Cryptocurrencies are rising: why the bull cycle has already begun

For months, market sentiment was bearish. Every rebound ended in panic selling. Every breakout promise failed. But recently, something has changed. It’s not spectacular or euphoric — it’s a subtle but structurally solid shift. And these quiet transitions are precisely how true bull cycles begin. Cryptocurrencies are rising again, and data suggests this isn’t a fleeting speculative move but the start of a more sustained recovery phase.

Silent Structural Shift: The First Signs

In every major cycle, the structure changes before headlines reflect it. The lower lows disappear. Higher lows emerge successively. Corrections become shallower. This is exactly what’s happening in the current market.

Drops no longer trigger cascading panic selling. Corrections are absorbed quickly. Volatility, far from chaotic, feels controlled and structured. The market isn’t collapsing under selling pressure; it’s gaining stability. This structural resilience is the first reliable sign that cryptocurrencies are moving into a genuine bullish phase.

Bitcoin Leads with Measured Accumulation and Technical Strength

Bitcoin doesn’t need explosive candles to show strength. Slow, sustained accumulation is often more powerful than impulsive vertical rallies.

With BTC at $68.07K (+3.00% in 24 hours, as of February 26), the behavior is revealing: it maintains key levels despite overall negative sentiment, and recovers resistance zones without sparking retail euphoria. This pattern suggests institutional positioning, not retail speculation. Genuine bull cycles start in boredom, when most ignore the movement. Right now, that’s what we see: quiet accumulation going unnoticed.

Gradual Liquidity Return: Capital Repositioning

Cryptos don’t advance on abstract hope but on real capital flow. Currently, there’s evidence of capital rotating into higher-risk assets. Institutional participation, though measured, is present. Long-term investors are re-entering positions.

Historically, each liquidity expansion precedes robust bull cycles. Early signals of this capital flow are already emerging. When money flows massively into cryptocurrencies, price amplification tends to be significant.

Ethereum and Builder Ecosystems: Quiet Development

Ethereum, with its current price of $2.07K (+5.55% in 24 hours), doesn’t always lead with loud narratives. In previous cycles, ETH lagged slightly before accelerating aggressively. Currently, development activity remains consistent. On-chain engagement hasn’t collapsed. Strong ecosystems are built in silence, before prices react dramatically. This pattern is familiar and constructive.

Selective Rotation in Altcoins: Differentiated Strength

Deep bear markets crush all assets indiscriminately. That’s not happening now. There’s a selective rotation toward:

• Projects related to artificial intelligence
• Blockchain infrastructure protocols
• High-liquidity meme assets

Not everything rises uniformly — and that’s healthy. Early bull phases reward selectivity and discrimination, not widespread chaos.

Skepticism Persists: Why This Strengthens the Cycle

This may be the most decisive signal. Skepticism remains prevalent. Narratives are contained. Doubt dominates discussion spaces. True bull cycles don’t start with widespread optimism; they begin when most participants stay defensive. When everyone agrees it’s bullish, the easy moves are already done. Currently, caution prevails — and that’s constructive for cryptocurrencies rising on real fundamentals.

Controlled Selling Pressure: Supply Adjusts

Long-term holders aren’t aggressively distributing. Supply isn’t flooding exchanges. Coins are migrating to stronger wallets. Selling pressure isn’t expanding but being absorbed gradually. Tight supply combined with slow demand recovery creates sustainable conditions — not explosive, but durable.

Resilient Cryptos: Absorbing Negative News

In bear markets, bad news triggers violent cascades. Recently, negative headlines no longer cause collapses. Prices react, but without panic selling. This change in response function is critical. Markets that absorb negativity are generally transitioning into bullish phases.

Reality Isn’t Linear

This doesn’t mean gains happen in a straight line. Early bull phases are messy:

• Irregular ranges and consolidations
• False breakouts and technical noise
• Periods of frustration and stagnation

They don’t feel obvious in real-time. They feel confusing and contradictory. Only in hindsight do they become clear.

Why Cryptos Are Moving Up

The alignment of factors is convincing:

• Structure is stabilizing from below
• Capital is rotating selectively into risk
• Supply is adjusting as demand recovers
• Skeptical sentiment acts as a volatility buffer
• Downward reactions are weakening

This convergence doesn’t guarantee parabolic gains tomorrow. But it closely resembles the early phases of past cycle transitions. Larger bullish moves don’t start with fireworks. They begin with subtle, sustained strength. Right now, cryptocurrencies are demonstrating exactly that: contained resilience, structurally solid, often a precursor to broader moves.

Updated data as of February 26, 2026:

• BTC: $68.07K (+3.00%)
• ETH: $2.07K (+5.55%)