% overnight, into Monday morning.
Right now, the crypto market cap is sitting at $3.051 trillion, getting closer to the key $3 trillion level, which, if lost, could signal further downside on the charts. The Coinbase Bitcoin survey makes for positive reading, but hasn’t stopped BTC USD losing $88,000 overnight, where it currently trades for $87,800.
What Does “Undervalued” Mean in the Coinbase Bitcoin Survey?
In plain English, institutions believe Bitcoin should trade higher than it does today. Although the Coinbase Bitcoin survey was conducted between December 12 and December 31, 2025, BTC USD traded between $86,000 and $92,000 on those dates, making it still relevant, as Bitcoin is trading within that range.
71% of institutional investors surveyed said Bitcoin is undervalued at prices between $86,000 and $92,000, while 60% of non-institutional investors agreed. This is a simple yet bullish signal: professional investors see today’s price as a discount.
And these aren’t retail traders on X and Reddit. The Coinbase Bitcoin survey includes pension funds, hedge funds, and asset managers that manage billions of dollars in assets. When this group leans bullish during a pullback, it often signals they will accumulate more BTC USD as part of a longer-term strategy.
This fits a wider pattern of institutional Bitcoin adoption we’ve seen all year. Big players prefer boring entries, and sideways markets give them that, and ETF issuers and Bitcoin treasury firms have been taking full advantage.
US Bitcoin ETFs now hold over 6% of the total BTC supply, according to Bitbo.io, while Michael Saylor’s Strategy continues to buy every dip and now holds 3.38% of the supply itself. This is nearly 10% of the available Bitcoin held by just 13 firms: 12 asset managers and 1 treasury firm in Strategy.
Strategy has acquired 22,305 BTC for ~$2.13 billion at ~$95,284 per bitcoin. As of 1/19/2026, we hodl 709,715 $BTC acquired for ~$53.92 billion at ~$75,979 per bitcoin. $MSTR $STRC $STRK $STRF $STRD $STRE https://t.co/6hpAeOxp2I
— Strategy (@Strategy) January 20, 2026
DISCOVER: The 12+ Hottest Crypto Presales to Buy Right Now
BlackRock, Strategy, and Other Institutions Are Buying the Dip and Showing Retail What it Means to Have ‘Diamond Hands’
Also included in the Coinbase Bitcoin survey, 80% of institutions said they would hold or buy more if crypto drops another 10%. That matters because it inserts an invisible floor on the charts.
When prices fall, and if the further 10% drop hits the market, the hope is that these institutions put their money where their mouth is and step in to buy the dip.
You can already see this behavior through Bitcoin ETF flows. After heavy outflows late last year, US spot Bitcoin ETFs are now sitting on $118.4Bn in BTC USD, with +$56.86Bn in net inflows since they went live at the beginning of 2024.
The BlackRock IBIT product is the clear leader in the Bitcoin ETF space, holding $70.11Bn in BTC, with Fidelity’s FBTC product in second place with $17.68Bn.
🚨 COINBASE SURVEY 🚨
80% OF INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS WOULD HOLD OR BUY MORE CRYPTO IF MARKETS FALL 10%
💥 STRONG LONG-TERM CONVICTION IN THE ASSET CLASS! 💥📈 60%+ HAVE INCREASED OR HELD POSITIONS SINCE OCTOBER!#cryptocurrency #Bitcoin #InstitutionalInvestors #HODL #LongTerm pic.twitter.com/HwlvA2bWkU
— Crypto News Hunters 🎯 (@CryptoNewsHntrs) January 26, 2026
If Institutions Such as BlackRock are Bullish on Bitcoin, Why is it Lagging Gold and Stocks?
Bitcoin’s weakness looks worse when compared to gold, which just pushed above $5,000, while silver has doubled since October 2025 and is currently trading at $109.89.
The S&P 500 is up a modest +3% in the same period, and BTC USD has been the worst performer, down -30.2% from its October 2025 all-time high of $126,080 to today’s price of $87,900.
(SOURCE: gold.co.uk)
Macro fear explains part of this. Trade tensions, geopolitical stress, and energy worries push investors toward assets with longer track records. Bitcoin still trades like a risk asset in moments like these, while precious metals have been tried and tested for over 50 years.
Institutions clearly view this underperformance as temporary. The Coinbase Bitcoin survey expects two US rate cuts in 2026, which usually helps risk assets breathe again. Lower rates reduce the appeal of cash, and BTC USD has historically benefited from that shift.
Calling Bitcoin “undervalued” does not mean the price will go up tomorrow. Bitcoin has already fallen over -30% from its $126,000 high. Still, long-term accumulation by institutions often shapes future trends. When big money buys quietly, it usually isn’t betting on a short-term bounce.
DISCOVER:
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