McDonald's has announced that its McRib sandwich will return to select U.S. locations on October 27, prompting crypto traders and major exchanges to revisit a longstanding market superstition linking the fast-food item's limited-time appearances to bitcoin price rallies.
The McRib typically appears in major metropolitan markets across the Midwest, South, and Texas, including Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, and Atlanta. This year's comeback has generated speculation across the crypto industry, with centralized exchanges including Coinbase, Kraken, HTX, OKX, Blockchain.com, and Bitrue posting about the sandwich's supposed connection to bullish bitcoin movement.
Historical Performance Shows Mixed Results
An analysis of bitcoin's price performance within 12 months of each McRib return from 2019 through 2024 reveals a generally bullish pattern. In six of those years, bitcoin eventually climbed above its price on the corresponding McRib return date. Three years—2020, 2021, and 2023—produced relatively swift or substantial bullish advances, though the 2021 rally ultimately declined.
The 2024 McRib return presented an exception. Bitcoin declined following the sandwich's return and never reclaimed its initial price. At the time of analysis, bitcoin was down 21% since the last McRib return, though the full 12-month window had not been completed.
For 2025, bitcoin has already entered a bearish retreat in early October, departing from the historical pattern of bullish performance following a McRib comeback.
Superstition Rather Than Signal
Despite its historically tilted track record, the McRib-bitcoin connection remains an entertaining market superstition rather than a credible trading signal. Bitcoin has declined approximately 1.8% over the past two weeks and 4.1% against the U.S. dollar since September 23, adding uncertainty to predictions about the sandwich's potential market impact.
