The idea of a “McRib pump” dates back several years. | Source: McDonald's / Image edited with Gemini
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Key Takeaways
Every time McDonald’s reintroduces its cult-favorite McRib sandwich, crypto traders revive the long-running joke that Bitcoin tends to rally alongside it.
Data shows Bitcoin rose in 2020, 2023, and 2024 following past McRib returns.
CCN explores whether the same can happen in 2025.
The McRib is back at McDonald’s, and with it, a long-running internet meme that claims Bitcoin (BTC) tends to rally whenever the golden arches bring back its cult favorite sandwich.
Join CCN as we explore whether the so-called “McRib Indicator” could once again lift Bitcoin prices in 2025.
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The classic annual Bitcoin rib chatter kicked off when McDonald’s Senior Market Executive Guillaume Huin announced the return of the McRib with a note towards Bitcoin.
“The legendary McRib returns 11/11 at most McDonald’s in the U.S.,” he wrote.
“It is our most-mentioned limited-time product online, higher than other evergreen items, particularly on X,” Huin added.
A McDonald’s executive has leaned into the crypto meme. | Source: @HuinGuillaume
The McDonald’s exec added that “some claim Bitcoin and S&P500 tend to perform well after the McRib makes a comeback, particularly in 2017, 2020, 2021.”
Huin’s comments again sparked questions about whether the “McRib effect” theory could repeat the meme that has persisted since 2017, when both the McRib and Bitcoin reached peak public attention.
History of the McRib–Bitcoin Connection
The idea of a “McRib pump” dates back several years and is largely tongue-in-cheek.
However, some reputable data shared online suggests a correlation between the sandwich’s reappearance and crypto rallies.
According to researcher McCordic, known as @internbrah on X, when the McRib returned to the U.S. in 2020 and 2023, and in the U.K. in 2024, Bitcoin prices rose by 237%, 71%, and 58%, respectively, in the months following.
The McRib is back. BTC historically goes up >2x after the McRib returns. Don't fade the McRib.
However, not every re-release has spelled good news for Bitcoin.
When the McRib came back to U.S. stores in November 2021, the world’s leading cryptocurrency actually fell 74% from its peak in the months that followed.
Still, the meme and hope persists, and even seasoned traders joke about being “bullish” for the McRib.
Bad News?
Despite the meme’s cult appeal, CCN analysts unfortunately say the rib’s magic may have faded this year.
Valdrin Tahiri, an analyst at CCN, said Bitcoin appears to be entering the final stage of a corrective pattern, warning that further short-term losses could follow.
“The Bitcoin price is currently in the C wave of an A–B–C corrective structure that has been developing since August,” Tahiri told CCN.
“If the count is accurate, BTC is nearing the end of the correction and will complete it after another short-term decline below $100,000.”
He added that beyond this structure, other parts of the pattern are falling below bullish.
“The RSI and MACD are both below their bullish thresholds, and neither has generated any bullish divergences,” he said.
“As a result, BTC could be nearing the top of its short-term bounce, while the rest of November could lead to a sustained downward trend below $100,000.”
So while the McRib may be back on menus across America, the data suggests Bitcoin’s next move may not be as appetizing as fans hope.
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
