Despite Bitcoin's recent 15% gain this month, some experts remain unconvinced that the cryptocurrency has escaped the bear market that began in October, given that it still lags 40% behind its record high. Some forecasters predict a potential drop to as low as $40,000, a 70% decline from its all-time peak. Bitcoin analyst James Check considers such a move unlikely, stating it would be statistically extraordinary, though not impossible.

Check references the Bitcoin Mean Reversion Index, which combines key valuation metrics, including the 200-week moving average and volume-weighted average price measures. When modeled at $40,000, Bitcoin falls into the 0.4th percentile of all daily closes, indicating a '0.4 event' that is below any significant deviation across major anchors. For perspective, Check notes this would be equivalent to Bitcoin trading below $2 in 2011 on a relative basis.

Currently, the price sits around the 31.5th percentile, historically weak but within normal correction ranges. Check cautions that while no market event has zero probability, a $40,000 Bitcoin price would be a near-unprecedented outcome.