Internal discord among Bitcoin developers poses a greater risk than quantum computing, potentially impacting future upgrades and stability.
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Crypto analyst and Elliott Wave expert Gert van Lagen has highlighted a critical level that could determine the next move in the Bitcoin price. In a recently shared 2-week chart, Lagen points to a broader market structure that suggests Bitcoin may be preparing for another strong upward leg, provided it continues to hold above $74,000. According to the analyst, this level now serves as a key support zone, marking the boundary between bull-market continuation and a potentially more concerning structural breakdown. Why $74,000 Matters For Bitcoin Price Bull Structure In an X post, Lagen shared a detailed analysis of Bitcoin, predicting its next price move based on Elliott wave structures. His accompanying chart shows BTC completing an extended corrective phase following a multi-year rally. This correction, labeled Wave IV, has pulled the price back into a previous consolidation zone without disrupting the broader bullish structure. As long as Bitcoin remains above $74,400, the analyst views this move as a healthy reset rather than the beginning of an extended bear market. Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin, Dogecoin, And XRP Price Are Crashing This Week Looking back at earlier phases of the cycle helps explain why the $74,400 support level is so critical. Lagen noted that during the build-up to Wave III, Bitcoin experienced a deep retracement that nearly revisited the low from the previous corrective wave before pushing higher. The cryptocurrency’s current price action appears to follow the same pattern, with the latest pullback approaching the bottom of Wave IV at mid-$70,000. This type of pattern repetition is common in Elliott Wave structures and often signals that the market may be preparing for a stronger upward move. In line with this, Lagen highlighted that BTC’s recent price movements match the characteristics of a Wave II correction within a broader Wave V advance. He said that $74,000 remains in the invalidation area. Holding above it keeps Bitcoin’s bullish outlook intact, while a decisive break below it would force a reassessment of BTC’s entire market structure. In any case, the analyst has stated he does not expect Bitcoin to break this support zone. What The Chart Says About Bitcoin’s Next Move If the $74,400 support level continues to hold, the projected path on Lagen’s chart suggests the start of a new impulsive rally that would mark the early phase of Wave V. The initial move higher is expected to push the Bitcoin price back above previous highs, signaling that the corrective phase has ended and momentum has flipped back in favor of the bulls. According to the analyst, if Bitcoin continues to mirror past patterns, a bearish outcome remains less likely. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Will Still Rally Above $99,000 Despite Bearish Sentiment, Here’s Why Looking at his chart, Lagen has projected that Bitcoin could experience a bullish continuation toward the $260,000 to $320,000 region, which aligns with sub-wave 3, the strongest phase of a Wave V advance. Following this, the final extension of Wave V is expected to push Bitcoin toward $400,000, reflecting a final-cycle advance and representing a surge of more than 410% from current levels around $78,000. Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin (BTC) price has led the wider crypto market in a further selloff. After slipping below its crucial buy zone around $80k last week, Bitcoin price extended its selloff today to hit $72,889 on Tuesday, February 3, for the first time since the first week of November. Bitcoin Price Falls on Leverage Flashouts As such, …
Bitcoin slid to a year-to-date low of $74,500 on Monday, a move that wiped roughly 38% off its peak. Markets reacted sharply, and traders felt the pinch as flows out of big funds accelerated. Related Reading: Bitcoin Suppression? Analyst Claims Single Force Keeping Price Under $90K Fund Flows And Market Mood According to reports, global crypto exchange-traded products saw heavy withdrawals last week. Big US spot ETFs led the selling, and that pushed overall fund flows into deep negative territory. Based on Bitwise’s Weekly Crypto Market Compass report, Bitcoin’s recent drop pushed its two-year rolling MVRV z-score to a record low, a level tied to undervaluation and suggesting fire-sale conditions for the asset. Sentiment gauges fell hard. Reports note that a two-year rolling MVRV z-score — a measure comparing market price to the average cost basis of holders, adjusted for volatility — hit its lowest reading ever. That kind of number points to widespread selling and prices that many investors now view as distressed. Buying Interest On The Spot Market On shorter time frames, signs of buying have appeared. The daily RSI plunged into the low 20s. This is a level that has often been followed by quick rebounds. Spot volume data on major venues such as Binance and Coinbase showed net aggressive buying as Bitcoin bounced back toward about $79,420. Open interest did not spike. Funding rates stayed negative. In plain terms: people were buying on the spot market rather than piling into leveraged long bets, which reduces the chance of a cascade of forced liquidations that can make moves messier. Capitulation And Liquidations Reports say long positions were crushed last week, with close to 2 billion in BTC long liquidations recorded across derivatives markets. That pain can clear the field for fresh entrants. At the same time, there are multiple billions of dollars of short positions clustered near higher price levels, around $85,000, that could be hit if Bitcoin climbs. Short-covering could add fuel to a bounce. Market structure now offers a mix of strong selling behind prices and real buying in front of them. Where Support Might Hold Based on reports, buying interest combined with very low valuation metrics could create an asymmetric trade. That means the potential upside may be larger than the near-term downside, at least for traders willing to accept volatility. Historically, dips into the RSI zone seen last week have led to roughly 10% rebounds most of the time since August 2023, although outcomes vary and nothing is guaranteed. Related Reading: Bitcoin ETF Investors Pull Nearly $3 Billion, Pushing Average Buy Below Water A Quiet But Real Conclusion Institutional flows remain cautious. Major products such as the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust and the iShares Bitcoin Trust posted sizable outflows, signaling that some big holders stepped back. Yet, on-chain and spot-volume signals hint that bargain hunting has started. The near-term path will probably be bumpy. Traders who want exposure will need to weigh the low valuation readings and pockets of buying against the very real possibility of further weakness if sentiment deteriorates again. Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin’s on-chain fundamentals are flashing a powerful signal that hasn’t appeared since the last major bull run. Network Growth has surged to extreme levels, mirroring the same conditions seen in early 2021, just before BTC launched its historic rally toward new all-time highs. At the same time, liquidity is rapidly expanding across the market, suggesting fresh capital is flowing in. Rising Network Adoption Strengthens Long-Term Bull Thesis The last time Bitcoin’s network growth and liquidity reached comparable extreme levels was in 2021, just ahead of BTC’s final surge to a new all-time high. Swissblock revealed on X that these metrics are now showing signs of recovery, signaling that a final bullish phase may be forming. Related Reading: Is The Bitcoin Bottom In? CMT Reveals What Investors Need To See Now However, the current divergence and rising metrics alongside the declining price action suggest that investors are re-entering the market primarily to sell. The critical question is whether this renewed participation can persist long enough to allow the market to stabilize. If Network Growth and Liquidity continue to expand sustainably, they could provide the fundamental catalyst for one last upside push before the cycle concludes. FUD has intensified across social media following Bitcoin’s roughly 16% decline since January 28. Santiment has highlighted that after briefly dipping to around $74,600, BTC has rebounded toward $78,300, a move largely attributed to retail selling assets. This behavior is proof that markets move in the opposite direction of the crowd’s narrative. Social sentiment has turned sharply negative, with social data indicating this is the most bearish that retail has seen since the November 21st crash. Historically, periods of extreme negativity like this have been followed by a short-term relief rally, and early price action suggests this bounce is beginning to resemble the previous two post-FUD recoveries. How Next Cycle Leg Could Push Bitcoin To $104,000 Market expert and investor, The Milk Road, who previously nailed Bitcoin’s drop from its all-time highs, is now predicting a potential 40% gain starting immediately. According to Milk Road, BTC could still experience a correction ranging from -20% to -77% before the next major pivot, which is projected between November 19 and February 2. A shallow 20 to 34% drop seems unlikely. Locally, it should be more than that but smaller than 77%. Related Reading: Bitcoin Historical Performance Shows How Low The Price Will Go Before A Bottom Furthermore, BTC fell roughly -40% between its October 6, 2025, ATH and February 2, a move consistent with prior cycle behavior. Milk Road’s yearly cycle analysis signals a key pivot around February 2, after which BTC could stage a +40% rally, potentially reaching $104,000 between now and September. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
The market’s leading cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), slid to its lowest price level seen since November 2024 on Tuesday, falling below the $73,000 threshold. The asset dropped to around $72,900 as growing concerns about a prolonged bear market continued to weigh on investor sentiment. Data from CoinGecko shows that BTC is down roughly 4% over the past 24 hours and about 15% over the last seven days. Yet, the sell‑off has not been limited to Bitcoin. Other digital assets have also come under pressure, with Ethereum (ETH) losing 25% over the past week and XRP falling approximately 17% during the same period. Bitcoin May Drift Lower For Months Augustine Fan, a partner at Hong Kong‑based crypto options platform SignalPlus, said to Bloomberg that confidence among traders has sunk to extremely low levels, further contributing to the ongoing sell-off. He noted that volatility, which had been trending lower for nearly a year, has finally picked up as traders rushed to hedge their positions. According to Fan, markets are now firmly operating in bear‑market conditions. Related Reading: What’s Next For Bitcoin? Two Key Scenarios: Will It Crash To $60,000 Or Surge To $100,000? Some analysts warn that Bitcoin’s weakness could persist. Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital, said recent price action suggests Bitcoin may continue to drift lower in the coming weeks or even months. He pointed to the 200‑week moving average (MA), currently near $58,000, as a potential downside target. He added that there is a noticeable supply gap between the $70,000 and $80,000 range, which could add to near‑term volatility. Bearish Bets Build Market analyst DarkFost observed that funding rates on the Binance platform have moved into what he described as an “extreme zone,” signaling a buildup of short positions and a growing bearish consensus among traders. Related Reading: Hyperliquid Unveils HIP‑4, Sending HYPE 14% Higher On Outcome Trading Plans Nonetheless, as of this writing, Bitcoin has briefly recovered from Tuesday’s lows, currently trading just above $75,000. From a technical perspective, DarkFost identified two key price levels now in focus for the leading cryptocurrency: resistance around $74,000 and support near $69,000. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
A Glassnode analyst noted that 44% of the bitcoin supply is "now underwater," given that the token has dropped about 30% in the past month.
The euphoria of October’s record highs has evaporated, leaving the industrial backbone of the Bitcoin network facing a brutal reality check. According to CryptoSlate's data, Bitcoin is currently trading near $78,000, a level that represents a punishing decline of more than 38% from its all-time high of over $126,000 just four months ago. While casual […]
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The following article is adapted from The Block’s newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.
Bitcoin crashes below $74K to its lowest since Trumps 2024 win, sparking $620M in liquidations as ETH and SOL drop 10%.
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The crypto market is under pressure again, with prices sliding sharply during the latest trading session. Total crypto market value has dropped 3.24% to $2.57 trillion, wiping out nearly $50 billion in a matter of hours. The selloff accelerated after the U.S. market opened, when Bitcoin suddenly fell by around $1,700. Liquidations Add Fuel to …
After a brief recovery yesterday, the crypto market has turned red again. On Monday, prices moved higher after comments from US President Donald Trump, who said he supports crypto and believes the US must lead in digital assets or risk falling behind China. That statement helped lift market sentiment for a few hours. But the …
Crypto use in Iran is rising as the country faces ongoing U.S. sanctions and a sharp decline in the value of its currency, pushing more people to look for alternative ways for ROI. According to researchers, many users have been moving toward crypto away from local exchanges during recent periods of economic instability. At the …
The United States factory engine just delivered its loudest “risk on” signal in years, and it is landing at a brutally awkward time for Bitcoin. On Feb. 2, Howard Lutnick, the United States Secretary of Commerce, announced that: “The United States has delivered manufacturing expansion, all thanks to President Trump's trade policies.” This announcement followed […]
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Despite the recent bounce, Bitcoin (BTC) price action continues to show clear signs of pressure as the correction stretches into its fifth straight month. Every recovery attempt has faced strong supply, with rallies repeatedly stalling below key resistance zones. This behavior points to ongoing distribution rather than a healthy consolidation phase. While buyers are stepping …
Bitcoin’s bear-market turn can be traced to Oct. 10, 2025, a session widely described as the largest crypto derivatives liquidation event on record, with roughly $19 billion in futures positions forcibly unwound as prices slid sharply off their highs. CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost argues the damage was structural as much as directional: open interest fell by about 70,000 BTC in a single day, wiping out months of leverage build-up and leaving speculation struggling to re-form. He claims that the Oct. 10 flush was “really the one that pushed BTC into a bear market” because of the speed and magnitude of liquidity destruction in futures. Why October 10 Was The Bitcoin Bear Market Beginning Darkfost pointed to a collapse in open interest measured in BTC terms. “In a single day, around 70,000 BTC were wiped out from Open Interest, bringing it back to its April 2025 levels,” he wrote. “That’s the equivalent of more than six months of Open Interest accumulation erased in one session. Since then, Open Interest has been stagnating and struggling to rebuild.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Bear Market Signal Emerges: Supply in Loss Rises Above 40% The implication is less about the specific catalyst for the selloff and more about market structure after it. In Darkfost’s telling, the Oct. 10 event wasn’t just a price move; it was a sudden reduction in the market’s capacity to carry leverage, which tends to compress speculative activity across the complex. “Liquidity destruction in an already uncertain crypto market environment is not conducive to a return of speculation, which is nonetheless a key component of the crypto market,” he added. That view resonated with Bitcoin Capital, which replied that “nothing has been the same after 10/10,” adding that “it actually feels like something broke.” Darkfost’s response was blunt about the path back: “It needs to be rebuilt and it can takes months …” In a follow-up post, Darkfost widened the lens beyond derivatives, describing an environment where spot participation has also cooled. He said Bitcoin is entering a fifth consecutive month of correction, with the October 10 event as a major driver due to its impact on futures liquidity, but “not the only factor at play.” Related Reading: 70% Bitcoin Crash Incoming? CryptoQuant CEO Says It Depends On This He flagged broader liquidity pressure via stablecoin flows and supply. According to his figures, stablecoin outflows from exchanges have coincided with an approximate $10 billion decline in aggregate stablecoin market capitalization over the same period, an additional headwind for risk-taking, particularly when leverage is already being de-risked. Spot volumes, he argued, tell a similar story of disengagement. Since October, BTC spot volumes have been cut roughly in half, with Binance still holding the largest share at $104 billion. He contrasted that with October levels when Binance volume “had nearly reached $200B,” alongside $53 billion on Gate.io and $47 billion on Bybit. Darkfost characterized the contraction as a return to “levels among the lowest observed since 2024,” and read it as weaker demand rather than simply a lull in activity. The current setup, he wrote, “remains uncertain and does not encourage risk-taking,” arguing that a durable recovery would require monitoring liquidity conditions and, “above all,” seeing spot trading volumes return. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $78,723. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Hougan said institutional ETF and digital asset treasury flows masked the severity of losses across much of the crypto market last year.
Tether has launched MiningOS, an open-source operating system for bitcoin mining as an alternative to proprietary software.
Bitcoin’s (BTC) sharp sell‑off has intensified pressure on Strategy, the company formerly known as MicroStrategy, even as it continues to expand its already massive cryptocurrency holdings. On Monday, the firm disclosed another BTC purchase at a time when prices were sliding to levels not seen in almost a year. Strategy Adds Bitcoin During Market Sell‑Off According to a securities filing released on Monday, Strategy acquired an additional 855 Bitcoin over the prior seven days, paying an average price of about $87,974 per token. The transaction amounted to roughly $75.3 million and further increased the company’s exposure to Bitcoin. The timing of the purchase, however, coincided with a steep downturn in the broader crypto market. Bitcoin fell below Strategy’s average acquisition cost toward $74,500, adding to investor unease. Related Reading: What’s Next For Bitcoin? Two Key Scenarios: Will It Crash To $60,000 Or Surge To $100,000? That price sat slightly below Strategy’s reported average purchase price of $76,052 per Bitcoin, raising concerns that the company’s sizable holdings could move underwater if the decline deepens. Market reaction was swift. MSTR fell 8% on Monday as Bitcoin slid below that average cost level. When Bitcoin briefly sank to its lowest point since April 2024, the value of Strategy’s total Bitcoin holdings stood at approximately $53.1 billion. A subsequent rebound toward around $79,000 lifted the valuation of the company’s Bitcoin position beyond $55 billion, offering some relief but little clarity on near‑term direction. Worst In The Nasdaq 100 So far, Strategy’s shares have suffered a steep decline. The stock is down 48% in 2025, making it the worst performer in the Nasdaq 100 index. For comparison, the second‑worst stock in the index, Charter Communications, has fallen 39% over the same period, underscoring the scale of Strategy’s underperformance. Amid these challenges, Strategy is also scheduled to release its fourth‑quarter 2025 results on Thursday. Wall Street expectations suggest modest top‑line pressure but a sharp improvement in profitability. The Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for fourth‑quarter revenue of $119.6 million, representing a 0.91% decline from the same period a year earlier. Earnings, however, are projected at $46.02 per share, unchanged over the past month and a dramatic turnaround from a loss of $3.20 per share reported in the prior‑year quarter. Analysts expect the company’s fourth‑quarter performance to reflect continued financial momentum, driven largely by Bitcoin‑related gains and disciplined capital allocation. Related Reading: Crypto Hacks Explode: $370 Million Stolen In January Alone: Researchers By the end of January 2026, the firm’s Bitcoin holdings had climbed to approximately 712,647 BTC, up from 640,808 as of Oct. 26, 2025, further increasing its sensitivity to price movements in the digital asset. Still, recent share price performance highlights the risks tied to that strategy. Over the past three months, MSTR has fallen 43.4%, significantly underperforming the broader Finance sector, which gained 4.3% over the same period. The stock has also lagged other Bitcoin‑exposed companies. During that timeframe, Riot Platforms, CleanSpark and Coinbase Global posted declines of 25.3%, 32.0% and 41.1%, respectively, pointing to widespread weakness among Bitcoin proxy stocks, though none have fallen as sharply as Strategy. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Data shows the Bitcoin Net Taker Volume on Binance has taken one of its most negative values in recent years as the cryptocurrency’s price has plunged. Bitcoin Binance Net Taker Volume Has Fallen Deep Into Red Zone As explained by CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn in a new post on X, the Bitcoin Net Taker Volume has seen a notable uptick in bearish sentiment on Binance. The “Net Taker Volume” here refers to an indicator that measures the net amount of taker buy or sell volume present in a given futures market. When the value of this metric is positive, it means the taker buy volume outweighs the taker sell volume on the platform. Such a trend implies a bullish sentiment is shared by the majority of the futures traders. Related Reading: Bitcoin Death Cross That Last Preceded A 66% Drop Is Back On the other hand, the indicator being under the zero mark suggests a bearish mentality is dominating the exchange as taker sell volume is outpacing the taker buy volume. Now, here is the chart shared by Maartunn that shows the trend in the 7-hour moving average (MA) Bitcoin Net Taker Volume for Binance over the last couple of years: As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin Binance Net Taker Volume has witnessed a steep decline into the negative territory recently, suggesting a spike in bearish positioning. The red spike has arrived as the cryptocurrency has gone through a rapid drawdown that has taken its value below the $80,000 level. “This is the 3rd largest sell-off by Sell Taker Volume Dominance in the last 2 years,” noted the analyst. The two spikes in this window that were larger in magnitude came in October as the asset’s price crashed following its all-time high (ATH) above $126,000. In the past, Bitcoin has often tended to move in the direction that goes contrary to the expectations of the majority. As such, it only remains to be seen how the coin will develop in the near future, given this dominance of short sentiment. “At some point, the best risk-reward flips long,” said Maartunn. “We’re getting close.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Supply In Loss Turns Upward—Early Bear Market Signal? In related news, the digital asset derivatives sector has gone through some chaos as BTC and other assets have observed volatility. According to data from CoinGlass, derivatives platforms handled over $783 million in liquidations over the last 24 hours. Out of these $484 million of the contracts involved were long positions. $300 million of the liquidations still involved bearish bets as Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have seen some rebound in this window. BTC Price Bitcoin briefly dipped all the way under $75,000 on Sunday, but the asset has since bounced a bit as it’s now trading around $78,900. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin’s fall toward the $75,000 level did not come as a surprise to analysts. The move was not caused by panic selling or bad news. Instead, experts say the drop is the result of a long-term technical breakdown that has been building for months. According to analysis shared by The Block Vlog, Bitcoin has shifted …
Monday's inflows ended a four-day streak of outflows and marked the ETFs' largest daily intake since Jan. 14.
Analysts cautioned that the move likely reflects a technical bounce rather than the start of a sustained recovery.
Bitcoin slipped below the $80,000 level over the weekend as selling pressure intensified across global markets. Reinforcing a climate of uncertainty that has weighed heavily on risk assets in recent weeks. The move came amid broad weakness in equities, elevated volatility, and declining liquidity conditions, pushing many investors into a defensive posture. While the price action alone may resemble prior corrective phases, on-chain data suggest that the underlying market structure is beginning to change. A recent analysis from CryptoQuant indicates that Bitcoin is starting to exhibit characteristics historically associated with the early stages of bear markets. One of the clearest signals comes from the Supply in Loss (%) metric, which has climbed sharply to around 44% and continues to trend higher. This means a growing share of circulating BTC is now held at an unrealized loss. Reflecting increasing stress across market participants. Related Reading: Bitcoin Miner Fees Remain Near Cycle Lows: What Does This Signal? Importantly, Bitcoin is still trading above its Realized Price, suggesting the market has not yet reached full capitulation. However, the combination of rising losses and weakening price structure raises the risk that the current phase represents the transition into a broader bear market, rather than a temporary correction within an ongoing uptrend. Supply in Loss Signals Structural Shift Toward a Bear Market The report explains that Bitcoin’s current on-chain structure closely mirrors conditions observed at the onset of previous bear markets. Historically, several signals have tended to appear together at the start of prolonged downside phases rather than at the end of routine corrections. These include Supply in Loss expanding above roughly 40%, a simultaneous decline in Supply in Profit, and price remaining elevated relative to realized value. When these conditions align, they have typically marked the beginning of structural weakening, not a reset before another leg higher. The present setup fits this historical pattern. Supply in Loss has moved decisively above the 40% threshold, while profitable supply is gradually contracting. This shift is occurring without widespread panic or capitulation. Indicating that losses are spreading across the supply in a controlled but persistent manner. This dynamic suggests a slow deterioration in market health, as more participants hold BTC at a loss while price struggles to recover meaningfully. Related Reading: Ethereum Trades At A Historical Accumulation Level: Can Bulls Hold $2,600 In past cycles, durable market bottoms only formed after Supply in Loss expanded further, usually alongside deeper price compression and a clearer capitulation phase. At current levels, those conditions have not yet been fully met. As a result, the data implies that the market is still in a transitional phase. This no longer resembles a mid-cycle dip. On-chain signals point to Bitcoin entering a bear market structure, with downside risk remaining unresolved until stronger signs of capitulation or structural stabilization emerge. Bitcoin Higher Timeframe Confirms Bearish Market Structure Bitcoin’s price structure has deteriorated sharply on the higher time frame, as shown by the 3-day chart. After months of consolidation below the prior all-time highs, BTC has now broken decisively below the $80K psychological level, with the latest close around $77,500. This move confirms a loss of medium-term support and marks a clear transition from distribution into downside continuation. From a trend perspective, price has slipped below the 50-period and 100-period moving averages, both of which are now rolling over. The 200-period moving average, still rising but flattening near the mid-$80K area, failed to act as durable support and now represents a major overhead resistance zone. Historically, sustained trading below these averages signals weakening trend strength and reduced probability of immediate trend recovery. Related Reading: XRP Risk-Adjusted Returns Signal Consolidation Rather Than Trend Formation – Details The recent sell-off also stands out for its impulsive character. Large bearish candles with limited lower wicks suggest aggressive selling pressure rather than orderly consolidation. Volume expanded on the breakdown, reinforcing the validity of the move and indicating forced exits rather than passive rebalancing. Structurally, the market is now forming lower highs and lower lows on this timeframe. Unless BTC can quickly reclaim the $80K–$85K region, downside risk remains dominant. In this context, the chart supports a bearish continuation. At best, a prolonged basing phase precedes any meaningful recovery attempt. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin’s latest drawdown is being framed less as a technical breakdown and more as a liquidity problem, with Ki Young Ju arguing that the key inputs that sustained the rally fresh capital inflows have stalled. In that setup, he says, calls for a full-cycle, -70% style capitulation hinge on a single variable: whether Strategy turns from buyer to meaningful seller. Will Bitcoin Experience Another -70% Bear Market? In a Feb. 1 post, Ki said “Bitcoin is dropping as selling pressure persists, with no fresh capital coming in.” He pointed to a flatlining Realized Cap as evidence that incremental money is no longer entering the market, and tied that directly to market structure. “Realized Cap” has flatlined, meaning no fresh capital. When market cap falls in that environment, it’s not a bull market.” His read is that the profit-taking has been there for a while, it was simply absorbed. Early holders, he wrote, were “sitting on big unrealized gains thanks to ETFs and MSTR buying,” and “have been taking profits since early last year, but strong inflows kept Bitcoin near 100K.” The change now, in his telling, is that the bid that mattered most has faded: “Now those inflows have dried up.” Related Reading: Bitcoin LTH Supply Rises Again Amid Bearish Market Dynamics That’s where the crash math changes. Ki described Strategy (MSTR) as “a major driver of this rally,” but argued the reflexive downside seen in prior cycles is unlikely without a decisive reversal from the company’s balance sheet strategy. “Unless Saylor significantly dumps his stack, we won’t see a -70% crash like previous cycles,” he wrote, carving out an explicit condition rather than presenting the drawdown as inevitable. Even so, he didn’t claim the market has found a floor. “Selling pressure is still ongoing, so the bottom isn’t clear yet,” Ki said, adding that the more probable path is time, not a straight-line liquidation. His base case is “a wide-ranging sideways consolidation,” a regime where volatility can persist but direction becomes harder to sustain without new marginal buyers. Stablecoin Liquidity Dries Up CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost added color on what “no fresh capital” looks like in the plumbing. He argued stablecoin activity, often treated as a near-term proxy for deployable crypto liquidity, has rolled over sharply as uncertainty stays elevated. Related Reading: Is The Bitcoin Bottom In? CMT Reveals What Investors Need To See Now “The crypto market is currently going through a delicate phase, marked by a structural lack of liquidity in a context of persistently high uncertainty,” he wrote, calling it an environment “not conducive to risk taking,” especially relative to assets like precious metals and equities that are still drawing flows. Darkfost said the stablecoin market had expanded by more than $140 billion since 2023, but that total stablecoin market capitalization began declining in December, “putting an end to this sustained growth trend.” The more actionable signal, he argued, is exchange flows: “Strong inflows generally indicate a willingness to gain exposure to the market, while outflows instead suggest capital preservation and a reduction in risk.” He highlighted October as the last clear liquidity-heavy month, when “average monthly stablecoin netflows exceeded $9.7B,” with nearly $8.8B concentrated on Binance alone—conditions that “supported Bitcoin’s rally toward a new all time high.” Since November, he said, those inflows have been “largely wiped out,” with an initial $9.6 billion drop, then a brief stabilization, followed by renewed net outflows of more than $4 billion, including $3.1 billion from Binance. At press time, BTC traded at $78,280. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Rising Bitcoin supply in loss suggests structural market weakening, indicating potential prolonged bearish conditions and unresolved downside risks.
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Bitcoin slid hard over the weekend and stayed low into Monday, leaving traders on edge and pushing many to reduce risk. Prices slipped from roughly $84,000 to about $74,600 in a matter of days, a drop that erased a chunk of recent gains and forced quick reassessments across markets. Nervousness around Federal Reserve leadership, rising job worries, and fresh geopolitical flashpoints all piled up at once. Related Reading: Gold Vs. XRP: One Asset Just Added 20x The Other’s Market Value Average ETF Price Above Market According to Coinglass, the combined assets of US spot Bitcoin ETFs sit near $113 billion, while reports note they hold around 1.28 million BTC. Based on those figures, the typical ETF buying price works out to an average of roughly $87,830 per coin — well above current trading levels. That gap means many ETF positions are showing losses on paper right now. Some funds kept buying earlier and are holding positions that are underwater. BTC is trading below the U.S. ETFs avg cost basis after the 2nd & 3rd biggest outflow weeks ever (last week and week before) (and last week’s outflow will increase after IBIT reports friday’s numbers tomorrow) this means the average bitcoin ETF purchase is underwater pic.twitter.com/XowzrnBaSM — Alex Thorn (@intangiblecoins) February 2, 2026 Outflows Pick Up Over the last two weeks, investors pulled close to $3 billion from the 11 spot ETFs, with one week seeing $1.50 billion leave and the prior week $1.30 billion, according to CoinGlass. Those moves suggest some market participants are locking in gains or cutting exposure after the recent run-up. At the same time, cumulative ETF inflows remain materially lower than earlier peaks; buying has not fully come back even as some holders remain steady. Technical Signals And Bear Fears Reports note that spot BTC is down roughly 40% from its October peak while ETF AUM has fallen by about 31%. That divergence has analysts warning that sustained weak demand could push Bitcoin into a deeper downtrend. Technical charts show longer-term sell pressure building in certain measures. If demand fails to reappear, momentum could carry prices lower and extend selling across crypto markets. Policy, Politics, And Market Mood Market watchers point to extra uncertainty around monetary policy and geopolitics as fuel for the recent moves. Reports have disclosed that the proposed US Clarity Act stalled in Washington. At the same time, headlines about tensions in the Middle East and trade friction added to a rush for traditional safe havens like gold and the dollar. Even a hint of policy change matters: US President Donald Trump’s choice for the next Fed chair was discussed by investors as another factor shaping expectations. Related Reading: Crypto Funds Bleed $1.80 Billion As Metals Rally Heats Up Liquidity And The Road Ahead Institutional holders have not all capitulated. Many have been described as holding on, which can cushion sharp drops. But when the average cost basis for major ETF holders is above the current market price, confidence can be fragile. Liquidity has thinned in certain windows, and that makes price swings larger. A recovery requires renewed buying from both retail and big investors, otherwise sellers may dictate direction for longer. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin price extended its decline below $78,000. BTC is now attempting to recover from $74,500 but faces many hurdles near $80,000. Bitcoin is attempting to recover above $77,000 and $78,000. The price is trading below $80,000 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. There was a break above a bearish trend line with resistance at $78,400 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might dip again if it trades below the $77,000 and $76,000 levels. Bitcoin Price Faces Resistance Bitcoin price failed to remain stable above the $82,000 zone. BTC extended its decline below the $80,000 and $79,500 levels. The bears were able to push the price below $78,000. It spared major bearish moves, pushing the price below $76,000. A low was formed at $74,543, and the price is now attempting to recover. There was a move above $78,000. The price surpassed the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $90,440 swing high to the $74,543 low. Besides, there was a break above a bearish trend line with resistance at $78,400 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. Bitcoin is now trading below $80,000 and the 100 hourly simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $77,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $79,200 level. The first key resistance is near the $80,000 level. A close above the $80,000 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $82,500 resistance or the 50% Fib retracement level of the downward move from the $90,440 swing high to the $74,543 low. Any more gains might send the price toward the $84,000 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $85,000 and $85,500. Another Decline In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $79,200 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $78,000 level. The first major support is near the $77,000 level. The next support is now near the $76,000 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $74,500 support in the near term. The main support sits at $72,000, below which BTC might struggle to recover in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now losing pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $77,000, followed by $76,000. Major Resistance Levels – $79,200 and $80,000.
Raoul Pal is pushing back on the idea that crypto’s current drawdown signals a broken market cycle, arguing instead that bitcoin and high-beta risk are being hit by a temporary US liquidity air pocket tied to Treasury cash management and government shutdown dynamics. In a weekend post on X framed as a takedown of “false narratives,” the Global Macro Investor founder said the prevailing story—“that BTC and crypto are broken. The cycle is over”—has become an “alluring narrative trap,” especially as “prices [are] puking each and every fucking day.” But Pal said a separate question from a GMI hedge fund client about beaten-down SaaS equities prompted him to re-check the data and rethink the driver. “What I found destroyed both the BTC narrative and the SaaS narrative,” Pal wrote. “SaaS and BTC are the EXACT same chart. Huh? That means there is another factor at play that we have all missed…” Crypto Slide Due To US Liquidity Drain? Pal’s answer is liquidity. He argues US liquidity has been “held back” by two shutdown episodes and “issues with US plumbing,” adding that the drain of the Fed’s reverse repo facility was “essentially completed in 2024.” Related Reading: White House To Host Crypto And Banking Leaders In Push To Break Regulatory Deadlock That, he said, left the Treasury General Account (TGA) rebuild in July and August without the kind of offset that would normally soften the impact, turning it into a net drain. In his telling, the same lack of liquidity helps explain why macro activity gauges have looked weak, writing that “lackluster liquidity is the reason why the ISM has been so low.” While Pal said he typically tracks global total liquidity because of its long-term correlation with bitcoin and US tech, he argued the US measure is dominating this phase of the cycle because the US remains the system’s key liquidity supplier. That matters, he said, because the assets most exposed to a withdrawal of liquidity are long-duration, high-volatility exposures—exactly where bitcoin and SaaS sit in many portfolios. “Those are both the longest duration assets that exist and both got discounted because liquidity was temporarily withdrawing,” Pal wrote, tying their drawdowns to the same macro impulse rather than project-specific failure or a broken crypto “cycle.” He also pointed to gold’s rally as an additional constraint on marginal flows. “The rally in gold essentially sucked all marginal liquidity out of the system that would have flowed into BTC and SaaS,” Pal said. “There was not enough liquidity to support all these assets, so the riskiest got hit.” Pal described the latest shutdown as a further headwind, claiming the Treasury “hedged” by not drawing down the TGA after the prior shutdown and instead “added more to it,” deepening the drain. That, he said, is the “current air pocket” behind the “brutal price action” across risk. But he also argued the squeeze is close to clearing. “However, the signs are that this shutdown will get resolved this week and that is the FINAL liquidity hurdle out of the way,” Pal wrote, adding that the next phase could bring a “liquidity flood” from factors he listed including changes around eSLR, partial TGA drawdowns, fiscal stimulus and rate cuts. Related Reading: Crypto Bears Beware: Global Liquidity Cycle May Be The Longest On Record He extended the “false narrative” theme to Fed expectations, rejecting the idea that Kevin Warsh would run policy as a hawk. “On the subject of rate cuts, there is another false narrative going around that Kevin Warsh is a hawk,” Pal wrote. “It is utter fucking nonsense. These were comments mainly from 18 years ago.” Pal argued Warsh’s mandate would align with what he called the “Greenspan era playbook”—cutting rates, letting the economy run hotter, and leaning on productivity gains to restrain core inflation—while avoiding balance-sheet moves that could collide with reserve constraints and destabilize lending. Pal included a mea culpa, acknowledging GMI “was not seeing the US liquidity as the current driving factor,” after years of emphasizing global measures. “There is no disconnect,” he wrote. “It’s just that the confluence of events Reverse Repo drained >TGA rebuild > Shutdown > Gold rally > Shutdown was not forecastable by us, or in any event we missed the impact.” His bottom line was less about calling the exact bottom and more about time-in-cycle. “Often in these full cycle trades, it is time that is more important than price,” he wrote, urging “PATIENCE!” and reiterating he remains “HUGE” bullish on 2026 if the policy and liquidity playbook he expects materializes. At press time, BTC traded at $77,510. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin miner profitability has been on a multi-year decline as network hashpower continues to push to new highs, The Block data shows.