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Market Cycle Analysis

Bitcoin below the Previous ATH

In the 2022 bear market, Bitcoin broke below its 2017 peak of ~$20k. We analyzed daily OHLC data to measure exactly how long it stayed in this historic zone.

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Dated historical fallback in use

The live Stooq request is unavailable, so this page is showing a checked-in Coinbase historical snapshot. The completed 2021–2023 calculation remains available without a live market-data request.

Snapshot checked Jul 26, 2026. Chart points are monthly for the fallback; streak totals were calculated from daily closes.

Prior ATH Level

2017 intraday high (Dec 17, 2017)

Total Days Below

Accumulated across 11 separate streaks

Longest Streak

Uninterrupted daily closes

Bear Market Cycle Comparison

Rounded peak-to-bottom price comparisons. These are separate from the previous-ATH daily-close streak calculated below.

2014 Cycle

Peak Price$1,150
Bottom Price$170
Max Drawdown-85%

2018 Cycle

Peak Price$19,783
Bottom Price$3,200
Max Drawdown-84%

2022 Cycle

Peak Price$69,000
Bottom Price$15,500
Max Drawdown-77%

Key Takeaway

These three selected completed cycles had roughly 77%–85% peak-to-trough declines and later exceeded their prior peaks. That small historical sample does not predict another recovery or its timing.

Daily close vs the previous ATH level

Green is BTCUSD daily close. Red shading marks periods below the 2017 ATH threshold.

Range: Jan 1, 2021Dec 31, 2023 (UTC)
Bear Market Timeline

Key Events During the Bear Market

Major events that shaped the 2022-2023 crypto bear market and recovery.

May 2022~$29,000

Luna / Terra Collapse

The algorithmic stablecoin UST lost its peg, wiping out ~$40B in value and triggering a broader market selloff.

Jun 2022~$20,000

Celsius & Three Arrows Capital

Celsius froze withdrawals citing extreme market conditions. Shortly after, 3AC was ordered to liquidate after defaulting on loans.

Jul 2022~$19,300

Voyager Digital Bankruptcy

Crypto lender Voyager Digital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following 3AC's default on a $650M loan.

Nov 2022~$16,500

FTX Collapse

FTX, the third-largest exchange, filed for bankruptcy amid revelations of misused customer funds, sending BTC to cycle lows.

Jan 2023~$23,000

Genesis Bankruptcy

Crypto lender Genesis Global Capital filed for Chapter 11, listing over $3.4B in liabilities to creditors.

Mar 2023~$28,000

Banking Crisis (SVB, Signature)

Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed. USDC briefly de-pegged before BTC rallied on safe-haven demand.

Jan 2023~~$20,000

Daily Close Reclaims Prior ATH Level

The measured below-ATH streak ended on Jan 12; the next UTC daily close was back above the 2017 intraday-high threshold used in this analysis.

The Quick Answer

Using BTCUSD daily closes versus the prior cycle’s ATH, Bitcoin’s longest stretch spent below water was 66 days.This streak ran from Nov 8, 2022 to Jan 12, 2023.

Top 5 Streaks

#1
Nov 8, 2022Jan 12, 2023
66 days
#2
Oct 7, 2022Oct 24, 2022
18 days
#3
Sep 18, 2022Oct 3, 2022
16 days
#4
Sep 5, 2022Sep 8, 2022
4 days
#5
Jul 1, 2022Jul 3, 2022
3 days

Daily Breakdown

Each square represents one day. Green = closed above the prior ATH; red = closed below.

2021
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2022
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2023
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Above ATH
Below ATH

What If You Bought The Dip?

Compare two approximate one-time purchase points

Bought at 2021 ATH

Nov 2021 peak ($69k)

$937
-6.3% ROI
Invested: $1,0000.0145 BTC
Bought at 2022 Bottom

Nov 2022 low ($15.5k)

$4,169
+316.9% ROI
Invested: $1,0000.0645 BTC

Simplified lump-sum illustration, not a DCA calculation or financial advice. Entry prices are rounded historical reference points. Values use $64,627 per BTC (Coinbase BTC-USD spot fetched Aug 6, 2026, 4:39 PM UTC).

Drawdown & Recovery

How deep did Bitcoin fall from its Nov 2021 ATH, and how long did the climb back take?

Max Drawdown Depth

-77.5%
ATH (Nov 2021)
$69,000
Bottom (Nov 2022)
$15,500
Recovery Time
~16 months
Bottom to new ATH

Recovery Milestones

0%
Cycle Bottom
Nov 2022
$15,500
25%
25% Recovery
Mar 2023
$28,875
50%
50% Recovery
Dec 2023
$42,250
75%
75% Recovery
Feb 2024
$55,625
100%
Full Recovery
Mar 2024
$69,000
Bottom ($15.5k)ATH ($69k)
Full recovery achieved in ~16 months (Nov 2022 to Mar 2024)

Methodology

Defining the Level

We use the 2017 peak intraday high of $19,892.

The Rule

A 'day below' is counted when the daily close is strictly lower than the ATH level.

Data Source

Coinbase Exchange BTC-USD daily candles (checked-in snapshot). Analysis counts UTC calendar days. The fallback chart is monthly, while its streak totals use daily closes.

View the market-data source

Common Questions

What’s the “previous all‑time high” in this analysis?

The previous cycle’s ATH is taken as the 2017 peak intraday high (BTCUSD daily “High”) from Coinbase Exchange BTC-USD daily candles (checked-in snapshot).

So how many days did Bitcoin stay below that level in the last cycle?

Using daily closes vs that prior ATH level, the longest uninterrupted streak below it lasted 66 days (Nov 8, 2022 → Jan 12, 2023).

Why might other websites show a slightly different number?

ATH values and daily closes differ by exchange/index, time zone cutoffs, and whether you measure intraday highs/lows vs closing prices.

Is this financial advice?

No. This page is informational only and doesn’t predict future prices or cycles.

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