Just pulled up some interesting historical data on Bitcoin cycles, and it really puts things into perspective when you're wondering how long does a crypto bull run last. Looking back at the past decade, there's actually a pretty clear pattern emerging.

The 2015-2016 cycle was relatively short - Bitcoin bottomed around $152 in January and peaked near $780 by June, so that was roughly 17 months from start to finish. Then 2017 hit differently. That year saw BTC go from around $1,000 in January all the way to nearly $20k by December - basically a full year of pure parabolic growth.

But the 2020-2021 run? That was the real deal. Started from the COVID crash bottom at $3,850 in March 2020 and didn't peak until November 2021 when BTC touched $69k. That's about 20 months of sustained upside, which shows how long does a crypto bull run last can vary significantly depending on market conditions and macro factors.

The most recent cycle starting in early 2023 went for roughly 14 months, peaking around $73,738 in March 2024. And here's where it gets interesting - the Bitcoin halving happened in April 2024, and historically these cycles tend to extend 6-12 months post-halving. Fast forward to now in May 2026, and we're actually seeing that play out. BTC has already broken through to new all-time highs around $126k, which suggests this current bull run is still going strong.

What I've noticed is that how long does a crypto bull run last really depends on several factors. You typically see a market bottom first, then 12-20 months of growth, followed by a prolonged bear market. Each cycle seems to follow this rhythm, though the exact timing varies by exchange and market conditions.

The pattern suggests that after each major crash, there's a predictable recovery window. So if you're trying to understand how long does a crypto bull run last, the answer is usually somewhere between 12-20 months from the bottom, but it can stretch longer if halving cycles align favorably. Pretty useful to keep in mind when thinking about market timing and cycles.