What Is a Crypto Winter?

By Kristi Waterworth – Updated Feb 25, 2025 at 11:45 PM

Key Points

Crypto winter describes periods when cryptocurrencies lose significant value due to long-term negative sentiment.
Signs of a crypto winter include decreased institutional interest, falling prices, and reduced trading activity.
Unlike bear markets in stocks, crypto winters exclusively affect cryptocurrencies and can coincide with other economic downturns.

Crypto winter can be one of the most unnerving times in a cryptocurrency investor's life. Fortunately, they're not all winters of our discontent, and so far, all crypto winters have come to an end eventually. Read on to learn more about this phenomenon.

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Close-up of a finger tapping a tablet with Bitcoin imagery representing global connectivity. — Image source: Getty Images.

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About the Author

Kristi Waterworth has been a contributing real estate and financial expert at The Motley Fool, covering real estate, investing, and personal finance topics, since 2020. Kristi has been interviewed by various TV media outlets and podcasts for her real estate investing expertise – from residential real estate to digital real estate and everything in between. Kristi’s journalist career spans over 25 years, and she has written about real estate investing, homeownership, and home construction specifically for the last decade. She was also previously a licensed Realtor and general building contractor before the Great Recession and housing market collapse. She holds a bachelor’s degree in American history from Columbia College in Missouri.

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Kristi Waterworth has positions in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.