Bitcoin Climbs Nearly 10% in July, Yet 2022 Bear-Market Signal Persists

Bitcoin is on track for its strongest July performance in four years, with CoinGlass data putting BTC/USD at roughly a 9.5% gain for the month as of this week. Traders and analysts, however, are warning that the early strength may not mark the start of a sustained uptrend—pointing instead to historical bear-market behavior and seasonal patterns that often temper momentum after mid-summer.

In particular, market participants are watching how July develops versus what has typically followed in prior bear cycles. While some are setting price targets for the current bounce, others argue that any upside may be temporary and that volatility could return later as the market moves into August and beyond.

Key takeaways

• CoinGlass data shows BTC/USD up about 9.5% in July, near the strongest monthly performance since 2022.
• Analysts comparing the current move with 2022 argue that bullish “continuation” calls have historically been premature.
• Some traders see a near-term range that could support upside toward $70,000 before weakness potentially returns.
• Seasonality arguments highlight that Q3 is typically Bitcoin’s weakest quarter, with slow summer liquidity often muting trends.
• Multiple commentators expect August to offset July’s gains, setting up conditions for a longer bear-market bottom later in the year.

July’s surge and why traders are cautious

According to CoinGlass, Bitcoin’s July advance is currently about 9.5%, which the data highlights as a four-year high for July gains. The optimism comes from the contrast versus the broader bear-market backdrop: in 2022, BTC/USD ended July around 17% higher after a difficult June in which the coin had already dropped roughly 38%.

But the lessons from 2022 are central to the current debate. Earlier in that cycle, calls for sustained improvement did not hold—Bitcoin fell again in August by around 14%, followed by an additional decline in September of roughly 3%. That is why, despite July strength, many traders are treating the move more as a relief rally than a signal of a completed trend change.

Trader Daan Crypto Trades made the point in a CoinGlass-linked discussion on X, noting that July’s performance is broadly consistent with Bitcoin’s average for the month, while also stressing that it is still early. Daan added that Q3 tends to be Bitcoin’s weakest quarter overall, with average gains around 6%, attributing part of the pattern to slower markets and reduced liquidity during summer.

Seasonality comparisons: from “picking up” to a likely August reset

Another widely followed framework comes from Rekt Capital, who says Bitcoin’s 2026 price action is resembling prior bear markets closely. In an update shared on X, he suggested that—if historical precedent holds—Bitcoin may “pick up” during the second half of July as part of what he described as a summer relief rally.

Yet Rekt Capital’s view is not purely bullish. As referenced in earlier coverage by Cointelegraph, his expectation is that the market may later “cancel out” July’s gains in August, creating conditions consistent with a classic bear-market bottom formation later in the year. For investors, the practical takeaway is that a strong month can still be consistent with a longer range-bound or downward structure, especially if subsequent months retrace those gains.

Where traders place targets: $70,000 and the $67,000–$73,000 debate

Even among participants emphasizing caution, near-term optimism still shows up in the levels traders are monitoring. For the rest of July, one frequently cited target is $70,000.

Peter Anthony, creator of the House of Crypto YouTube channel, described the coming days as potentially “interesting” while analyzing the daily chart, and another trader outlined a strategy around the $67,000 to $73,000 zone—framing it as a possible area for a short entry. That trader’s outlook paired a “bullish July” with an expectation of a “bearish August,” extending that view toward higher volatility in Q4.

Daan Crypto Trades reinforced the longer-horizon emphasis by concluding that real volatility for Bitcoin—on both up and down moves—tends to show up in Q4. In the near term, this means traders are effectively treating July’s strength as a phase to navigate, not necessarily as confirmation that the market’s bigger trend has flipped.

On-chain signals and partial demand recovery

Beyond charts and seasonality, some contributors are also pointing to on-chain developments. Earlier, Cointelegraph reported that multiple on-chain indicators were flashing bear-market bottom signals for the first time in four years, suggesting that the market may be progressing through the early stages of a larger cycle process rather than cleanly transitioning into a new bull run.

At the same time, demand appears to be improving only in a partial way. Cointelegraph noted that overall demand has shown signs of recovery, with references to whale activity and market structure changes tied to Coinbase Premium reaching a key level. While these references add context for why some traders are comfortable expecting at least further upside attempts in July, the broader narrative remains that the market could still be working through a bottoming phase rather than breaking into a sustained trend.

For now, the key question for traders and investors is whether July’s momentum can extend without being reversed. The next tests will likely come as August approaches—especially if history continues to mirror prior bear-market cycles—and whether on-chain “bottom” signals can strengthen rather than fade as volatility returns.