Bitcoin Could Enter a Super Cycle in 2026, Says Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) said he believes in Bitcoin for the long term but does not trade cryptocurrencies actively. Instead, he prefers to hold assets like Bitcoin and BNB. In a recent CNBC interview, CZ explained that he stays away from day trading and guessing market moves, as he has lost money doing that before and sees himself as a developer rather than a trader.

“I don’t trade at all. I just hold. I hold Bitcoin, I hold BNB. I don’t do day trading, I don’t buy and sell, and I don’t try to time the market,” CZ said.

Bitcoin May Break the Four-Year Cycle

Bitcoin has usually followed a four-year pattern, rising sharply and then falling. CZ believes the next phase may be different.

“I have very strong feelings that 2026 will probably be a super cycle for Bitcoin,” CZ said. 

He explained that supportive crypto rules in the U.S. and similar steps by other countries could change how Bitcoin moves. CZ said short-term price moves are hard to predict, but the long-term direction is clear.

“If you look at a five or ten-year horizon, it’s very easy to predict — we’re going up,” he said.

He added that Bitcoin usually hits a peak every four years before a big drop, but this time could be different.

“Given the U.S. being so pro-crypto and every other country kind of following, I do think we will probably break the four-year cycle,” CZ said.

His comments align with growing optimism around regulatory clarity and institutional adoption across major economies.

Supporting the super-cycle thesis, on-chain data highlights Bitcoin’s growing role in global finance. In 2025, Bitcoin processed approximately $25 trillion in total transaction volume, surpassing Visa’s $16 trillion and Mastercard’s $9.7 trillion during the same period. When fundamentals strengthen faster than price action, markets eventually correct higher.

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Bitcoin Price Outlook

When asked about Bitcoin’s price outlook and whether the market is in a winter or summer phase, CZ said it depends on the time period being considered.

“If you’re looking at today or tomorrow, there’s no way I can predict,” he explained. “If you look at a five- or ten-year horizon, it’s very easy to predict — we’re going up.”

For a one-year view, CZ said the outlook is unclear but added that he feels confident about 2026.

“I have very strong feelings that 2026 will probably be a super cycle for Bitcoin,” he said.

BTC Price Surging Beyond $300K

Veteran investor Lawrence Lepard, speaking on the What Bitcoin Did podcast, echoed the bullish outlook. He suggested that when the next liquidity-driven wave hits, Bitcoin may surge far beyond prior expectations.

“When this thing does hit, it’s not stopping at $140,000. It’s going to $250,000, $300,000, even $350,000,” Lepard said.

He noted that a combination of short squeezes and leveraged long positions could push Bitcoin sharply higher, though significant corrections would still be part of the process—similar to Amazon’s early growth years.

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