Bull Market vs Bear Market
Plain English
Bull market: Prices are generally going up, optimism is high, people are buying. Bear market: Prices are generally falling, pessimism dominates, people are selling. Named after how the animals attack - bulls thrust upward, bears swipe downward.
Technical
Bull market: sustained upward price trend characterized by increasing valuations, positive sentiment, high trading volumes, and capital inflows. Typically follows positive macroeconomic conditions or technological breakthroughs. Bear market: prolonged downward trend with declining prices, negative sentiment, reduced volumes, capital outflows. Crypto cycles often correlated with Bitcoin halving events and macro conditions.