A Golden Cross happens when a short-term moving average rises above a long-term moving average.

Most common combo:

• 50-day moving average crosses above
  
  

• 200-day moving average
  
  

Meaning

• Momentum is turning bullish
  
  

• Buyers are gaining control
  
  

• Often seen as a medium to long-term uptrend signal
  
  

Picture a fast train overtaking a slow freight train and staying ahead. 🚄

2. What is a Death Cross?

A Death Cross is the opposite:

• 50-day moving average crosses below
  
  

• 200-day moving average
  
  

Meaning

• Momentum turns bearish
  
  

• Sellers dominate
  
  

• Often linked with prolonged downtrends
  
  

Here, the fast train loses steam and slips behind. 🛑

3. Stock Market Examples

📈 Golden Cross in Stocks

Apple (AAPL), 2019

• After the 2018 sell-off, AAPL formed a Golden Cross in mid-2019
  
  

• Result: A strong multi-year rally followed
  
  

S&P 500, April 2020

• After the COVID crash
  
  

• Golden Cross appeared as stimulus kicked in
  
  

• Marked the start of a historic bull run
  
  

📉 Death Cross in Stocks

S&P 500, March 2020

• Death Cross appeared during the COVID panic
  
  

• Confirmed bearish momentum already in motion
  
  

Important note: the Death Cross came after a big drop. These signals confirm trends, they rarely predict the very start.

4. Crypto Examples

Crypto loves drama, so these crosses appear more often.

🟡 Bitcoin (BTC)

Golden Cross – May 2020

• Occurred before the 2020–2021 bull market
  
  

• BTC later surged from around $9k toward $60k+
  
  

Death Cross – June 2022

• During the crypto winter
  
  

• Confirmed the bearish phase after the crash from all-time highs
  
  

🔵 Ethereum (ETH)

Golden Cross – July 2020

• ETH began a strong uptrend
  
  

• Later exploded during DeFi and NFT cycles
  
  

Death Cross – January 2022

• Signaled weakening momentum
  
  

• Aligned with the broader crypto downturn
  
  

⚪ XRP

• XRP often shows false crosses due to sideways action
  
  

• Golden Crosses during low volume periods frequently failed
  
  

• Lesson: crosses work best in trending markets, not ranges
  
  

5. Precious Metals Examples

🟨 Gold

Golden Cross – 2019

• Preceded the rally toward $2,000+
  
  

• Investors fled to safety as global uncertainty grew
  
  

Death Cross – 2013

• Confirmed the end of the post-2008 gold bull run
  
  

⚪ Silver

• Silver tends to exaggerate gold’s moves
  
  

• Golden Crosses often lead to sharp rallies
  
  

• Death Crosses can be brutal and fast
  
  

Silver is caffeine-fueled gold. ☕⚡

6. Very Important Warnings

Golden Cross and Death Cross are:

• Lagging indicators
  
  

• Best used with:
  
  

  • Volume
    
    

  • RSI
    
    

  • Support and resistance
    
    

  • Macro context
    
    

Bad habit: buying immediately on a Golden Cross
Better habit: waiting for pullbacks and confirmation