PANews reported on February 2nd that, according to The Block, investment research firm Bernstein stated in its latest report that the crypto market may still be in a short-term bear market cycle, but this trend is expected to reverse in 2026 (most likely in the first half of the year). Bitcoin prices may bottom out near the highs of the previous cycle (around $60,000), subsequently establishing a higher price base. The institutional cycle has made the current market structure different from previous retail-driven booms and busts.

The report points out that US policy developments could act as a catalyst, such as the government using forfeited Bitcoin to build strategic reserves or changes in the leadership of the Federal Reserve. Furthermore, institutional participation remains resilient, ETF outflows are relatively limited, and there has been no large-scale leveraged liquidation of miners as seen in previous cycles. Corporate holders (such as Strategy) continue to increase their holdings during the downturn, and miners are diversifying their revenue streams to AI-related data center businesses. Bernstein concludes that the current weakness may be a late-stage correction rather than the start of a prolonged winter, and the market reversal in 2026 could usher in one of Bitcoin's most far-reaching cycles.