Key highlights:
- Bitcoin is on course for its first three-month winning streak since 2012, a rare pattern that preceded a historic rally
- While Bitcoin’s latest winning streak echoes 2012, experts say the market conditions have changed
- However, Bitcoin’s short-term outlook is bullish, with investors eyeing a climb to $100,000
Bitcoin is on track to post three consecutive monthly gains for the first time since 2012, giving the current market rally an unusual historical parallel. BTC has gained 7.3% in July, 25.1% in August, and about 10% in September, according to historical market data.
Bitcoin is repeating a rare pattern
The current streak follows a difficult first half in 2026, when Bitcoin fell 10.2% in January and declined 14.8% in February. The leading cryptocurrency lumbered through early 2026 before recording a steep 20.4% drop in June, then staging a recovery through the summer.
The July and August gains catapulted BTC from lows of 60K to near $80K. In September, the momentum continued, sending BTC past $85K amid confirmation of a crypto bull run.
Bitcoin last produced the same July-to-September sequence in 2012. At the time, BTC gained 41% in July, 9% in August, and 22% in September. Bitcoin’s three-month run in 2012 did not produce another monthly gain as the asset fell by nearly 10% in October.
However, Bitcoin rallied more than 2,000% from its October low to April 2013, sending BTC from $10 to around $230 in $165 days. While the historical sequence is forming for BTC in 2026, experts argue that the underlying market conditions are far apart.
In their thesis, Bitcoin was an emerging asset in 2012, with a tiny market compared to today’s cryptocurrency market. Presently, Bitcoin has deeper liquidity, institutional investors, regulated investment products, and a much larger derivatives ecosystem.
The short-term outlook is bullish for Bitcoin
Bitcoin’s surge over the summer shows little sign of waning, with the recent price spurt over $85,000 triggering bull market chatter. A recent Bloomberg analysis opined that a return to $100,000 for Bitcoin is “no longer outlandish,” with the milestone only 15% away from current prices.
Market analysts point to renewed buyer interest and liquidity absorbing available supply as momentum builds back up. Bitcoin ETFs recorded their biggest daily haul in 2026, netting nearly $1 billion in inflows, stoking enthusiasm for an extended run.
CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju has predicted that recent price movements have confirmed a Bitcoin bull cycle. The analyst tipped Bitcoin price to increase by three to five times with less extreme volatility.
Meanwhile, Bitmine Chairman Tom Lee noted in a statement that the crypto bull market is underway, tipping Ethereum (ETH) to lead the charge. Apart from BTC and ETH, altcoins are raking in impressive numbers in September, with XRP, SOL and ADA netting double-digit gains.
Source:: Bitcoin Posts First Three-Month Winning Streak Since 2012: Is History Repeating?