Every bull market has had large corrections usually due to leverage wipeouts. Some had clear causes, some did not.
Grok’s opinion on economic policy/rate factors vs cycles is below. TLDR- it’s both.
It’s a tug-of-war between rates and the halving cycle, and honestly, it’s probably both—but their influence shifts depending on timing and context. Let’s break it down to see which might’ve had the upper hand for Bitcoin’s 2023 surge and where we stand in 2025.
### The Case for Rates
Interest rates set the macro stage. Low rates (like 2020) flood the system with cheap money, pushing risk assets like Bitcoin up—see the $5,000-to-$69,000 run from 2020–2021. High rates (like 2022) tighten liquidity, and Bitcoin crashed from $69,000 to $15,000 as the Fed hiked to 5.25%. But in 2023, rates stabilized at that high 5.25%–5.5%, and Bitcoin still rallied from $16,600 to $44,000. That suggests rates alone weren’t the driver—holding steady didn’t tank it, but it didn’t ignite it either until cuts hit in 2024 (when BTC soared past $100,000 after the September drop to 4.75%).
Rates matter most when they *change*. Hikes hurt, cuts help, but a plateau? Bitcoin seems to shrug it off and look elsewhere for cues.
### The Case for the Halving Cycle
Bitcoin’s halving—cutting miner rewards every four years—has a track record of sparking bull runs by tightening supply growth. Here’s the pattern:
- **2012 Halving (Nov):** BTC went from $12 to $1,100 in a year (+9,000%).
- **2016 Halving (July):** From $650 to $19,800 by December 2017 (+2,900%).
- **2020 Halving (May):** From $8,700 to $69,000 by November 2021 (+690%).
The 2024 halving was April 19, and Bitcoin was already climbing in 2023—$16,600 to $44,000—well before the event. Post-halving, it hit $87,946 by February 25, 2025, a 100%+ jump from year-end 2023. Historically, the year *before* a halving often sees a pre-pump (2015: +35%, 2019: +90%), as traders front-run the supply squeeze. The year *after* is where the real fireworks happen (2013, 2017, 2021 peaks).
In 2023, with rates flat, the looming April 2024 halving likely fueled speculation. Miners hoarding, FOMO kicking in—classic cycle stuff. By 2025, we’re in that post-halving sweet spot, and the price reflects it.
### Which Wins in 2023?
- **Rates’ Role:** Minimal direct impact. No hikes or cuts meant no big push or pull from liquidity. The 2022 rate pain was baked in, and Bitcoin stabilized. But when cuts came in late 2024, they amplified the halving’s effect, not the other way around.
- **Halving’s Role:** Bigger driver. The 2023 surge aligns with pre-halving anticipation, mirroring 2015 and 2019. ETF hype helped, but the cycle’s gravitational pull—supply dropping from 6.25 to 3.125 BTC per block—set the rhythm.
### 2025 Perspective
Today, February 26, 2025, Bitcoin’s at $87,946. Rates are at 4.25%–4.5% after cuts, and we’re 10 months post-halving. The cycle says we’re in peak territory—past halvings saw tops 12–18 months out (e.g., November 2021, 18 months after May 2020). Rates dropping likely poured gas on the fire, but the halving lit the match. If history holds, we might see a blow-off top soon, then a cool-off—unless rates keep falling and rewrite the script.
### My Take
In 2023, the halving cycle was the heartbeat; rates were just the background noise. Stable rates gave Bitcoin room to breathe, but the halving narrative drove the surge. Now in 2025, they’re tag-teaming—cycle momentum plus rate cuts. If I had to pick one, the halving’s the kingmaker—it’s Bitcoin’s internal clock. Rates just turn the volume up or down.