Bitcoin may be preconditioning a prolonged and persistent bull run that may continue way into the following decade, as highlighted by Jan3 founder Samson Mow. According to him, the last year was not the beginning of a big bear but a silent and slow-moving phase in the bear market that has already concluded.
Mow stated that the bear market in the case of Bitcoin originated in 2025. He is optimistic that we have now laid the foundation of a steady increase, which may continue through 2035. He stated that the bear market was in 2025 and that Bitcoin was possibly in a multi-year bull cycle.
PlanC, the market analyst, had a similar perspective. He mentioned that the investors who remained over the last year must have already gone through the worst of the cycle, implying that the market might already be out of it.
This view is expressly different from more conservative predictions. Analysts note that the highest point of the current cycle is the all-time high of Bitcoin of $125,100 taken on the 18th of October and that the market has already blasted off.
As of press time, Bitcoin is currently trading at close to $87,740, down 1.03% in the past 24 hours. The trading volume is down by 52.51% and is currently standing at $13.31 billion.
Bitcoin Nears Rare Annual Loss as Bullish Price Targets Fade
So far, the cryptocurrency will complete the year in the red, a scenario that has been uncommon in the history of its trading. Analyst PlanC believes that Bitcoin has never had two consecutive annual falls, so the present decline might be in the nature of an exception and not a permanent change of direction.
In October, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes and BitMine chair Tom Lee stated that it was not too late to see BTC jump to more than $250,000 by the end of the year. However, Bitcoin has declined by about 3% in the past 30 days, and the market sentiment is steadily declining in December.
Also Read: Bitcoin Whale Sell-Off Halves in December, NVT Signal Hints 2026 Bull Run
Investor mood is characterized by evident strains. On December 28, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to 24 out of 100, and it was the longest run of extreme fear since the start of the month.
Source: Alternative.me
BTC Outlook for 2026 Splits Analysts and Institutions
With the market heading towards 2026, the expectations are overwhelmingly divided. Fidelity Director of Global Macro Research Jurrien Timmer has predicted that the year may become a year of consolidation, with BTC prices potentially falling to the $65,000 mark.
Strategy CEO Phong Le has argued that the underlying fundamentals of Bitcoin remained firm during the year 2025 even when the prices were floundering. Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan has been more optimistic, saying earlier this year that he thinks 2026 will work out to be a good year with Bitcoin.
According to K33 Research, years of consistent destruction mean long-term holders could be nearing a market exhaustion, which can ease pressure.
Also Read: Bitcoin-Backed Digital Money Could Pay 8% Returns, Michael Saylor Reveals
