When Bitcoin’s 50-day moving average crosses above its 200-day moving average, it is called a golden cross — a widely-watched bullish signal. When the MA50 crosses below the MA200, it is called a death cross — a bearish signal. The dashboard below tracks the current MA cross signal in real time, alongside the exact values of both moving averages and the percentage above or below the MA200 over the full history since 2016. Follow bitcoin golden cross death cross updated daily.
The Golden Cross occurs when the 50-day moving average crosses above the 200-day moving average, and is widely regarded as a long-term bullish signal. Learn more about the moving average crossover on Investopedia.
What Is a Bitcoin Golden Cross?
A golden cross occurs when Bitcoin’s 50-day moving average crosses above its 200-day moving average. It signals that medium-term momentum has strengthened relative to the long-term trend — in other words, recent price performance has been strong enough to pull the MA50 above the long-term baseline of the MA200.
Golden crosses are generally interpreted as bullish. The golden cross of May 2020 preceded Bitcoin’s climb from roughly $8,500 to $69,000 over the following 18 months. The golden cross of February 2019 preceded a significant recovery from the 2018 bear market lows. However, not all golden crosses lead to sustained bull markets — some are followed by sideways price action or brief rallies before further declines. Context matters.
What Is a Bitcoin Death Cross?
A death cross occurs when Bitcoin’s 50-day moving average crosses below its 200-day moving average. It signals that medium-term momentum has weakened relative to the long-term trend. Death crosses are generally interpreted as bearish.
The death cross of January 2022 confirmed the beginning of one of Bitcoin’s most significant bear markets, with prices ultimately falling from $47,000 to $15,500 over the following year. However, like the golden cross, the death cross is a lagging indicator — it confirms a trend that has already developed rather than predicting a move before it happens. By the time a death cross triggers, a significant portion of the downside has often already occurred.
The Percentage Above or Below MA200
Watching the golden cross or death cross signal alone misses important nuance. The percentage above or below the MA200 provides a more precise and continuous measure of the same dynamic.
When Bitcoin is trading 50% or more above its MA200, the market has historically been overheated — these readings have appeared near major tops. When Bitcoin is trading 20% or more below its MA200, the market has historically been in distress — these readings have appeared near major bottoms or during sustained bear markets.
Our dashboard tracks this percentage daily alongside the MA cross signal, giving you a complete picture of Bitcoin’s position relative to its long-term trend.
Current Signal Interpretation
Interpreting the MA cross signal requires looking at multiple factors together. A golden cross with Bitcoin trading above both moving averages is the most bullish configuration — both the signal and the price confirm an uptrend. A golden cross with Bitcoin trading below both moving averages — as is sometimes the case during the early stages of recovery — is technically a positive signal but with price yet to confirm it.
A death cross with Bitcoin trading below both moving averages is the most bearish configuration. A death cross with Bitcoin above both averages is rare but can occur during sharp short-term pullbacks within a broader uptrend.
Bitcoin Golden Cross Death Cross FAQs
What is the Bitcoin golden cross? A Bitcoin golden cross occurs when the 50-day moving average crosses above the 200-day moving average. It is widely interpreted as a bullish signal indicating that medium-term momentum has strengthened. Historically, golden crosses have preceded significant Bitcoin price appreciation.
What is the Bitcoin death cross? A Bitcoin death cross occurs when the 50-day moving average crosses below the 200-day moving average. It is generally interpreted as a bearish signal. Death crosses are lagging indicators — they confirm a downtrend that has already developed rather than predicting one in advance.
What is the MA200 percentage indicator? The MA200 percentage shows how far Bitcoin’s current price is above or below its 200-day moving average, expressed as a percentage. Readings above +50% have historically indicated overheated conditions. Readings below -20% have historically indicated distress or deep value zones.
Bitcoin golden cross and death cross signals work best when combined with other indicators. Check the Fear & Greed Index
to see whether current sentiment supports the signal, and the miner signals dashboard to understand what miners are doing during the current trend. See the full Bitcoin price dashboard
for MA-7, MA-30, MA-50 and MA-200 overlays on the price chart.