VanEck CEO Jan van Eck says Bitcoin appears to be approaching a market bottom as the familiar four‑year halving cycle runs its course. In a CNBC interview, he argued the halving rhythm — not short‑term changes to Bitcoin’s fundamentals — has been the dominant price driver in recent years.
Van Eck emphasized Bitcoin’s fixed supply of 21 million coins and the fact that miners’ rewards are cut in half roughly every four years. He described a recurring pattern in which Bitcoin tends to rise for three years and then drop sharply in the fourth, noting that 2026 is the fourth year in the cycle and a reason the market is in a bear phase. “I think we’re making a bottom,” he said.
Not everyone accepts the strict four‑year pattern. Some analysts contend that broader institutional adoption, the arrival of ETFs, a weaker U.S. dollar and clearer regulation have changed or weakened the old cycle. Coverage of market dynamics has also debated how much influence major trading firms exert on Bitcoin’s price path.
At the time of van Eck’s remarks, CoinGecko data showed BTC up roughly 2.6% over 24 hours, trading near $68,400, and about 7.6% higher over the past seven days. The recent rally has coincided with heightened geopolitical tensions after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s subsequent retaliatory actions. Van Eck suggested those events may have helped trigger demand, observing that crypto payment rails can be used to move value outside traditional banking systems during periods of political or economic uncertainty. He pointed to crypto‑friendly hubs in the region, such as the UAE and Dubai, as places where on‑chain transfers could be preferred over struggling local banks.
Analysts monitoring price action say downside momentum is easing, but they caution that a confirmed trend reversal has not yet been established. Investors and observers continue to weigh technical indicators, macro conditions and evolving market structure when assessing whether the bottom is in.
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