When Will the Crypto Winter Finally End?

The prevailing crypto winter is hitting hard, leaving investors and industry experts uncertain of the market’s potential future. Bitcoin plunged in its biggest weekly drop in years, and no one seems to know exactly why. While the industry is colder than many expected, the one question left unanswered is- when will this crypto winter end?

What’s Driving the Crypto Winter?

Currently, the crypto market is going through its worst days, with prices dipping to their lowest levels. Although the total market cap has slightly recovered, it is still at the level last seen in late 2024. Bitcoin is trading near the $70k mark, with a 22% monthly dip. Ethereum has managed to climb above $2k, but is still down by 33% on a monthly basis. This indicates that despite a temporary recovery, the crypto market is still caught within a prolonged negative trend.

According to the latest Wall Street Journal report, no one really knows the exact drivers behind this long crypto winter. Unlike previous downturns, which had obvious triggers, this bear market feels almost random. While the 2018 bear market was driven by the ICO bubble, the Terra Lune crash led the 2022 crypto winter. But for the current downtrend, “There was no smoking gun,” stated Galaxy Digital’s Michael Novogratz.

“If you ask five experts, you’ll get five explanations,” noted Anthony Scaramucci. According to ProCap Financial CEO Pompliano, this crypto winter is driven by the shift in investor sentiment. He stated,

“It used to be that bitcoin was the consensus view where asymmetry existed. Now you have AI, prediction markets…many other areas where people can go and they can speculate.”

When Will Crypto Market Turn Green Again?

Just as experts are uncertain about what’s driving the current crypto winter, they are equally unsure about when it will end or when the next bull market will begin. Industry expert Cory Klippsten commented, “I really didn’t think that we’d see a six at the beginning of the bitcoin price ever again.”

Experts like Matt Hougan, the CIO of Bitwise, believe that the crypto winter will last a long time. According to him, this downtrend had its beginning even before the October 2025 crash. Hailing the current bearish trend a full-blown “Leonardo-DiCaprio-in-The-Revenant-style crypto winter,” Hougan added,

“Why is the Crypto Fear and Greed Index near all-time high levels of fear when the new Fed chair is a bitcoin fan? Because we are in a crypto winter.”

However, experts like Benjamin Cowen suggest that the market will replicate past cycles and will recover soon. “Every cycle is the same,” wrote Cowen, adding, “Bear markets suck. They don’t last forever though. Better times will come.”