Crypto Winter
An informal term for an extended period of declining prices and reduced activity across the broader crypto market, generally lasting many months or longer.
Crypto winter is an informal term for an extended period of declining prices and significantly reduced trading activity, development, and public interest across the broader crypto market — generally understood as a more prolonged, severe downturn than an ordinary bear market (see Kaavon's "Bear Market" glossary definition), though the term has no single, formally agreed-upon definition or threshold.
See Kaavon's "Crypto Market Cycles: A Historical Pattern Overview" research article for a documented historical look at this recurring pattern — presented as a descriptive historical overview, not as a predictive forecasting tool for timing future cycles.
Examples
- Crypto winter is generally understood as a more prolonged, severe downturn than an ordinary bear market, though the term has no single formal definition.
- Historical crypto winters have been associated with significantly reduced development activity and public interest, not just falling prices alone.