I’ve seen many cycles. All filled with hope, equal measures of devastation. But this one? This one is different. This is the cycle that will make legends or break them. I’ve said it since 2016, and I’ll say it again, this is the big one. The one your grandkids will ask about.
Sentiment is usually a secondary market signal, but right now, it’s the leading indicator. Around April 20th, 2025, we reached a local nadir. Engagement was flatlined. Interest was gone. And then, quietly, it started turning. That date marked the turning point, based on my tracking methods. We are now in the early innings of the next altcoin cycle. Give it 7 to 10 weeks, and we’ll be looking back on this moment as the start of parabolic growth.
AI hasn’t been through a bull run yet. That’s a huge signal. We’re going to see coins claiming to extend your life 200 years, agent economies promising AGI breakthroughs, and vaporware that makes 2017 look honest. But beneath the froth, real narratives will emerge. AI-integrated platforms with actual utility will go vertical. And everything with “agent” or “AI” in the name is going to print.
AI changes everything, but also nothing. People will rotate back into the familiar: L1s, metaverses, gaming, DeFi. Why? Because these narratives are recycled, reliable, and primed for new life. This time, though, they’re AI-infused. That’s all the market needs. As VCs scramble for exit liquidity and retail floods in, the pumps will be theatrical.
You haven’t seen anything yet. Bull markets bring fraud, and this time, AI is the accelerant and it will make these scams biblical. Fake projects, fake people, even fake AI demos. Eventually, users will flee to the familiar. Projects with track records, shipped code, real communities. “Old” is the new “safe.” Add a sprinkle of AI, and the old dogs get a new leash on hype.
Bitcoin remains the macro anchor of crypto. The ETF inflows, institutional buy-in, and cultural adoption are setting the stage for a run beyond $300,000. The herd always rotates profits into BTC. XRP is another one to watch, it’s overdue for a legal clean slate and a massive retail-driven pump. Legacy is back in fashion and this one hasn’t had a clean run at the big time for a long while.
After this, crypto gets domesticated. Regulated. Tamed. Wall Street’s in, and they’re not here for 10x memecoins, they want stable returns and scalable rails (at a certain level). I’ve said this since 2016 and Im still convinced. This is the last cycle that will feel like 2017 or 2021, but on steroids. If you’re here now, treat this moment as a once-in-a-lifetime gift.
A 30-year Wall Street veteran once told me something wild: “Every blue-chip trader has a hidden portfolio of penny stocks.” It’s human nature. Risk appetite doesn’t vanish, it goes underground. In crypto, that appetite will explode into microcaps and narrative coins.
Projects that check the boxes, AI, metaverse, L1 exposure, and shipped tech, will print. Orange Web3 and $ORNG are sitting under a $6M FDV, with a legacy infrastructure of partners, builder tools, and a working Layer 1. It’s a sleeping missile, and the fuse has been lit by its $100K Orange Vibe Jam hackathon and a community about to go full cult mode, armed with a playbook that has served many Top 100 projects well.
Expect massive returns from legacy AI projects like VIRTUALS and AI16Z. They’re early, they’re flashy, a lot of wind and fluff, and they have the right buzzwords. Animoca? As usual, they have their little fingers in all the pies. Bet on the spider.
This cycle will be legendary. Fortunes made, lives changed. Also — dreams crushed, reputations lost, and apes wrecked. Want to win? Do this: — Don’t leverage, ever. — Don’t leave funds on exchanges. — Don’t overhandle your bags. — Set targets. Stick to them. — Let the market play out. If you do, you’ll be Biff in Back to the Future 2, with the almanac and all the time in the world.
