Crypto glossary
Bull market
A bull market is a prolonged period of rising prices and strong investor confidence, commonly defined as a gain of at least 20% from a recent low.
Bull markets are marked by rising prices across most assets, growing trading volume, new all-time highs and a steady flow of fresh investors. In crypto they tend to be faster and steeper than in traditional markets, with bitcoin often leading and altcoins following later in the cycle.
Bitcoin's past bull runs have often come in the year or so after a halving, as in 2017 and 2020 to 2021, although supply cuts are only one factor alongside liquidity, interest rates, regulation and new products such as spot ETFs.
Late-stage bull markets usually bring excessive leverage, speculative memecoin rallies and widespread FOMO. These conditions make the market fragile, and the transition to a bear market can be abrupt.
Example
Bitcoin climbing from about $16,000 at the end of 2022 to new records in 2024 is a typical crypto bull market, with prices rising several times over in less than two years.
Related terms
Latest articles on Bull market
- Bitcoin Must Hold $75,500 to Keep Bull Market Intact, Analyst Warns
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- Legendary Trader Peter Brandt Says Bitcoin Bull Market Is Coming, But There’s “No Rush”
- Fidelity Says Bitcoin Is Entering an Early Bull Market Phase
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