- The crypto market has experienced three major multi-year monthly consolidation phases since 2014.
- Each consolidation ended with a breakout, triggering substantial increases in total market capitalization.
- The November 2024 breakout flipped the 1.5 to 3.8 trillion USD range to upside, indicating continued bullish momentum.
The total cryptocurrency market capitalization recently broke out of a significant long-term monthly consolidation range. The current market cap stands at 3.26 trillion USD, showing a shift in market dynamics. Since 2014, the market has undergone three major consolidation phases on the monthly timeframe, each lasting multiple years. These phases ended with breakouts leading to substantial increases in total market capitalization. The latest breakout in November 2024 marks the third such event, indicating a continuation of the long-term upward trend.
Historical Monthly Consolidation Ranges and Breakouts
According to Crypto Scient , the first consolidation range happened between mid-2015 and early 2017. In this period, the market cap moved up and down between about $3 billion and $12.5 billion USD. As soon as the market went above the resistance, it rose sharply and increased the market cap towards 400 billion USD by late 2017. The small drop and fast rise proved that the market is ready for continuation after it had moved sideways for some time.
Source: Crypto Scient (X)The next extensive consolidation happened from late 2017 to 2020. In this phase, the monthly range of trading was 115 billion USD at its lowest and 1.5 trillion USD at its highest. Once breaking above the old range in late 2020, the market cap skyrocketed and touched almost 3.8 trillion USD early the following year. The event demonstrated that the cryptocurrency market tends to have long periods of stability before shooting up.
Recent Market Movements and Breakout in November 2024
The third unification phase began in early 2022 and lasted until late 2024. This range held between approximately 1.5 trillion and 3.8 trillion USD. The breakout occurred in November 2024, flipping this multi-year range to the upside. Since the breakout, the market cap has maintained levels above the previous resistance zone.
This price action confirms the shift in market momentum toward higher valuations. Each breakout from these monthly ranges historically resulted in substantial price appreciation. The systematic pattern demonstrates a cyclical market design with prolonged consolidation periods followed by sharp rallies. The current breakout fits this pattern, reinforcing the idea that the market continues to move in well-defined long-term cycles.
Support and Resistance Levels Define Market Movement
Clear support and resistance levels exist around the boundaries of each monthly consolidation range. These levels provide a framework for understanding market price action over extended periods. The total market cap’s movement consistently respects these zones, moving from consolidation to breakout phases.
The consistent price behavior offers measurable insight into the overall health of the cryptocurrency market. From 2014 to 2025, the total crypto market cap shows recounted cycles of multi-year consolidation followed by breakouts. The latest breakout in November 2024 marks the start of a new upward phase.
Market capitalization remains above key support levels established during previous years. This adherence to historical price zones illustrates the predictable nature of market expansions and contractions. The data confirms the cryptocurrency market’s ability to sustain extended growth phases following consolidation periods.
