Bitcoin, the world’s leading cryptocurrency, achieved its strongest monthly performance in a year this April, putting investor focus on the prospects for May. As the most prominent name in the crypto space, Bitcoin’s latest rally has led analysts to revise their future outlooks. Historical data shows that, on average, Bitcoin posts about an 8% return in the month of May.
April rally brought relief to markets
An 11.87% increase by the end of April marked Bitcoin’s best-performing month over the past year. According to CoinGlass, while this figure falls just short of the 14.08% record set in April 2025, it is only slightly below the historical April average of 12.98%. This brighter market atmosphere was mirrored in commentary from Coin Bureau founder Nic Puckrin, who wrote on X:
“There’s still a long way to go to reach all-time highs, but at least the board is green again.”
CoinGlass statistics confirm that, historically, Bitcoin delivers an average return of 7.78% in the month of May, further fueling interest in the coming weeks.
The market’s shift from negative to positive sentiment has boosted trader morale. Seasoned crypto investor Daan Crypto Trades highlighted the sequence of monthly closes in a social media post:
“April is over, May has arrived. After five consecutive red monthly candles, Bitcoin has closed green two months in a row. This has provided the market with some relief.”
Expectations lean on historic market cycles
Crypto investors continue to compare Bitcoin’s current monthly returns to past data, reflecting a widespread belief in repeating price patterns and historical cycles within the cryptocurrency’s trajectory.
According to CoinMarketCap data, Bitcoin was trading at around $66,000 at the start of the year and currently sits at $78,190, which is roughly 38% below its all-time high of $125,100 from last October. Analyst Jelle forecasts that market volatility may pick up again in the coming week.
Despite the bullish momentum, general market sentiment remains cautious. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index read 39 on Friday, indicating “Fear.” This suggests investors are still wary and risk-averse despite recent gains.
Analysts divided on next move: decline or new highs?
Analysts remain split on Bitcoin’s short-term outlook. Crypto analytics firm CryptoQuant noted that April’s rally was primarily driven by futures traders and warned that a market pullback could follow in the months ahead.
By contrast, some market participants are optimistic. Michael van de Poppe, founder of MN Trading Capital, believes that Bitcoin could surpass the psychological $100,000 mark without the need for any special narrative or catalyst. On X, Van de Poppe stated:
“There doesn’t need to be a special story to push the price higher.”
Bitcoin last traded above $100,000 on November 13, shortly after a major $19 billion wave of market liquidations on October 10.
