A bear market is a period when prices mostly fall over a long stretch of time. Pessimism takes over, more people want to sell than buy, and public interest fades. The opposite is a bull marketBull marketA long period when market prices mostly rise and investors are optimistic.. In crypto, a long bear market is sometimes called a crypto winter.
The name is usually explained by the way a bear attacks: it swipes its paws downwards.
How do you recognise a bear market?
In stock markets, a common rule of thumb is a fall of 20% or more from the last high. Crypto bear markets have often been much deeper. From November 2021 to November 2022, the price of bitcoin fell by more than 75%, and many smaller coins fell even further. The FTX exchange collapsed during the same period.
Bear markets bring plenty of bad news and FUDFUDFear, uncertainty and doubt: negative news or rumours, true or not, that make people want to sell.: fear, uncertainty and doubt. Prices can still jump suddenly along the way, before falling again.
What does this mean for you?
Nobody knows when a bear market will end. Some markets have recovered within months, others have taken years, and some coins never recover. Bitcoin didn't climb back above its previous high until March 2024, more than two years later.
Some people hold on to their crypto through the falls, which is known as HODLHODLCrypto slang for holding on to your crypto for the long term instead of selling when the price swings.. That is easier if you haven't put in more than you can afford to lose and won't need the money in the meantime.
Everything in Myntkaup Learn is written and regularly reviewed by the Myntkaup editorial team. It is for education and is not investment advice. Editorial policy. Updated 18 October 2026.