Binance founder Changpeng Zhao said Bitcoin (BTC) could enter a supercycle that breaks its historical four-year pattern during a CNBC interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The former chief executive cited increased institutional adoption and regulatory clarity as potential catalysts for structural market changes.
"I have very strong feeling that it will probably be a supercycle for Bitcoin," Zhao told CNBC's Squawk Box. He acknowledged uncertainty about near-term price movements, stating "2026, I'm not sure, maybe" when discussing the coming year.
Breaking Historical Patterns
Zhao explained that Bitcoin traditionally follows four-year cycles with all-time highs followed by declines. "But I think this year given that US being so pro-crypto and if other countries gonna follow it - I do think we'll probably break the four year cycle," he said.
Bitcoin traded near $89,900 at the time of writing, down approximately 30% from its November 2025 all-time high above $126,000. The cryptocurrency has historically experienced 70-80% drawdowns following halving events that occur every four years.
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Long-Term Outlook
The Binance founder distinguished between short-term and long-term predictions. "If you look on 5-10 years horizon it's very easy to predict, - we're gonna go up," Zhao said during the interview.
Zhao served four months in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering at Binance. President Trump pardoned him in October 2025. The interview also covered his prison experience and denied business relationships with the Trump family.
Bitcoin spot ETFs accumulated more than $56 billion in net inflows since launching in January 2024. The Securities and Exchange Commission removed cryptocurrency from its 2026 examination priorities list in December.
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