A crypto analyst is raising questions over whether the famous four-year cycle theory that has governed Bitcoin’s (BTC) market trajectory in the past is now dead. The expert has shared BTC’s price movements and investor trends to prove that the cycle theory is still very much alive and playing out in the current market cycle.
Analyst Says Bitcoin’s 4-Year Cycle Is Still Active
In an X post on May 23, Mags, a crypto analyst, has raised concerns about whether “the 4-year cycle is over” for Bitcoin. This debate has been spreading across the market for months now, with some experts, such as Strategy CEO Michael Saylor, stating that the four-year cycle has ended, while others believe it is still active.
Many crypto community members, in response to Mags’ post, also compared this cycle to past ones. They noted that the current BTC market is markedly different from previous cycles, due to the emergence of Spot ETFs , increased institutional flows, and broader adoption.
However, after examining and comparing these cycles himself, Mags noted that each one corresponds almost perfectly to the next. The analyst pointed to the 2011-2014 four-year cycle on his accompanying chart, highlighting how the market moved through distinct stages of investor activity and price movement during that period.
In 2011, Bitcoin prices were declining, presenting a buying opportunity for investors. In the second year, Bitcoin began to rise, and investors simply held onto their tokens to allow them to grow. By 2013, prices had climbed to near peak levels, which the analyst noted was when most investors began selling their BTC. The fourth and final year of that cycle saw the market crash, and prices fall sharply. Mags described this as the bear market stage, marking the final stage before a fresh bull cycle began.
Notably, the same four-stage yearly trend was observed during the 2015-2018 and 2019-2022 cycles. Mags also stated that the cyclical theory is actively running in the current cycle, noting that Bitcoin has already moved through its Buy stage in 2023, Hold in 2024, and Sell phase in 2025. Based on this, Mags said that BTC is now in its bear market phase , coinciding with the cryptocurrency’s recent sideways movements and ongoing price declines .
What The Theory Says About The 2027-2030 Cycle
In his analysis, Mags went further to predict what the next cycle could look like after the current one ends. He suggested that the 2027-2030 cycle could follow a similar pattern, with Bitcoin potentially experiencing the same Buy, Hold, Sell, Bear market phases across each year.
He noted that if this structure holds, the next major accumulation window for investors and traders would arrive in 2027, a year ahead of the next anticipated bull run. Mags has pushed back against the speculation that the four-year cycle is dead , declaring that the structure “is still on track and everything is playing out perfectly.”
