CZ predicts that Bitcoin will "break" the four-year cycle this year

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), co-founder of Binance, said on CNBC on Friday that he believes Bitcoin will break the traditional four-year cycle this year, as the US and many other countries are becoming more crypto-friendly.

Answering Andrew Ross Sorkin’s question on the Squawk Box program about Bitcoin price forecasts this year, Zhao said he cannot predict short-term volatility. “If you look day by day, week by week, there’s no way I can predict where the price will go. But if you look at a 5 to 10-year timeframe, that’s very easy to predict. We will go up,” he stated.

The host also asked whether Zhao agrees with Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood’s forecast – who last week suggested Bitcoin could reach between $300,000 and $1.5 million by 2030 – as well as the view of many investors who believe Bitcoin will hit new highs this year. Zhao responded that he has “a very strong feeling” about the possibility of a “super cycle” occurring this year.

According to him, Bitcoin typically moves in a four-year cycle linked to the halving event. However, the policy landscape has changed significantly. “Usually, Bitcoin follows a four-year cycle, but this year, with the US strongly supporting crypto and many other countries following suit, I think we will see a change. It’s very likely that the four-year cycle will be broken,” Zhao said, also suggesting that BTC prices could reach new highs this year.

Historically, Bitcoin cycles tend to last about 14–18 months after each halving. The next halving event is expected to occur in April 2028, and according to the old model, the new cycle peak would appear at the end of the following year.

CZ also shared that he is spending a lot of time working with policymakers to advise on the legal framework for crypto. “I am talking to about half a dozen to a dozen governments about how to regulate crypto, how to manage tokenization, and how to build a legal framework for stablecoins,” he said.

Earlier, at a side discussion at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, CZ revealed he is in talks with about ten countries regarding asset tokenization, though he did not specify the countries or the specific assets. He said the goal is to help countries raise capital by offering small portions of state assets to the public or investors, similar to how some countries have sold stakes in national oil or telecom companies.

In the interview at Davos, Zhao also emphasized the political shift regarding digital assets worldwide. According to him, the increasingly open stance toward crypto is “good for the crypto industry and also good for the US.”

Apart from policy activities, Zhao said he remains very busy with personal projects. He is developing a free educational platform called Giggle Academy, and collaborating with an investment group called YZi Labs. Zhao also continues to advise many founders within the BNB Chain ecosystem, emphasizing that his role is mainly to support them directly as a minority investor: “I mainly advise them.”