Nearly equal losses across long and short positions showed traders were wrong-footed as crypto prices swung violently within hours.
The sharp reversal showed how closely crypto prices remain tethered to macro headlines. Solana, XRP, Cardano and dogecoin followed a similar pattern of quick losses and partial recoveries
On-chain analytics firm Glassnode has pointed out how large entities drove Bitcoin accumulation during the November-December bottoming phase. Large Entities Accumulated BTC, While Smaller Investors Sold In a new post on X, Glassnode has talked about the recent Bitcoin investor behavior. “During the November–December bottoming phase, supply accumulation was primarily driven by larger entities, while smaller cohorts were distributing,” noted Glassnode. To showcase the trend, the analytics firm has cited the Accumulation Trend Score, an on-chain indicator that tells us about whether BTC addresses are accumulating or distributing. The indicator uses two factors to calculate its value: the balance changes happening in the wallets of the investors and the size of the wallets themselves. This means that larger entities have a stronger influence on the metric. Related Reading: Chainlink Drops To $12.50, But Largest Whales Are Accumulating When the value of the Accumulation Trend Score is greater than 0.5, it means large entities (or alternatively, a large number of small entities) are accumulating. The closer is the indicator to 1.0, the stronger is this behavior. On the other hand, the metric being under the threshold implies that distribution is the dominant behavior among investors. The zero level acts as the extreme point for this side of the scale. The Accumulation Trend Score can also be separately calculated for specific Bitcoin segments to get a more granular view of behavior. Below is the chart shared by Glassnode, doing exactly this for the various BTC investor groups. As is visible in the graph, the Bitcoin Accumulation Trend Score was close to a value of 1.0 for 10,000+ BTC investors during the bottoming period that followed the price crash in November. The investors in this wallet range are often dubbed as “mega whales,” corresponding to the largest of entities on the network. The normal whales, holding coins in the 1,000 to 10,000 BTC range, started accumulating a bit later, as their Accumulation Trend Score turned blue in December. The whales have since maintained net buying, but the mega whales switched to a neutral behavior around mid-December. Interestingly, while the whales have been showing accumulation, the same hasn’t been true for the smaller investor groups. All cohorts carrying less than 1,000 BTC have displayed varying degrees of distribution during the last few weeks, with the 1 to 10 coins group in particular showing a near-perfect selling behavior. Related Reading: Bitcoin IFP Hints At Potential Turnaround: What It Means “This divergence appears to be driven in part by exchange-related wallet reshuffling, and also by large holders buying the dip,” explained the analytics firm. It now remains to be seen how long the distribution from smaller Bitcoin entities will continue. BTC Price Bitcoin has been falling since the week started as its price is now trading around $88,900. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin price started a fresh decline below $89,500. BTC is consolidating losses and might attempt a recovery wave if it clears $92,000. Bitcoin started another drop below $90,000 and $89,000. The price is trading below $90,500 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There are two bearish trend lines forming with resistance at $90,300 and $93,000 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might continue to move down if it stays below the $92,000 zone. Bitcoin Price Dips To New Weekly Lows Bitcoin price failed to stay above the $91,000 support and started a fresh decline. BTC declined sharply below the $90,000 and $89,500 support levels. The bears even pushed the price below $88,000. A low was formed at $87,200, and the price is now consolidating losses. There was a minor recovery wave above $89,200 and the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $95,475 swing high to the $87,200 low. Bitcoin is now trading below $90,500 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $88,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $90,500 level. Besides, there are two bearish trend lines forming with resistance at $90,300 and $93,000 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. The first key resistance is near the $91,000 level. The next resistance could be $91,350 or the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $95,475 swing high to the $87,200 low. A close above the $91,350 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $93,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $94,000 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $95,000 and $95,500. Another Decline In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $91,350 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $89,150 level. The first major support is near the $88,000 level. The next support is now near the $87,200 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $86,500 support in the near term. The main support sits at $85,500, below which BTC might accelerate lower 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 – $89,150, followed by $88,000. Major Resistance Levels – $91,350 and $92,000.
Bitcoin’s Tuesday slide to $87,895 has revived a familiar market habit: attaching a single, clean narrative to messy positioning, flows, and reflexive price action. This time, the culprit making the rounds is quantum computing, a potentially “existential threat” that’s supposedly explaining Bitcoin’s underperformance versus gold which has printed a new all-time high at $4,888. The quantum angle picked up steam after a post by Nic Carter, a partner at Castle Island Ventures. Carter wrote: “Bitcoin’s “mysterious” underperformance (due to quantum) is the only story that matters this year. The market is speaking the devs aren’t listening,” and shared a tweet about the news that Wall Street strategist Christopher Wood removed a 10% Bitcoin allocation from a model portfolio due to concerns that quantum computing could undermine Bitcoin’s long-term value proposition. Is Bitcoin Falling On Quantum Fears? Not everyone buying the premise is buying the price-action conclusion. Well-known Bitcoin advocate Vijay Boyapati, while acknowledging quantum computing as a real issue, pushed back on using it as the primary explanation for why Bitcoin is stalling and selling off. Related Reading: Bitcoin Whale Panic Fades: Sell Pressure On Binance Falls Off A Cliff “While I agree QC is a legitimate concern… I think the price stalling invites narratives to fill the explanatory void when, imo, the real explanation is really just the unlocking of an enormous supply once we hit a magic number for a lot of whales (100k),” Boyapati wrote. “Prices increasing are like waves hitting a glacier – eventually a chunk of supply breaks off and crashes onto the order books.” Boyapati’s broader point is that market structure can do plenty of damage on its own once a big level triggers distribution and confidence cracks. “Given the path dependent nature and feedback loops involved in a bull run sustained on narratives… the price stalling then causes people to doubt that Bitcoin will continue to go up and this then results in more selling until you get an equilibrium of supply and demand at some lower price point,” he added. “This is what happens during Bitcoin bear markets – and I think we’re in one.” James Check, a prominent Bitcoin on-chain analyst, co-founder of Check on Chain, and former Lead Analyst at Glassnode, largely sided with the view that quantum risk may be a background constraint on some capital, but not the dominant driver of the gold-versus-Bitcoin divergence. Related Reading: Tom Lee Still Sees Bitcoin At $250,000 But Warns 2026 Gets ‘Jagged’ “QC keeps some capital away, but this argument that gold is up and Bitcoin is down because of it just isn’t it,” he wrote. “Gold has a bid because sovereigns are buying it in place of treasuries. The trend has been in place since 2008, and accelerates after Feb-22.” He also highlighted the supply-side pressure Bitcoin has already absorbed. “Bitcoin saw sell-side from HODLers in 2025 which would have killed every prior bull thrice over, and then once more,” Checkmate said. The policy takeaway, in his view, is practical but limited: quantum preparedness matters, but attributing every downturn to it doesn’t help traders understand what’s actually clearing the market. In a short market update posted via Checkmate’s analytics brand Checkonchain, the immediate trigger for the move was described in leverage terms rather than existential risk. Bitcoin “sold back down into the high $80ks,” with “the bears taking a bunch of leveraged long traders out to the woodshed,” the note said, estimating that around $260 million in leveraged long exposure was wiped. Technically, the desk framed the structure as still resembling a bear flag, with a “clear supply air-pocket” between $70,000 and $81,000, language that points to thin bid support if sellers regain control. At press time, BTC traded at $88,890. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
On Wednesday, Pantera Capital, one of the largest venture capital firms in the crypto industry, released its latest blockchain letter. In this edition, the firm reflects on the challenges faced in 2025 while projecting optimism for the remaining months of 2026. Pantera Capital Identifies Growth Catalysts Pantera begins by acknowledging that last year was not fundamentally driven when it came to returns within the crypto markets. It cites macroeconomic factors, market positioning, and structural influences as the main drivers that shaped performance, particularly for assets beyond Bitcoin (BTC). Related Reading: Where Does Hyperliquid (HYPE) Stand Now? A Deep Dive Into Key Metrics Post-2025 The firm highlights several positive developments, including the passage of the GENIUS Act and the rise of digital asset treasuries (DATs). These factors contributed to a more stabilized market sentiment, especially with the onset of Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts. However, the firm also describes a challenging fourth quarter in 2025, where a significant selloff on October 10 led to the largest liquidation cascade in crypto history. Despite this and many other setbacks during last year’s performance, Pantera expresses optimism about the future, identifying several catalysts poised to drive growth in the coming months. First and foremost, institutional adoption of blockchain technology continues to expand. Many enterprises are now integrating blockchain into their core offerings, with examples like Robinhood’s tokenized equities and JPMorgan’s initiatives. Moreover, the firm distinguished that there has been a notable drop in barriers to entry for major financial players into the crypto market, including sovereign reserves and large asset management firms. Crypto Sectors Set To Rise In 2026 Pantera Capital also explored specific sector predictions for 2026. They anticipate that Real-World Assets (RWAs) will take off. They expect that treasuries and private credit could double, with tokenized stocks and equities experiencing rapid growth as well. The firm further forecasts that prediction markets will attract acquisition interest as they consolidate around institutional infrastructure. The demand for sports-focused platforms is also expected to grow, expanding their presence in the market. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bear Market Depths: A Closer Look At How Low BTC Could Go In terms of banking innovation, ten major banks are reportedly exploring the issuance of a consortium stablecoin pegged to G7 currencies, which could provide a compliant and risk-managed way for people and institutions to utilize digital currencies. The macro perspective remains positive as well, with a significant percentage of Bitcoin now held by public companies, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and nations, indicating a shift towards compliance and institutional investment in the crypto market. Finally, Pantera asserts that 2026 is poised to be a landmark year for Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in the digital asset space. Following a significant uptick in 2025, expectations for further growth in crypto-friendly listings are high, as companies look to tokenize assets and expand their portfolios. Featured image from DALL-E, char from TradingView.com
Bitcoin tumbled sharply this week and erased the gains it had made in 2026. Reports from CoinGlass show that over the past 24 hours, 167,513 traders were forced out of their positions, with total liquidations reaching $857 million, with most of those losses coming from long bets. The price slid below the key $88,000 area on major exchanges as traders were forced out of leveraged positions. Related Reading: Bitcoin Senses Risk As Trump Balks At Europe With Major Tariffs Liquidations And Quick Drop According to CoinGlass and market trackers, the liquidations were concentrated in long positions, which amplified the fall and made the move faster than a simple sell-off would have been. Crypto market value fell by hundreds of millions over the same short span. Markets Turned Risk-Averse As Tariff Threats Spread Reports note that renewed tariff threats from US President Donald Trump toward some European countries set off a fresh “Sell America” trade, which pushed investors away from US assets and toward safer bets. Stocks fell and the dollar weakened. At the same time, traders were watching big moves in Japan’s bond market, where yields jumped sharply, increasing pressure on global liquidity. Those bond moves are important because they can force carry trades to unwind, pulling money out of risk assets — including crypto. A Tug Between Liquidity And Safe Havens The sell-off did not happen for only one reason. Reports point to a mix of political shocks, bond-market stress, and a wave of forced liquidations as the main drivers. As cash flowed into safe havens, gold surged to fresh highs while crypto lost ground. Many investors treated Bitcoin like a risky asset in this episode, selling it to cover losses or margin calls elsewhere. Different trackers gave slightly different figures on total market losses and exact liquidations over 24 and 48 hours. That is normal when markets move fast and data is pulled from different exchanges and windows. Still, the broad picture was clear: a fast, leveraged unwind sent prices lower and erased the year’s gains for Bitcoin. Related Reading: Trove’s New Token Craters 95%, Sparking Investor Revolt Markets Will Watch Liquidity And Diplomacy Looking ahead, investors will likely watch three things closely: moves in global bond markets, any escalation or de-escalation around the tariff threats tied to Greenland, and whether forced selling slows. If liquidity conditions calm, risk assets can recover more easily. If they keep tightening, the pressure on crypto and stocks could persist. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Fundstrat’s Tom Lee reiterated his $250,000 Bitcoin target while cautioning that 2026 could be a “jagged” year for crypto adoption and a turbulent one for broader risk assets, framing any major pullback as a buying window rather than a signal to de-risk. Speaking on The Master Investor Podcast with Wilfred Frost in an interview released Jan. 20, Lee said he expects 2026 to ultimately “look like a continuation of the bull market that started in 2022,” but argued markets must first digest several transitions that could deliver a drawdown large enough to “feel like a bear market.” $250,000 Bitcoin Call Comes With A 2026 Warning Lee pointed to what he described as a “new Fed” dynamic, arguing markets tend to “test” a new chair and that the sequencing of identification, confirmation, and reaction can catalyze a correction. He also warned that the White House could become “more deliberate in picking winners and losers,” expanding the set of sectors, industries, and even countries “in the bullseye,” which he said is already visible in gold’s strength. Related Reading: Bitcoin IFP Hints At Potential Turnaround: What It Means A third friction point, in his telling, is AI positioning: the market is still calibrating “how much is priced into AI,” from energy needs to data-center capacity, and that uncertainty could linger until other narratives take the baton. Pressed on magnitude, Lee said with regards to the S&P 500, the drawdown “could be 10%,” but also “could be 15% or 20%,” potentially producing a “round trip from the start of the year,” before finishing 2026 strong. He added that his institutional clients did not appear aggressively positioned yet, and flagged leverage as a tell: margin debt is at an all-time high, he said, but up 39% year-over-year—below the 60% pace he associates with local market peaks. For crypto, Lee leaned on a market-structure explanation for why gold outperformed: he said crypto tracked gold until Oct. 10, when the market suffered what he called “the single largest deleveraging event in the history of crypto,” “bigger than what happened in November 2022 around FTX.” After that, he said, Bitcoin fell more than 35% and Ethereum almost 50%, breaking the linkage. “Crypto has periodic deleveraging events,” Lee said. “It really impairs the market makers and the market makers are essentially the central bank of crypto. So many of the market makers I would say maybe half got wiped out on October 10th.” That fragility, he argued, doesn’t negate the “digital gold” framing so much as it limits who treats it that way today. “Bitcoin is digital gold,” Lee said, but added that the set of investors who buy that thesis “is not the same universe that owns gold.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Whale Panic Fades: Sell Pressure On Binance Falls Off A Cliff Over time, Lee expects the ownership base to broaden, though not smoothly. “Crypto still has a, I think, future adoption curve that’s higher than gold because more people own gold than own crypto,” he said. “But the path to getting that adoption rate higher is going to be very jagged. And I think 2026 will be a really important test because if Bitcoin makes a new all-time high, we know that that deleveraging event is behind us.” Within that framework, Lee reiterated his high-conviction upside call: “We think Bitcoin will make a new high this year,” he said, confirming a $250,000 target. He tied the thesis to rising “usefulness” of crypto, banks recognizing blockchain settlement and finality, and the emergence of natively crypto-scaled financial models. Lee cited Tether as a proof point, claiming it is expected to generate nearly $20 billion in 2026 earnings with roughly 300 employees, and argued that the profit profile illustrates why blockchain-based finance can look structurally different from legacy banking. Lee closed with advice that intentionally cuts against short-horizon reflexes. “Trying to time the market makes you an enemy of your future performance,” he said. “As much as I’m warning about 2026 and the possibility of a lot of turbulence, they should view the pullback as a chance to buy, not the pullback as a chance to sell.” At press time, Bitcoin traded at $89,287. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Secondary watch prices are up about 4% over six months, even as crypto slides and gold and silver absorb the macro stress trade.
On-chain data shows the Bitcoin Inter-exchange Flow Pulse (IFP) has shown early signs of a turnaround recently, suggesting tokens have started moving into derivatives platforms. Bitcoin IFP Is Turning Around, But Not Yet Inside Bull Market Zone As pointed out by an analyst in a CryptoQuant Quicktake post, the Bitcoin IFP has seemingly hit a bottom recently. The “IFP” is an indicator that measures the amount of BTC that’s flowing between spot and derivatives exchanges. When the value of this metric is rising, it means the investors are making a higher amount of transactions from spot to derivatives platforms. Such a trend suggests speculative interest in the market is going up. Related Reading: $790 Million In Crypto Longs Decimated As Bitcoin Plunges To $93,000 On the other hand, the indicator witnessing a decline implies traders may be pulling back on risk as they are sending a lower number of tokens to derivatives markets. Now, here is a chart that shows the trend in the Bitcoin IFP, as well as its 90-day moving average (MA), over the past decade: As displayed in the above graph, the Bitcoin IFP hit a high in the first quarter of 2025 and reversed course, suggesting speculative activity began to decline. Soon after the start of this downtrend, the metric slipped under its 90-day MA. CryptoQuant considers such a crossover to be a bearish one, labeling periods with the indicator below the 90-day MA to correspond to bear markets or corrections. Interestingly, while the cryptocurrency went on to see rejuvenation of bullish momentum and set a new all-time high (ATH) later in 2025, the market environment leaned bearish from the perspective of the IFP, with the metric’s value holding a steady downward trajectory. Recently, however, the early signs of a shift may have finally emerged, as the IFP has shown a turnaround. This increase in derivatives exchange flows has come for Bitcoin as its price has gone through a recovery surge. For now, though, the indicator is still floating at a notable distance under its 90-day MA. In the past, a break beyond this line has usually led to bullish price action for the cryptocurrency, so such a crossover could potentially be a positive sign this time as well. Whether speculative activity related to the asset will rise enough to overcome this threshold only remains to be seen. Related Reading: Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Take Profits: 41,800 BTC Sent To Exchanges Speaking of speculation, the Bitcoin Open Interest, a measure of the amount of BTC positions open on all derivatives exchanges, has surged 3.2% alongside BTC’s pullback in the past day, as CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn has highlighted in an X post. BTC Price Bitcoin has gone through a plunge over the last couple of days that has taken its price from $95,000 to $91,200. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin price started a fresh decline below $90,000. BTC is consolidating losses and remains at risk of more losses if it dips below $88,000. Bitcoin started a sharp decline below $92,000 and $90,000. The price is trading below $90,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $94,200 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might continue to move down if it stays below the $92,000 zone. Bitcoin Price Dips 5% Bitcoin price failed to stay above the $92,500 support and started a fresh decline. BTC declined sharply below the $91,000 and $90,500 support levels. The bears even pushed the price below $90,000. A low was formed at $87,784, and the price is now consolidating losses. There was a minor recovery wave above $88,500, but the price stayed below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $95,475 swing high to the $87,784 low. Bitcoin is now trading below $90,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $88,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $89,600 level. The first key resistance is near the $90,000 level. The next resistance could be $91,650 or the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $95,475 swing high to the $87,784 low. A close above the $91,650 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $92,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $94,000 level. There is also a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $94,200 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. The next barrier for the bulls could be $95,000 and $95,500. More Losses In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $91,650 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $88,800 level. The first major support is near the $88,000 level. The next support is now near the $87,500 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $86,200 support in the near term. The main support sits at $85,000, below which BTC might accelerate lower in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $88,800, followed by $88,000. Major Resistance Levels – $91,650 and $92,000.
XBTO CEO Philippe Bekhazi told CoinDesk in an interview that ETFs, derivatives hedging, and corporate treasuries are compressing BTC swings, while metals absorb the macro stress trade.
Bitcoin has come under renewed pressure after sliding toward the $90,600 region, putting short-term sentiment back on edge. While the move has shaken weak hands, price is now approaching a critical retest zone that could determine whether this dip is merely a shakeout or the start of a deeper correction. How BTC reacts here will likely set the tone for the next directional move. Bitcoin Slides to $90.6K As Selling Pressure Returns According to an update by Lennaert Snyder, Bitcoin has extended its downside move, dumping toward the $90,623 level. The latest decline suggests increasing near-term weakness, with expectations that the US market opening could add further pressure and keep sentiment cautious. Related Reading: Bitcoin Holds Key Support As Weekend Liquidity Sets In — $98,200 And $107,500 In Focus Despite the volatility, Snyder emphasizes the importance of patience in such conditions, waiting for clear triggers, especially as the market navigates a fragile structure after the recent sell-off. On the bullish side, a potential scalp setup emerges if BTC manages to break the M15 market structure by reclaiming the $91,265 level. Should this occur, the initial upside target is located near the $93,377 resistance, with the monthly high serving as the ultimate objective if momentum continues to build. From a bearish perspective, current prices are considered too low to aggressively pursue shorts. Instead, attention shifts to a possible retest of the $93,000 resistance zone, where short positions would only be considered after clear confirmation of rejection. Looking ahead, a clean reclaim of the $93,377 resistance would signal continuation to the upside and reopen the path toward the monthly highs. However, if no bullish reversal materializes in the near term, Bitcoin may remain range-bound and gradually grind lower through the rest of the week. Bitcoin At A Crossroads: Two Scenarios In Play Ardi outlined two possible scenarios for Bitcoin’s next major move, both centered around the key $94,000 resistance zone. This level remains the main decision point that will determine whether the market resumes its broader upside trend or rolls over into deeper downside. Related Reading: Wall Street Analyst Is Still Bullish On Bitcoin, Predicts Price Recovery Path A suggests a bullish outcome, where price pushes back into the $94,000 resistance, breaks through with strong acceptance, and continues higher toward the $100,000+ region. In this scenario, the recent downside move would be seen as a shakeout rather than a trend reversal, clearing weak hands before continuation. However, path B points to another potential fakeout into the $94,000 resistance, only to get rejected once again at the top of the range, followed by a breakdown below $90,000 and a liquidity sweep toward the $88,000 area before the next meaningful move develops. Both scenarios likely involve a retest of the $94,000 zone. The key difference lies in what happens after that test, whether price acceptance confirms strength, or rejection signals another leg lower. Featured image from Pngtree, chart from Tradingview.com
On Tuesday, Bitcoin (BTC) dipped below the significant $90,000 mark once again, raising concerns about the possibility of entering a new bear market and casting doubt on the cryptocurrency’s prospects. Market analyst Raun Neuner published a new analysis of the situation in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Is $37,000 On The Horizon? Neuner highlighted that while stocks are performing robustly and commodities are experiencing what he calls a “supercycle,” the crypto market still struggles to gain traction. This situation raises the critical question: What is the worst-case scenario for Bitcoin? Related Reading: Ethereum Poised For $4,000 Breakout? Expert Pinpoints On-Chain Triggers For Potential Rally Historically, Bitcoin’s bull markets tend to peak approximately 532 days after each Halving event. Applying this pattern to the current cycle suggests that Bitcoin could have reached its peak around early October, where it briefly touched $125,000. Historical trends show that following these peaks, Bitcoin typically endures a substantial decline of 70 to 80%. If this framework holds for the current cycle, Neuner estimates a potential downturn to around $37,000 in the event of a full bear market. Zooming out to consider broader traditional market dynamics provides further context. After a year marked by strong performances in both stocks and commodities, market corrections are to be expected. During risk-off periods in equity markets, Bitcoin has historically amplified these downward moves, contributing to building pressure toward the lower end of the spectrum. The analyst indicates that a key reference point for Bitcoin might be around the $57,000 mark, where the 200-week moving average (MA) resides. Critical Bitcoin Support Levels To Watch The immediate factors contributing to Bitcoin’s recent drop below the $90,000 threshold are linked to heightened volatility in global bond and equity markets, exacerbated by geopolitical tensions. Walter Bloomberg, an expert in market analysis, pointed out that the new downtrend has been spurred by various macroeconomic factors, including renewed threats from President Trump regarding tariffs on Greenland and Japan’s fiscal strategies that have added to market instability. Related Reading: Is A New XRP Price Record Imminent? Analyst Forecast Colossal Short Squeeze Ahead Consequently, investors have turned to safe-haven assets like gold, which recently reached a record price exceeding $4,700. In response, Bloomberg warns that macro risks may be underappreciated. Demand for downside protection in Bitcoin’s options market is also rising, indicating that investors are aware of the potential for further declines. The next significant levels for the Bitcoin price in the near term, according to Bloomberg, lie between $84,000 and $85,000, which are expected to act as support for BTC. If the cryptocurrency fails to hold these levels, fears of a deep bear market may become more pronounced. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin’s exchange-side supply signal is flashing a notable change: whale-sized transfers into Binance have dropped sharply from late-November panic levels, suggesting large holders are no longer leaning on the sell button with the same urgency. Selling Pressure From Bitcoin Whales Fade CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost said current data shows a “clear decline in whale transactions,” specifically BTC inflows to exchanges, meaning “large holders are sending significantly less BTC to trading platforms than before.” In the post, the chart focus was Binance inflows segmented by transaction size, spanning transfers from 100 BTC up to the largest prints above 10,000 BTC, flows that are commonly interpreted as potential sell-side positioning when they hit an exchange. Related Reading: Why Is Bitcoin And Crypto Down Today? Key Drivers Behind The Move The key backdrop in Darkfost’s thread is how quickly whale behavior shifted around the market’s late-2025 drawdown. “December has been particularly challenging, even for these investors,” the analyst wrote, adding that whales are typically “more cautious” and “less sensitive to market movements than retail participants,” often acting with “greater discipline and patience.” That discipline appeared to crack as Bitcoin rolled over from its latest all-time high near $126,000. Darkfost described a surge in whale inflows to Binance at the end of November as BTC “continued its correction,” with the “average monthly total” reaching “nearly $8 billion” during a period when BTC “fell back below the $90,000 level.” “This phase clearly triggered a panic-driven move,” the post said. “Transactions ranging between 100 and 10,000 BTC increased significantly, especially as price broke below the $85,000 level. This behavior reflects real stress among certain whales, who chose to sell quickly in order to limit losses, thereby reinforcing selling pressure on the market.” The crux is what changed since that cluster. “Today, the situation looks very different,” Darkfost wrote. Those Binance inflows “have been divided by three and now stand at around $2.74 billion,” with “daily movements” becoming “far less frequent than during the cluster observed at the end of November.” Related Reading: Is Bitcoin Really In A Bear Market? Why January 20 Matters The analyst framed the drop as an observable behavioral pivot rather than a single-day anomaly. “This shift in dynamics suggests that whales have changed their behavior,” Darkfost wrote. “They are no longer selling aggressively and now appear to favor waiting.” Institutional Demand Side Remains Robust While Darkfost’s post focuses on whale-associated inflows as a proxy for potential sell pressure, CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju pointed investors to the other side of the ledger: institutional accumulation. “Institutional demand for Bitcoin remains strong,” Ki wrote on X. “US custody wallets typically hold 100–1,000 BTC each. Excluding exchanges and miners, this gives a rough read on institutional demand. ETF holdings included.” Ki added that “577K BTC ($53B) [was] added over the past year, and still flowing in,” characterizing the trend as ongoing rather than a completed wave. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $90,885. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
The recent price movements of Bitcoin are unfolding in a notably quiet environment and are largely absent from retail participation. Unlike past rallies that were fueled by viral speculation and surging search interest, the current advance appears to be driven by a different class of buyers. How Retail Activity Remains Muted Despite Price Movement Bitcoin is not being driven by retail emotion. An analyst known as the Master of Crypto highlighted on X that after President Donald Trump’s latest news hit the headlines, the market stayed flat for more than a day, despite BTC trading nonstop. The real move only began when Asian institutional flows entered the market, and gold followed the same pattern. Related Reading: Steak ’N Shake Doubles Down On Bitcoin With $10M Balance Sheet Boost This suggests that most breaking news explanations are written after the price has already been decided. The most concerning is that retail traders continue to pile into leverage even with clear warnings. Meanwhile, this was the third tariff-related headline from Trump, and BTC has reacted negatively to every single one. Any company that is capitalized entirely in a single fiat currency is exposed to catastrophic loss if that currency fails. Ben Werkman has pointed out that history shows that this risk repeatedly occurred with outright collapse, just like the Iranian rial, Argentine peso, Venezuelan bolívar, Zimbabwe dollar, and Lebanese pound, which have experienced severe breakdowns in purchasing power. Meanwhile, currencies like the Turkish lira and Sri Lankan rupee have undergone major devaluation cycles. When a monetary regime breaks, unhedged corporate balance sheets tend to break with it. Werkman argues that Bitcoin introduces an unprecedented hedge in this context. As a non-sovereign, globally liquid asset, BTC cannot be devalued overnight by a single policy decision or local political crisis. Companies may want to accumulate some BTC on their balance sheet, just in case these real-world events continue to happen. Key Levels That Will Define the Next Expansion Phase According to Creptosolutions, Bitcoin is now centered around the key zone of $90,000 and $92,000, an area that previously acted as strong support, after topping near $126,000. If the bullish market structure remains valid, this level must continue to hold. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Action Turns Unsteady, Downside Threat Grow The price action here is not random. After a major rally, BTC is now compressing, suggesting that the market is building energy for the next direction. As long as the price remains above $90,000, buyers retain structural control, and another move up remains possible. If BTC sustained a break back above $103,000, it would continue surging higher. On the downside, a weekly close below $90,000 would turn the momentum negative, with a deeper drop toward the $85,000 to $80,000 zone. Currently, BTC is still moving in a narrow range and has not yet chosen a direction. This kind of behaviour usually leads to a strong move. The weekly close is more important than short-term price swings. How price behaves around the $90,000 level will provide the clearest signal of the next major move. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin’s June 26 options expiry provides a clean snapshot of how risk is being framed several months out, and the picture that emerges is one of deliberate insurance. Total open interest for the expiry sits near $3.92 billion in notional terms as of Jan. 20, with puts outnumbering calls at roughly 23.28K versus 19.87K contracts. […]
The post Bitcoin traders are dumping billions into insurance in case the price drops to $75k as June options expiry creates a high-stakes price trap appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Bitcoin has shown early signs of calm, but the mood is fragile. Prices pulled back from a weekend peak and trading has been choppy as investors weigh fresh tariff headlines and slowing growth in parts of Asia. Related Reading: Bitcoin Senses Risk As Trump Balks At Europe With Major Tariffs Spot Market Signals Ease According to Glassnode, spot trading volume has picked up modestly while the net buy–sell imbalance moved above its usual upper band. That shift points to less sell-side pressure, even if demand is still patchy. Reports note that markets are slowly rebuilding after late-2025 profit-taking, with long-term holders less willing to sell every rally. The result is a market that is consolidating rather than breaking down. Derivatives Stress And A Sharp Retest Over the weekend Bitcoin slid by 3.2% from its high, prompting a retest of the $92,000 level that surprised some bulls. That move wiped out about $215 million in leveraged futures longs, a large hit that raised alarms about deeper losses. Source: Glassnode At the same time, weak activity in derivatives markets has flagged a cooling of speculative appetite, which makes it harder for Bitcoin to act as a reliable hedge right now. Nasdaq futures fell after US President Donald Trump announced new tariff proposals aimed at several European countries, and such macro shocks often push traders out of riskier holds. Liquidity Patterns Echo Past Cycles Analysts at Swissblock pointed to a fall in network growth and liquidity that looks similar to conditions seen in 2022. Back then, low liquidity and a pause in growth led to a long consolidation, only for both indicators to surge later and fuel a big price run. Based on reports, the current setup could be the prelude to a similar rebuild if network activity recovers and buy-side momentum strengthens. Network growth has hit lows not seen since 2022, while liquidity continues to drain. Back in 2022, similar network levels triggered a $BTC consolidation phase as network growth began to recover, even while liquidity remained weak and bottoming out. History shows that the… pic.twitter.com/24sC3aoyAD — Swissblock (@swissblock__) January 19, 2026 Institutional Flows And Hedge Narratives Analysts said that ETF flows show institutions buying on pullbacks and that long-term holders are not rushing to sell. Gold has climbed past $4,650, and that safe-haven move, together with softer growth data in China, is nudging some investors to treat Bitcoin as a portfolio hedge rather than a quick trade. A Cautious Outlook Overall, signs point to a slow rebuild rather than a fresh breakout. Buy-side dynamics have improved, but they are not yet strong or broad enough to call a new uptrend. Volatility remains a feature, and geopolitical or policy shocks could push price swings wider. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Fired Up As Saylor Teases ‘Bigger Orange’ After Huge Buy For the time being, the market is steadying while staying watchful — more recovery in liquidity and clearer institutional conviction would be needed to turn this consolidation into a lasting advance. Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin is down 36% from its recent peak, and the “bear market” label is already circulating across crypto X. But in a thread on Sunday, trader Cristian Chifoi argues that calling a regime shift on the drawdown alone misses the more tradable signal: what happens after the first meaningful rebound, and how price behaves around a tight set of time-based “seasonality windows.” Chifoi’s core claim is that many commentators default to reactive narratives after volatility has already printed. “The simplest way to determine if the Bitcoin bear market has started is not after we had a 36% correction, as all of crypto analysts online suggest,” he wrote. “The same analysts that suggested a supercycle in November 2021 on, while the price was pumping 100%+.” In his framing, the bear-market question is less about the magnitude of the drop and more about whether any bounce that follows looks like strength or a structurally weak countertrend move that fails over time. Is Bitcoin In A Bear Market? Chifoi’s first lens is a cross-check between Bitcoin and USDT dominance (USDT.D), which he describes as an “inverted BTC chart” used as a confluence signal. He also emphasizes timing as the primary indicator, arguing the drawdown has already met a minimum duration he tracks across cycles. Related Reading: Bitcoin Tailwind: Cathie Wood Sees ‘Reaganomics On Steroids’ Ahead “If you are a trader or not, I also suggest you use time as your first indicator, and price as the second,” he wrote. “We had a 77 day correction from top to bottom already. The price couldn’t get lower. That is the signal, rest is noise.” From there, his bear-market confirmation playbook hinges on how far Bitcoin can bounce and how long it can sustain momentum. He outlines USDT.D targets: first around 5.5%, then lower levels like 4.7% and maps them to potential BTC levels. A push “lil’ over 100k,” he said, could still qualify as a “dead cat bounce” if it persists for weeks without follow-through. In that case, the bounce itself becomes evidence of weakness rather than a green light for a renewed uptrend. His second scenario is more uncomfortable for both “cycle is dead” skeptics and early-bear callers: Bitcoin makes a higher high, potentially into the $115,000–$120,000 range, but then stalls out over a multi-week window. Even that, in Chifoi’s view, could be consistent with a bear-market transition if time passes and price cannot “deliver more gains,” turning a nominal breakout into a distribution-like top. “It is the same game!” he added, arguing that traders should be watching for the same failure mode at different price levels rather than anchoring to a single number. Chifoi’s second framework is seasonality, centered on a window around January 20 (plus or minus a few days) extending into late March or early April. He says he has been tracking this as a primary decision point since the start of 2026, and frames it as a fork between two paths: either Bitcoin rallies into that date to set a pivot high and roll over, or it forms a pivot low around that date and then pushes higher into the next time pivot. “A pump into the January 20, over $100-$110k would mean a pivot high and the continuation down into next time pivot,” he wrote. The alternative, he said, is “January 20 pivot low, and then continuation up to next time pivot,” adding he is watching this week’s price action “until Friday” for confirmation. Related Reading: Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Take Profits: 41,800 BTC Sent To Exchanges At the time of writing, Chifoi leans toward the latter interpretation. “For now it seems pretty clear that we are developing a pivot low, and the next move is the opposite one versus what we had from October 6th until now,” he said. Chifoi positions most market participants into two “camps”: those calling for a supercycle or declaring the cycle framework broken, and those asserting a bear market began in October and ends in October 2026 “just like 2022.” He argues both could get forced into poor positioning if Bitcoin prints a new high in the coming weeks before selling off after April. His own risk case is broader and more time-focused: a new high followed by a sustained decline into late 2026 or early 2027, which he calls his “next important time pivot.” In that context, the operational takeaway is less about predicting a bear market today and more about letting the next rebound and the January-to-spring window define whether this is a reset inside a broader uptrend or the start of a longer distribution-to-downtrend transition. “Pay attention these next few weeks,” Chifoi wrote. “I do not know what will happen, but the plan is already set up and will adapt my positioning accordingly, whichever scenario plays out, because I already know what to do in either of the cases.” At press time, BTC traded at $92,836. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
According to market reports, US President Donald Trump announced a punitive tariff plan aimed at several European allies. The move sent a clear warning to traders and policy makers alike. Stocks and crypto fell as investors shifted to assets they see as safer. Gold climbed, and some currencies strengthened as a reaction to the risk. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Fired Up As Saylor Teases ‘Bigger Orange’ After Huge Buy Markets Feel The Shift Trading floors showed quick reactions. Bitcoin slipped by about 3% and traded in the low-$90,000 range for a time, while equity futures weakened. Safe havens were bought up. Precious metals recorded gains. Based on reports from market outlets, liquidations hit crypto platforms hard, with roughly $750 million to $875 million of leveraged long positions closed out in the first wave of selling. That added extra downward pressure on prices and raised volatility for hours after the announcement. Tariff Timetable And Targets Trump said an extra 10% tariff would start on February 1st, 2026 for goods from eight countries that opposed his Greenland stance, with the level set to rise to 25% by June if talks do not move forward. The affected nations include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the UK. Governments in Europe reacted with firm language and warned of counters. Officials in Brussels hinted at possible measures that could hurt US exporters if tensions deepen. Trade policy is now back in the spotlight and crossing multiple political lines. We don’t always agree with the US government and in this case we certainly don’t. These tariffs will hurt us. If Greenland is vulnerable to malign influences, then have another look at Diego Garcia. https://t.co/z0r0IUlD6I — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) January 17, 2026 How This Played Out In Crypto Crypto traders saw the headlines and reacted quickly. Positions that had been built with margin were trimmed or forced closed. Some funds favored reducing exposure to volatile tokens, while others bought the dip on the theory that shocks like this are temporary. Over short stretches, Bitcoin behaved more like a risk asset, moving with stocks rather than acting as an independent store of value. Over longer stretches, some analysts argue that policy shocks which raise inflationary expectations could boost demand for scarce assets, though that view depends on many economic moves that may follow. Related Reading: What’s Driving The $1.42 Billion Comeback In Spot Bitcoin ETFs? What Traders Are Doing Reports say market makers tightened spreads and liquidity pools thinned during the worst of the volatility. Large orders were matched more slowly and price swings widened. Some institutional desks paused trading for a few moments to reassess risk models, while retail traders watched charts and reacted to alerts. A few hedge desks took the chance to rebalance toward commodity exposure. Others focused on scenario planning, mapping out how retaliatory tariffs or sanctions might affect specific sectors. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The crypto market faced a sharp selloff overnight as renewed trade conflict fears between the United States and the European Union shook global risk sentiment. Bitcoin and major altcoins reversed recent gains, with traders reacting to fresh tariff headlines and the possibility of escalating economic retaliation on both sides of the Atlantic. While crypto is often viewed as a separate market, this move once again showed how quickly digital assets can behave like high-beta risk trades when macro uncertainty spikes. Related Reading: Monero Triggers Retail Alert That Preceded ZEC And DASH Drops As Privacy Coin Hype Returns According to analyst Darkfost, the liquidation impact was immediate and aggressive. More than $800 million worth of leveraged positions were wiped out in a matter of hours, including roughly $768 million in long liquidations. The scale of long closures suggests that traders were positioned for continuation to the upside, but were caught offside as prices rolled over sharply. What stood out most was where the damage occurred. Darkfost noted that Hyperliquid recorded the largest share of forced liquidations, with $241 million, while Bybit followed closely with $220 million. The wave of liquidations appears partly tied to the announcement of new tariffs targeting Europe, which triggered an equally fast response from EU policymakers, reigniting the broader “trade war” narrative across markets. CME Opens the Door to Fresh Volatility Darkfost warns that the timing of this selloff matters as much as the liquidation size. As soon as CME trading opened, Bitcoin saw a sharp downside move, suggesting that institutional flows and macro-linked positioning played a direct role in the shakeout. In past risk-off episodes, the CME open has often acted like a volatility trigger, especially when markets are already fragile, and leverage is elevated across major exchanges. This is why the next few hours are critical. The same type of move could easily repeat at the opening of the US markets, where liquidity conditions and headline sensitivity tend to amplify reactions. If sellers press again, the market could see another cascade of forced closures, particularly in high-beta altcoins that remain vulnerable after the overnight wipeout. Related Reading: XRP Whale Inflows To Binance Hit Their Lowest Level Since 2021: Accumulation Behavior? The message is straightforward: stay cautious and avoid overexposure to leverage while the macro backdrop remains unstable. Liquidations can create sharp bounces, but they can also reset momentum quickly if fear spreads across risk assets. Darkfost adds that attention should remain on incoming political updates. The market is now trading the narrative, not just the chart. Further statements could arrive at any moment, and as history has shown, Trump often delivers market-moving headlines right in the middle of the weekend. Bitcoin Holds Fragile Rebound As Crypto Tests Macro Nerves Bitcoin is trading near $93,100 after a sharp rejection from the $96,000–$97,000 supply zone. The chart shows BTC still struggling below key moving averages, with momentum capped by the declining blue trendline overhead. This reinforces the idea that the latest upside attempt was more of a rebound than a clean trend reversal. Structurally, price is forming higher lows after the violent breakdown from the $110,000 area. However, the rebound remains vulnerable as long as BTC stays trapped beneath resistance and fails to reclaim the mid-$90,000s with conviction. The recent candles also highlight hesitation, with wicks suggesting aggressive selling into strength. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bull Score Hits Level Seen Only 7 Times In 6 Years – A Rare Historical Signal The red long-term moving average is rising near the low-$90,000s, acting as a potential dynamic support zone. If Bitcoin holds above that level, it keeps the recovery structure intact and prevents a deeper reset toward prior liquidity pockets. This matters for the broader crypto market. When BTC remains range-bound under resistance, altcoins usually struggle to sustain rallies and become more sensitive to liquidation-driven volatility. Risk appetite can return quickly, but it requires Bitcoin to break above resistance and hold. Until then, crypto remains in a fragile stabilization phase, not a confirmed bullish continuation. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin price started a fresh decline below $94,000. BTC is consolidating losses and remains at risk of more losses if it dips below $91,500. Bitcoin started a sharp decline below $94,000 and $93,000. The price is trading below $93,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $94,600 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might continue to move down if it stays below the $94,000 zone. Bitcoin Price Turns Red Bitcoin price failed to stay above the $93,500 support and started a fresh decline. BTC declined sharply below the $93,000 and $92,500 support levels. The bears even pushed the price below $92,000. A low was formed at $91,866, and the price is now consolidating losses. There was a minor recovery wave above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $95,475 swing high to the $91,866 low. However, the bears remained active near $93,200. Besides, there is a bearish trend line forming with resistance at $94,600 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. Bitcoin is now trading below $93,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $92,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $92,800 level. The first key resistance is near the $93,200 level. The next resistance could be $93,650 or the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent decline from the $95,475 swing high to the $91,866 low. A close above the $93,650 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $94,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $94,500 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $95,000 and $95,500. Downside Break In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $93,650 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $92,000 level. The first major support is near the $91,800 level. The next support is now near the $91,200 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $90,500 support in the near term. The main support sits at $90,000, below which BTC might accelerate lower in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now gaining pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $92,000, followed by $91,800. Major Resistance Levels – $93,650 and $94,000.
Bitcoin and the altcoins have plummeted during the past day, leading to the liquidation of a large amount of crypto longs in derivatives markets. Crypto Sector Has Seen A Notable Amount Of Liquidations In The Last Day According to data from CoinGlass, the past day’s volatility in the crypto market has been accompanied by a swath of liquidations. The “liquidation” of a contract occurs when it accumulates losses of a certain degree and is forcibly shut down by the exchange. In the digital asset sector, volatility tends to be high, so a large number of liquidations take place on a regular basis. The last 24 hours involved one such volatile event, as the table below depicts. Related Reading: Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Take Profits: 41,800 BTC Sent To Exchanges In total, the crypto market has faced $874 million in liquidations within this window. Out of these, long contracts have made up for an overwhelming share: $788 million. The reason for liquidations being this lopsided naturally lies in the price action that has developed over the last day. Bitcoin saw a sudden drop from $95,500 to a low of $93,000, while Ethereum went from $3,350 to $3,200. In percentage terms, these drops aren’t too big, but the rapid nature of them is what triggered the liquidations. The source of the crash could lie in revitalized US-EU tariff tensions. As reported by Reuters, President Donald Trump vowed over the weekend to implement tariffs on eight European nations. Starting February 1st, goods from Denmark, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland will face an additional 10% import tariff. If the US isn’t allowed to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland, these tariffs will go up to 25% on June 1st. 2025 already saw several events where tariff-related uncertainty affected the crypto market, so it’s not surprising to see that the latest news has also been accompanied by volatility. As is usually the case, the latest market volatility has led to Bitcoin-related contracts occupying a disproportionate share of liquidations. As is visible in the above heatmap, Bitcoin has seen liquidations of around $233 million in the past day. Ethereum, the next-ranked coin in this category, has witnessed $156 million in contracts being involved. Related Reading: XRP In A ‘Super Cycle’? SuperTrend Suggests Another Story From the altcoins, Solana, XRP, and Dogecoin have ranked the highest with $61 million, $41 million, and $35 million in liquidations, respectively. SOL being ahead of XRP despite being smaller in market cap may be because of its 6% plunge being larger than the latter’s 4% drop. Bitcoin Price Bitcoin has seen a slight rebound from its low as the cryptocurrency’s price is now back at $93,100. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com
After weeks of unusually tight price action, Bitcoin is set to break free from its prolonged volatility compression. With price now expanding beyond its narrow range, liquidation activity is increasing, and stronger reactions to macro and on-chain catalysts are renewing momentum. This shift suggests that BTC is entering a phase where wider daily ranges and heightened market participation are likely to dominate the near-term structure. What This Volatility Expansion Means For The Next Major Trend Bitcoin has officially entered a new volatility regime, and a major change in market structure is driving the shift. Analyst AliceMia has revealed on X that, for the first time, options open interest has surpassed futures open interest, signaling that price action is no longer dominated primarily by leveraged speculation and liquidation cascades. In contrast, BTC is now being influenced more by hedging flows, dealer positioning, and volatility structures. Related Reading: Bitcoin Holds Key Support As Weekend Liquidity Sets In — $98,200 And $107,500 In Focus As a result, the price behavior is changing. Rather than clean, straight-line breakouts fueled by forced liquidations, the market is seeing more magnet-level reactions around major strike levels and expiries. BTC price is moving from a casino market to a structured market. This is usually what happens before the bigger and more sustained moves happen. Bitcoin continues to consolidate inside the weekend range, which often acts as engineered liquidity during the following week. Crypto trader Lennaert Snyder highlighted that the preferred scenario for long trades would be if BTC continues to range higher through Sunday and sweeps the weekend liquidity on Monday/Tuesday. According to Snyder, all eyes are on the US Open, and he will only prolong the sweep of the weekend liquidity if BTC breaks the structure by regaining the $95,820 high. Only after that structural break would long positions make sense, with the monthly high as the primary target. From there, a higher price is expected. On the downside, the $94,635 low is still the level that must hold. As long as the price is above that on the higher timeframes, the bullish structure remains intact. However, if BTC loses that level and trades back into the previous range, momentum is likely to flip bearish. In that case, after confirmation, a short setup could become valid. Trader Snyder concluded that, as for Ethereum, the plan remains unchanged from the previous one. Deviation Confirmation Could Trigger The 2026 Super Rally The Bitcoin weekly plan is unfolding exactly as expected. Trader Alienopstrading also stated that shorts remain the focus for now since the $110,000 to $120,000 zone. BTC’s price has entered a minor consolidation and will see a move akin to what the analyst mapped out earlier. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price To $100K: Why All Eyes Are On The Short-Term Holders Once the lows are swept and BTC confirms the deviation, we could finally witness the 2026 super rally that many have been anticipating. “Just like I give you the top, I also want to give you the bottom,” Alienopstrading noted. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Michael Saylor’s hint about a “Bigger Orange” has sent fresh energy through parts of the Bitcoin market. It came after Strategy executed a very large buy, and traders took the message as a sign there may be more accumulation ahead. Short bursts of buying have a way of changing tone on trading floors. Related Reading: What’s Driving The $1.42 Billion Comeback In Spot Bitcoin ETFs? Saylor Signals New Buying Spree According to reports, Strategy purchased more than $1.25 billion in Bitcoin in its latest move, adding thousands of coins to its holdings. That stack has pushed the company closer to a massive total that some sources put near 700,000 BTC. Markets reacted quickly. Prices nudged higher in the hours after the news, and shares of Strategy were treated by some investors as a way to get extra Bitcoin exposure. Traders Pounced And Charts Reacted Momentum traders were the first to lean in. They saw the buy as proof that a major corporate buyer still sees value in stacking coins during dips. Options desks showed increased call buying, and volume spiked on spot desks in New York and Asia. Sentiment grew more positive, but caution remained. Big buys can lift short-term prices, yet they don’t always start long, steady rallies. ₿igger Orange. pic.twitter.com/HI47hMCnui — Michael Saylor (@saylor) January 18, 2026 Market Reaction And Investor Moves Retail and institutional players both turned their attention to liquidity. Reports note that when one large buyer moves, other firms often reassess their risk and allocation plans. Hedge funds checked their models. Family offices ran fresh numbers. For some investors, the appeal is simple: owning a scarce asset that an influential buyer keeps adding to can feel reassuring. Corporate Treasuries And Public Perception Corporate cash strategies have been in the spotlight since Strategy first started buying coins. CEOs and boards watch those moves closely, and investors watch boards. For a public company to keep buying, confidence has to be high enough to risk press questions and regulatory attention. That choice is being watched by analysts who say such buys shape public debate about Bitcoin’s role as part of a company’s balance sheet. What Analysts Are Watching Analysts are tracking three things: how many coins are being taken off exchanges, whether accumulation is steady or one-off, and how the market digests more large purchases. On-chain trackers showed notable withdrawals after the reported purchase, which can tighten available supply. Some onlookers cautioned that short-term price jumps can be reversed if selling follows or if macro news turns sour. Related Reading: More XRP Than Cash? “You’re A Genius”, Analyst Says A Cautious Ending Note Based on market chatter, the “Bigger Orange” tease is more than a bit of bravado — it is treated as a strategic signal by many market players. Still, outcomes are far from certain. Buying by a major corporate holder can shift sentiment and squeeze short positions, but markets are shaped by many forces at once. For now, traders, investors, and watchers will keep an eye on any follow-up moves and how price and liquidity respond in the next sessions. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin price started a fresh decline below $95,000. BTC is consolidating losses and remains at risk of more losses if it dips below $92,000. Bitcoin started a sharp decline below $95,000 and $94,000. The price is trading below $93,500 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There was a break below a declining channel with support at $93,550 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might continue to move down if it stays below the $954000 zone. Bitcoin Price Dips Sharply Bitcoin price failed to stay above the $94,500 support and started a fresh decline. BTC declined sharply below the $94,000 and $93,500 support levels. There was a move below the 61.8% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $89,995 swing low to the $97,898 high. Besides, there was a break below a declining channel with support at $93,550 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. The price even spiked below $92,000. It tested the 76.4% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $89,995 swing low to the $97,898 high. Bitcoin is now trading below $93,500 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $92,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $93,000 level. The first key resistance is near the $93,500 level. The next resistance could be $94,000. A close above the $94,000 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $95,000 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $95,500 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $96,200 and $96,400. Downside Continuation In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $93,500 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $92,000 level. The first major support is near the $91,800 level. The next support is now near the $91,300 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $90,500 support in the near term. The main support sits at $90,000, below which BTC might accelerate lower 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 below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $92,000, followed by $91,800. Major Resistance Levels – $93,000 and $93,500.
Glassnode says the push toward $96,000 was driven by leverage, while CryptoQuant warns demand remains too weak to confirm a trend reversal.
Going into the weekend, the price of Bitcoin was unable to sustain the bullish momentum it displayed earlier in the past week. Since Friday, January 16th, the world’s leading cryptocurrency, repudiated by the price resistance above, now trades in a tight consolidatory bracket. Interestingly, this period of silence has been deemed transient, as recent on-chain data suggests an exciting time ahead for the BTC price. Kimchi Premium Flips Positive As Local Demand Sees Buildup In a January 17 post on the X platform, DeFi asset management platform XWIN Finance released an on-chain report, which suggests that Bitcoin might be closer to reaching a turning point than is apparent in its price action. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price To $100K: Why All Eyes Are On The Short-Term Holders This hypothesis is based on the Bitcoin Kimchi Premium indicator. This measures the percentage difference between a cryptocurrency’s price (in this case, Bitcoin) on South Korean exchanges and its price on global exchanges. Simply put, it shows how much more Korean traders are willing to pay for Bitcoin. When the Kimchi Premium transitions steadily from low or negative levels to cross above historically significant levels, this is typically viewed as a long signal from the metric. This interpretation is because a rising Kimchi Premium reflects growing local demand in South Korea, usually often influenced by retail buyers. In essence, Korean buyers are willing to pay more for Bitcoin, hence overwhelming the available supply and consequently pushing prices upwards. In the post on X, XWIN Finance highlighted that this long signal had been sighted on the indicator. History also attests to the bullish significance of this signal; there have been major price moves to the upside following sustained increases in the Kimchi Premium. An example is the last sighting of the long signal in October 2023, where the index rose above a major threshold, as shown in the chart above. The price of Bitcoin witnessed a 370% rally after this signal went off in 2023. According to XWIN Research, this same pattern seems to be playing out again in 2026. Hence, if the Kimchi Premium completes its long-signal formation, it could be a sign that buyers are occupying favourable positions for a bullish ride. If history does repeat itself, the Bitcoin price could be on track to witness another exciting voyage, with the flagship cryptocurrency possibly putting in a more than 300% surge in the next cycle. However, it is worth noting that macro conditions, institutional demand, and derivatives activity would be playing their roles to augment the pattern’s plausibility, as it should not be viewed as a standalone bullish sign. Bitcoin Price At A Glance As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $95,280, reflecting no significant change in the past 24 hours. Related Reading: Bitcoin Net Taker Volume Finally Flips Positive — Why This Shift Matters Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView
Fresh money poured back into US spot Bitcoin ETFs this week, giving the market a clear jolt after a quiet month. The inflows totaled about $1.42 billion, the biggest weekly pickup since early October. That rush pushed prices higher for a time and pulled a lot of attention back to these regulated funds. Related Reading: Saylor Defends Bitcoin Treasury Firms Amid Rising Criticism Institutional Demand Comes Back Reports say big, familiar investors are rejoining these funds. Managers with large pools of capital are using ETFs to get Bitcoin exposure in a way that fits standard rules and reporting. Some of the buying came through a tight set of funds that have wide reach with big clients. The move is being read as a return of steady, long-term money rather than quick speculative bets. Reports from the Bitcoin macro newsletter Ecoinometrics note that recent jumps in spot Bitcoin ETF inflows usually lead to brief price gains, which often disappear when the inflows ease. Based on data from SoSoValue, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw their biggest inflows midweek, with Wednesday bringing in more than $840 million in a single day and Tuesday following with roughly $754 million. Bitcoin doesn’t need a few good days. It needs a few good weeks. We’ve seen this pattern repeatedly: a short burst of ETF inflows, a quick price bounce, and then momentum fades. That tells us demand still exists, but it’s not persistent enough to change the trend. The chart… pic.twitter.com/6mkv7ye9fW — ecoinometrics (@ecoinometrics) January 16, 2026 BlackRock’s IBIT Tops Flows BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust drew the largest share of the gains. On several days it led all spot ETF flows, with one report showing IBIT accounted for roughly $1.03 billion of the weekly total. A single day during the run saw IBIT pull in amounts measured in the hundreds of millions, underlining how dominant the fund has become in the US market. When big, regulated vehicles buy a lot of Bitcoin, the effect is not just on paper. These ETFs must either create new shares by buying coins or choose to source supply elsewhere. That process removes coins from the pool available to regular traders. At the same time, some data show that large holders eased off selling in recent days, which tightened the coins ready to trade even more. The mix of fresh demand and less selling can lift price quickly. Short Gains, Or The Start Of Something Longer? Some market watchers point out that a single week of big inflows is only part of the picture. Patterns matter. If monthly flows stay strong, then the story is clearer. If the money fades, prices can fall back just as fast. Still, the sudden inflow shows that at least a group of big investors prefers regulated ETF exposure right now. That matters for how traditional funds think about Bitcoin in balanced portfolios. Related Reading: Ethereum Staking Hits Record Levels As Buterin Urges Builders To Deliver Real Apps Bitcon Price Action Bitcoin has been hovering around $95,000 this week, moving up and down slightly as buyers and sellers test the market. Reports say the price steadied after a small bounce from recent lows. Some updates show Bitcoin briefly rising above $96,800, shaking out short-term traders. Analysts note the swings reflect mixed sentiment, with the market unsure of the next clear direction. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from TradingView
Bitcoin remains anchored above key support as weekend trading unfolds, keeping $98,200 and $107,500 in focus. Market participants are watching closely to see if the uptrend can continue or if the weekend liquidity will trigger a test of lower levels. The next few sessions could define BTC’s short-term trajectory. Key Support Holds: $94,630 Remains Crucial According to a recent post by Kamile Uray, Bitcoin is still holding strong above the $89,326 support level, and as long as it remains above this zone, the possibility for the uptrend to continue remains intact. This level continues to act as a critical foundation for bulls, keeping the market structure aligned with potential further gains. Related Reading: Bitcoin Flashes Near-Identical Fractal Before The 2021 Bull Run Started If BTC manages to break through the $98,200 resistance, the next key target at $107,500 comes into focus. At this level, a decisive move will determine whether the current uptrend is complete or push Bitcoin even higher. A daily close above $107,500 would mark the first higher high on the daily chart relative to the last downward wave, signaling a potential continuation of the bullish trend. However, if BTC is rejected at resistance and falls back below $89,326, the downtrend could resume. Should a reversal form within the $83,822–$82,477 support zone, Bitcoin may attempt another upward push, giving bulls a chance to regain control. If BTC closes below $82,477, further downside is expected, potentially testing the $74,496–$71,237 region. This zone has historically served as a strong support area, and any confirmed reversal from here could set the stage for another bullish leg. Bitcoin Weekend Liquidity Ahead: Expect Range-Bound Action Crypto expert Lennaert Snyder outlined that Bitcoin is holding the key $94,630 support level, which also serves as the crucial H4 level to hold. On Friday, BTC retraced and briefly swept this low before stabilizing, reinforcing the importance of this zone for short-term market structure. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Compresses Below $94K, But Possible Repeat Of 2025 Breakout Looms As we enter the weekend liquidity, Bitcoin is likely to trade within a defined range until Sunday evening or Monday. For bullish traders, the plan is to hold the low and watch for a market structure break above $95,820. Once this occurs, long positions could target the $97,960 monthly high. In anticipation of continued upside, only part of the position may be closed at the monthly high, letting 30%-40% run to capture further gains if momentum persists. However, if BTC loses the $94,630 support on the H4 and falls back into the previous range, a continuation toward lower lows becomes more likely. In that scenario, short positions would be considered after confirmation on a retest, giving traders a structured approach to managing risk and potential downside. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com