Samson Mow: The Bear Market Is Already Over
Samson Mow, founder of Bitcoin infrastructure company Jan3, believes the Bitcoin bear market is already behind us. In a post on X on December 27, he said that 2025 was actually the bear market, not the start of a new one.
According to Mow, the price consolidation and declines seen this year could mean Bitcoin has already finished its bearish phase. He even suggested that Bitcoin could enter a long-term bull market lasting up to 10 years, until 2035.
Analyst PlanC agrees with this view, saying that anyone who stayed in the market until 2025 has already survived the worst. In simple terms, they believe the hardest period is over, and investors who held Bitcoin this year may benefit in the next bull cycle.
Why Some Analysts Stay Bullish
Supporters of this optimistic outlook admit that the market looks weak right now, but they argue this is part of a bigger picture. Here are the current market conditions they point to:
- Bitcoin has fallen 8.98% since the start of the year, now trading around $87,888
- Over the past 30 days, BTC is down 3.29%, showing slowing momentum
- Bitcoin may end the year in the red for the first time in its history
- Earlier price predictions, such as BTC reaching $250,000, turned out to be unrealistic
Despite these factors, Mow and his supporters believe the current slowdown is only temporary. They see it as a pause before a stronger, long-term expansion, driven by Bitcoin’s fundamentals and the post-halving cycle.
This view goes against the dominant market narrative, which is currently filled with uncertainty. Still, they remain confident in Bitcoin’s long-term strength, even as technical indicators weaken.
2026: A Critical Year Ahead?
Not everyone agrees with this bullish outlook. Several well-known analysts warn that optimism may be premature.
Veteran trader Peter Brandt expects Bitcoin to drop to around $60,000 by Q3 2026. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timmer, head of macro research at Fidelity, believes BTC could fall to $65,000, calling 2026 a potential “pause year” for Bitcoin.
These forecasts are based on market cycles, macroeconomic pressures, and signs that the post-halving momentum may be fading.
Market sentiment also supports this cautious view. Since December 13, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index has remained in the “extreme fear” zone, hitting 20 out of 100 on December 26.
This fear has appeared alongside Bitcoin’s recent price decline, suggesting that investor confidence is weakening. However, some industry leaders remain calm. Phong Le, CEO of Strategy, says Bitcoin’s fundamentals are still strong. Earlier this year, Matt Hougan from Bitwise also predicted that 2026 could become a recovery year.
Fear or Opportunity?
With opinions sharply divided, the future of Bitcoin remains uncertain. Some investors expect a long-term recovery, while others worry about a deeper correction.
As former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) often says, the best time to buy is during fear, not during hype. Whether 2026 proves him right is something the market will soon decide.
