- Crypto markets follow predictable four-year cycles with accumulation, growth, bubbles, and inevitable crashes.
- Controlling emotions and planning exit strategies are crucial for avoiding losses in volatile crypto markets.
Lark Davis, a famous crypto expert, cautions that most investors are unprepared for what lies ahead. In his recent YouTube video, “Why 99% of 2025 Crypto Buyers Will Lose Money,” Davis analyzes the risks of market cycles and provides doable tips for keeping ahead.
Understanding Crypto Market Cycles
According to Davis, the crypto market runs in predictable four-year cycles with accumulation, expansion, a bubble period, and a consequent crash. Major events like Bitcoin halvings and the launch of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) historically have propelled these cycles.
For example, Bitcoin fell low and lost 77% of its value when the FTX market collapsed in late 2022; some altcoins plunged over 90%. Such occurrences marked the accumulation phase in 2023—that is, the uncertainty and terror generated.
Driven by Bitcoin ETFs and the lower supply following the halving event, the market started to rebound by 2024 and Bitcoin rose to above $100,000.
But Davis notes that as the market is saturated with hype and speculative money, 2025 will probably bring in a bubble era. He warns that this phase—one that retail investors are most prone to emotional decision-making—is one that requires prudence.
Psychology Drives The Market
Emotions drive the crypto market; greed and fear rule investor behavior. Davis shows this by matching the changes in Bitcoin’s price to the “psychology of a market cycle.” While bear markets bring denial, panic, and capitulation, confidence moves to euphoria as prices surge in bull markets.
Making reasonable investment judgments requires emotional regulation, according to Davis. For instance, he asserts that selling during extreme greed and investing during moments of anxiety typically produce superior outcomes compared to blindly following the crowd.
He underlines the need of having a well-defined plan, especially an exit strategy, to prevent institutional investors from becoming “exit liquidity.”
Recognizing the Warning Signs
Bubble tops are sometimes accompanied by too much media publicity and wild forecasts, including Bitcoin surpassing unrealizable price levels. According to Davis, investors should be alert even if we are not yet at this level.
Though they are far from the heights seen during the 2021 bull market, Google searches for Bitcoin are rising, he notes.
Davis stresses the need for thorough preparation if one wants to negotiate the stormy market ahead. He advises investors to focus on selecting which crypto to sell, determining the quantity of assets to sell, and monitoring market signals that may indicate a potential bubble top.
He emphasizes that many investors will be left with depreciating assets without preparation since the end of the bull market usually arrives faster than expected.
Planning for Long-Term Success
Finally, Davis emphasizes once more how both the volatility of the crypto market is its main appeal as well as its main risk. Although the thrill of bull markets is alluring, unprepared investors may be completely destroyed by the quick and sometimes dramatic collapses that follow.
Understanding market cycles, managing emotions, and following a strong plan will help investors increase their resilience. The end always comes, as Davis cautions. Without a strategy, you will be the exit liquidity for someone else.
