Crypto prices swing harder than stocks because the market is younger, smaller, and runs 24/7 with no circuit breakers. Big players (whales) can move prices a lot, especially in the middle of the night when fewer people are trading.
The main forces: 1) Macro money. When central banks print money or cut interest rates, risky stuff like crypto tends to go up. When they tighten, it falls. 2) Bitcoin halving cycles, which happen every four years and historically kick off bull runs. 3) Big news events, ETF approvals, regulatory crackdowns, exchange collapses. 4) Pure emotion. Fear and greed move prices more than fundamentals on most days.
The good news: zoom out. On any given day, crypto looks chaotic. On a 4-year chart, the pattern is clearer: sharp run-ups, brutal corrections, slow recoveries, repeat. Most people who lose money are checking the price too often.