Death Cross
A bearish chart pattern that prints when a faster moving average drops below a slower one.
The classic trigger is the 50-day moving average falling under the 200-day. Traders treat it as a warning that the shorter-term trend has rolled over and selling pressure is building.
Like its bullish twin, the golden cross, it lags. Moving averages smooth past prices, so the signal confirms weakness that already started. Bitcoin printed death crosses in 2021 and 2022 that did precede deeper drops, but markets have also bottomed soon after one fired. It marks a shift in tone, not a forecast.
Related terms
A bullish chart signal that fires when a faster moving average climbs above a slower one.
Moving Average (MA)A line that averages price over a set period, smoothing noise to reveal the underlying trend.
Bear MarketA prolonged stretch of falling prices and weak sentiment, usually marked by a drop of 20% or more.
BearishDescribes an expectation that a price will fall, or a position set up to gain when it does.