Many traders believe Bitcoin ($BTC) is following an old but famous financial roadmap — Samuel Benner’s cycle chart from 1875. According to this theory, 2026 is marked as a “B year” — the phase of high prices and the best time to sell.
🔑 Key Points
bullish trend matches Benner’s cycle projection.
“A” years = market panics, “C” years = accumulation (buying opportunities like 2023–2024).
“B” years = booming markets, peak valuations — where smart investors start taking profit.
If the pattern holds, 2026 could bring euphoria and a major market top.
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📊 How the Benner Cycle Works
Samuel Benner, an Ohio farmer who lost everything in the 1873 panic, studied price behavior and built a long-term forecast chart extending into the future. His cycle divides markets into three repeating phases:
Line A (Panic Years): Sharp crashes and panic selling.
Line B (Boom Years): High prices, strong markets — ideal for selling.
Line C (Hard Times): Low prices, recessions — prime accumulation periods.
Some past examples:
He marked 1927 as a panic year, which was very close to the 1929 Great Depression.
He pointed to 1999 as a crash window, aligning with the dot-com bubble.
In recent crypto terms, 2023–2024 lined up as buying years (Line C), and now eyes are on 2026 (Line B) for peak valuations.
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🚀 Why Crypto Investors Pay Attention
$BTC Halving Alignment: The cycle’s 2025–2026 peak window lines up with Bitcoin’s typical post-halving bull cycle.
Macro Roadmap: Gives long-term investors a way to time entries and exits.
Human Psychology: Markets move in emotional cycles — fear, hope, greed — which the Benner cycle seems to capture.
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⚠️ Risks & Criticism
Not everyone buys into Benner’s theory:
Outdated Roots: Built from 19th-century commodity data, not modern global markets.
Missed Calls: For example, it predicted a panic in 2019 — the real crash came in 2020 during COVID.
Oversimplified: Ignores central banks, geopolitics, and advanced trading systems.
Bias Trap: Many investors only remember when it “works” and ignore when it fails.
Not a Guarantee: Even seasoned traders like Peter Brandt warn it’s more of a curiosity than a trading tool.
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🧠 Bottom Line
The Benner Cycle is an interesting lens for viewing markets, and it has lined up with some $BTC price action so far. If the pattern continues, 2026 could bring peak euphoria and sky-high prices — followed by the inevitable downturn.
But remember: cycles aren’t destiny. Use them as one piece of the puzzle, not your whole strategy.