5 Signs a Crypto Bull Market is Underway
A crypto bull market is more than just rising prices. It's a sustained period when prices, liquidity, and investor demand increase across a large portion of the market. To confirm a bull run, look for several key signals.
Bitcoin usually leads the move, and its price action can be a strong indicator of a potential bull market. If Bitcoin holds above key long-term levels and forms higher highs and higher lows over an extended period, it could be a sign that a bull run is underway.
Another important signal is fresh capital entering the market. This can be seen in ETF inflows, which have been positive for US spot Bitcoin ETFs. In May 2026, these funds recorded six straight weeks of inflows totaling about $3.4 billion, showing how quickly institutional demand can reinforce a rally.
On-chain data also plays a crucial role in confirming a bull market. Glassnode has historically tracked measures such as short-term holder cost basis, realized profit and loss, and realized capitalization to gauge whether fresh demand is strong enough to support a new expansion phase.
A genuine altcoin season requires broad outperformance rather than just a handful of tokens rallying. Falling Bitcoin dominance can signal that capital is rotating into altcoins, but it's not proof of a bull market by itself.