CZ Changpeng Zhao: Bitcoin may break the four-year cycle and enter a super bull market in 2026

Binance founder Zhao Changpeng stated at the Davos Forum that he is optimistic about Bitcoin entering a “super cycle” in 2026. Having held Bitcoin and BNB long-term, he believes the market may enter an unprecedented sustained upward phase.
(Background recap: CZ: AI will make you unemployed, cryptocurrencies will make you no longer need to work)
(Additional context: CZ Zhao Changpeng Davos speech summary: Exchanges and stablecoins are mature, tokenization, crypto payments, and AI will lead a new era)

During the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zhao Changpeng (CZ), founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, expressed a clear view on Bitcoin’s future trend. In an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on January 23, he stated he is highly optimistic about Bitcoin’s performance in 2026 and predicts that Bitcoin may officially enter the so-called “super cycle,” which quickly sparked heated discussions in the crypto community.

Believe in Long-Termism

In the interview, Zhao first discussed his investment strategy. He admitted that he is not a short-term trader but holds Bitcoin and BNB long-term. He said he tried trading in his early years but eventually gave up after suffering losses, choosing a more suitable approach based on his background:

“I don’t do trading, I just hold Bitcoin and BNB. I tried trading many years ago, but I suffered losses, and then I realized—I am a developer, not a trader.”

Bullish on Bitcoin in 2026

Regarding market trends, Zhao pointed out that short-term price fluctuations of Bitcoin are almost unpredictable, but over a longer time frame, the trend is relatively clear. He specifically mentioned that, from a one-year perspective, he has a “strong intuition” about Bitcoin’s trend in 2026 and believes the market may experience a structural shift.

Historically, Bitcoin prices have often followed a roughly four-year cycle closely related to halving events, usually reaching new all-time highs before entering deeper corrections. However, Zhao believes this cycle may be different this time. He noted that the US government has shown unprecedented support for the crypto industry, with policies gradually becoming clearer, and other countries are actively following suit. The overall regulatory environment is becoming more friendly, which could break the existing four-year cycle pattern.

In his view, if policy and capital environments continue to improve, Bitcoin’s future upward phase could be more sustained rather than quickly turning into a bear market as in the past. This also suggests that Bitcoin’s market logic may shift from being solely driven by halving events to a new phase led by institutional adoption, macroeconomic factors, and policy directions.

Zhao’s perspective resonates with some recent market analyses. As institutional funds continue to flow in, global regulation attitudes become clearer, and the US official stance turns more positive, crypto assets are increasingly seen as integrating into mainstream finance. Whether this can truly trigger a different “super cycle” remains to be seen, but Zhao’s remarks at Davos undoubtedly add a new focal point for market discussion.