So how'd the markets actually play out during Trump's first year back? Let's break down the scorecard.

SPY—the S&P 500 proxy—showed solid gains as pro-business sentiment hit markets. The big tech stocks bundled in the QQQ? They went on their own run, riding AI hype and deregulation vibes. But here's where it gets spicy: Bitcoin moved to its own beat.

While traditional equities rallied on fiscal policy expectations, Bitcoin charted a different course entirely. The crypto asset responded more to global liquidity conditions, Fed policy shifts, and growing institutional adoption than day-to-day political headlines.

Worth noting—asset correlation patterns shifted throughout the year. Early months saw Bitcoin trading somewhat independently of stocks. Later periods showed more synchronized moves as macro factors dominated. The real kicker? Bitcoin's volatility often dwarfed both SPY and QQQ swings, reminding traders why crypto demands its own risk management strategy.

This scorecard matters because it shows us that while traditional markets danced to Trump policy vibes, digital assets played by different rules. Understanding these divergences helps frame better portfolio decisions.