Bitcoin's Protracted Recovery: Analysts Predict Long Consolidation Ahead
Bitcoin's Protracted Recovery: Analysts Predict Long Consolidation Ahead
Bitcoin has endured a challenging period, with prices fluctuating between $60,000 and $70,000. Crypto analyst Willy Woo suggests the recent wave of bearish selling is 'exhausted,' potentially leading to a period of consolidation or a temporary bounce quickly rejected, with a true bull run not expected until Q1/Q2 2027. This pessimistic outlook is compounded by deteriorating spot and futures market liquidity. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan attributes the recent dip to simple selling by investors, who are now 'mostly done selling,' signaling a bottoming process. While Hougan foresees a 'classic crypto spring' and new all-time highs eventually, the consensus points to a prolonged wait for significant upward momentum, potentially until late 2026.
Bitcoin Sell-Off Slows Down, But The Road To Recovery Is Long — Analyst
It has been a rough stretch for Bitcoin. Prices have been pinned between $60,000 and $70,000 for weeks, and a brief dip below $67,000 on Thursday did little to ease investor nerves. Now, a handful of analysts are saying the worst of the selling may finally be over — though what comes next is far from exciting.
No Crash, No Boom — Just Patience
Crypto analyst Willy Woo put it plainly on X. The wave of bearish selling by investors “seems to have exhausted,” he said, giving Bitcoin some breathing room to trade flat for the next few weeks. A small bounce toward the mid-$70,000 range is possible. But Woo was clear — that kind of move would almost certainly be pushed back down before it gains any real footing. His best guess for when the bearish trend actually ends is Q4 2026. A genuine bull run, he said, probably won’t return until Q1 or Q2 of 2027.
The wait, in other words, is measured in quarters — not weeks. Woo also flagged something that doesn’t show up in Bitcoin’s price chart. Both spot and futures market liquidity are deteriorating at the same time. That combination, he said, has never historically produced a real Bitcoin rally. Until one or both of those conditions improve, any upward movement is likely to be temporary.
Why Did Bitcoin Drop In The First Place?
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan had a straightforward answer to that question. Forget the theories about market manipulation or fears over quantum computing breaking crypto encryption. According to Hougan, the explanation is simple — people who owned Bitcoin sold it. Some followed the four-year market cycle. Others cashed out to fund investments in AI companies. Some had no particular reason beyond wanting out. “They are mostly done selling, and we are in the process of bottoming,” he wrote on X.
Spring Will Come
New all-time highs will come, he added. “This is a classic crypto winter, and there will be a classic crypto spring.” For now, Woo’s analysis offers the most grounded take on where things stand. The selling has slowed. The market is catching its breath. But with liquidity still weak and no clear catalyst on the horizon, Bitcoin’s path forward looks less like a comeback and more like a long, quiet wait — one that, by his own estimate, won’t end until the final months of 2026 at the earliest.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView