You’re at a beach party.

The sun is high. Waves crash in rhythm with the pounding bass. Drinks flow. Laughter echoes. Everything feels invincible.

Then…the clouds roll in. The DJ packs up. People scatter.
And you’re left standing, ankle-deep in cold water, wondering what just happened.

That’s the market cycle in a nutshell: Euphoria. Panic. Rebuilding. Repeat.

Right now, in the crypto world, the tide is shifting again — but only a few people see it coming.

Today, we’re going to break down the four phases of every market cycle, where we are right now in crypto, and how you can ride this wave instead of getting wiped out.

The 4 Phases of the Market Cycle

1. Accumulation

After the wreckage of a crash, the market falls silent.
Prices flatten. Sentiment dies. Nobody cares.

Smart money — the ones who understand cycles — start loading up quietly.

It’s like buying beachfront land after a hurricane: battered but unbelievably cheap.

2. Markup

Slowly, quietly, things change.

The market breathes life again. Bitcoin starts climbing. Altcoins wake up.
Volume rises. Developers start building again.

Media outlets still ignore it. Retail investors are nowhere to be seen.
But insiders? They’re planting seeds.

This is where we are right now.

3. Distribution

The fireworks start.

Headlines scream “Crypto to the Moon!”
Retail investors rush back in with wild eyes and empty research.

Smart money sells into the hype, unloading positions quietly to an unsuspecting crowd.

4. Markdown

The party ends.

Panic sets in. Prices crash.
Investors sell for losses, swearing they’ll never touch crypto again.

The cycle resets… for those paying attention.

Where Crypto Stands Right Now: Early Markup Is Here

This isn’t baseless theory. The proof is pouring in.

  • Bitcoin is up over 10% this past week, breaking through key psychological levels.
  • One-third of the top 100 altcoins are up 20% or more in just the last seven days.
  • Ethereum’s active addresses jumped almost 10% in a weekend.
  • BNB Chain just surpassed 12 million active USDT wallets — a booming sign of stablecoin activity.

Meanwhile…

  • Cantor Fitzgerald, SoftBank, and Tether launched a $3.6 billion Bitcoin buying spree.
  • BlackRock’s tokenized money market fund is live on Ethereum.
  • Regulators are thawing: A more crypto-friendly SEC chair is now calling for clear, workable regulations.

And guess what?
Most retail investors aren’t paying attention yet.

That’s exactly how smart money likes it.

Other Market Tailwinds

  • Tariffs are cooling off globally, with rhetoric shifting from confrontation to deal-making.
  • The old Wall Street saying — “Sell in May and go away” — is on everyone’s mind, but in crypto, the opposite can happen:
    Summer rallies fueled by light trading volume and big whale movements.
  • Major partnerships (in gaming, tokenization, DePIN, AI-blockchain integration) are laying down real infrastructure, not just hype.

Bottom line:
The fundamentals look stronger now than they did during the last bull run.

Why Most People Will Still Miss It

Even with all this going on, most people won’t act.

They’ll wait until Bitcoin is hitting new all-time highs.
They’ll FOMO into altcoins after they’ve 5x’d.

The pros?
They’re buying today — quietly, steadily, confidently.

The market doesn’t ring a bell when it’s time to buy.
 It whispers.

Right now, it’s not whispering anymore.
It’s shouting.

How to Play This Like a Pro

  • Focus on strength: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and leading Layer 2s and DeFi projects.
  • Use Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA): Stack during the boredom.
  • Ignore the noise: Hype cycles come later. Build your positions now.
  • Think in cycles, not weeks: Wealth is made by patience, not panic.

The goal isn’t to catch the absolute bottom.
The goal is to be riding when the real wave forms.

Final Thought

The 2025 crypto market is lining up like the early innings of a home run derby.

If you’re reading this, you’re already ahead of 95% of the world.

The next 6 to 18 months are not about hope.

They’re about preparation.

Because when the next tide comes roaring in, you’ll either be chilling on your private island…

Or scrambling for a life raft.

Your call, legend.

MichaelHeadshot
Michael Hearne

I’m a serial entrepreneur, and I’ve spent the last 15 years taking companies to new levels, breaking the boundaries of innovation, and triumphing over adversity. My wife, Victoria, and I started our first business in a 2-bed/1-bath apartment with 4 kids, next to a crackhouse. We pushed through setbacks and failures to lift our family out of poverty. Along the way, I’ve learned that my struggles make me stronger. And that being the best version of me is the greatest contribution I can give to the world. It makes me a better husband, and father. It improves my health, energy, and my capacity to serve others. And it has allowed me to build businesses that make the world a better place. Today, I work for passion, to make a difference, and solve real problems in the real world through my business ventures. This little site is where I share the things I’ve learned, and am still learning, on my journey.