Bitcoin's 195-Day Sideways Trend Continues Amid 54% Potential Upside

Bitcoin (BTC) has been in a sideways movement for 195 days, part of a broader two-year period marked by sluggish price action and brief rallies. According to a crypto analyst, only 36 days of this cycle have seen meaningful gains, with the rest characterized by a relentless grind. Despite market fatigue and repeated new lows, the analyst believes the cycle is not yet over.

The current Bitcoin market cycle has been closely examined, with an analysis revealing two full years of sideways price action with only brief periods of upward momentum. The analyst’s chart, titled “Cycle 4 Ranges and Expansions,” highlights a pattern of prolonged range-bound activity interrupted by short bursts of expansion. Bitcoin has been consolidating for 195 consecutive days since December 18, 2024, without setting a new local high. The total time spent in actual upward expansion in the entire cycle is just 5.76 months, with only 36 days recording new local highs.

These expansion bursts are responsible for all of Bitcoin’s significant price increases during its current cycle. Each expansion phase has occurred within extremely narrow windows—typically just two to five days long. The rest of the cycle has been characterized by a consistent sluggish grind and long stretches of price consolidation, where momentum fades and the market struggles to advance.

A closer look at the bottom section of the chart, which removes the expansion bursts, shows how Bitcoin’s price has essentially remained flat or trended lower throughout the cycle. Major sideways phases in 2023 and 2024 lasted 192 days and 238 days, respectively, offering minimum sustained upside. The current 2025 range has now extended close to 200 days, continuing the trend of market inactivity.

Despite the drawn-out stagnation, the analyst maintains that this cycle is not over yet. He implies that Bitcoin’s prolonged accumulation and consolidation could be building pressure for a significant breakout. The chart also shows Bitcoin’s next potential upside target between $165,000 and $180,000. Currently, the leading cryptocurrency is trading at $106,990, meaning a jump anywhere between these targets would represent a price increase of over 54%.

If previous patterns hold, BTC’s next major move may arrive swiftly, as past expansions have delivered their impact in just a few trading sessions. Until that moment arrives, Bitcoin remains locked in what is shaping up to be the slowest and possibly the most patient-testing cycle to date.