Bitcoin's Historical Patterns Show Signs of Change

PANews posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Charlie Bilello shared a chart illustrating Bitcoin's annual returns from 2010 to 2026. The data reveals significant shifts in Bitcoin's historical patterns over the past 16 years. Traditionally, Bitcoin has followed a cycle of several years of rapid growth followed by a year of steep decline, only to quickly rebound the following year. This pattern was evident in years like 2014, 2018, and 2022. However, in 2026, Bitcoin has not followed this trend, showing a -17% return without the expected reversal. Another notable change is the decline of the early years' massive percentage gains. As Bitcoin's market capitalization has grown, and with the influence of ETF funds and institutional behavior, its volatility is becoming more aligned with macroeconomic assets. Extreme price surges are less frequent, and significant drops are also diminishing, with 2025 experiencing only a -6% adjustment. Bitcoin is transitioning from a high-beta, volatile asset to a more mature one, indicating the disappearance of old cycles and the emergence of new structures.