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Strategy chairman Michael Saylor pushed back on critics who say companies that hold Bitcoin are reckless. He told a podcast that buying Bitcoin should be seen as a choice about where to put cash, not as a moral failing. Related Reading: Ethereum Staking Hits Record Levels As Buterin Urges Builders To Deliver Real Apps He said firms face few good options for idle money, and that Bitcoin is one of those options for companies that can stand big price swings. Corporate Bitcoin Treasury Choice Based on reports tracking public disclosures, publicly listed firms hold about 1.1 million BTC in total. That amount equals roughly 5.5% of the 19.97 million coins now in circulation. Strategy is the biggest public holder, with 687,410 BTC, according to BitcoinTreasuries data. Those numbers help explain why markets and regulators pay attention when companies buy large amounts. Saylor framed the issue as a simple accounting decision. He compared holding Bitcoin to other moves a firm might make with extra cash. Treasuries pay very little. Stock buybacks can fail if a company is losing money. He used a clear example: a company losing $10 million per year could still come out ahead if its Bitcoin position gained $30 million over the same time. That point is meant to show why some executives see Bitcoin as a way to improve net results. Risk Vs. Reward On Balance Sheets The argument has limits. Bitcoin can drop fast. A firm with heavy debt or thin margins may be forced to sell at the worst time. Not every company has the same ability to wait for a recovery. Strategy’s big size and long view make it hard to compare with smaller firms that don’t have the same runway or the same investor base. Investors and analysts see two sides. Some view large Bitcoin bets as proof of conviction. Others see concentration risk that adds volatility to corporate returns. That scrutiny grows as more firms add coins to their books. When holdings reach the hundreds of thousands, it is no longer a niche choice; it becomes part of how markets judge a firm’s financial picture. Related Reading: Ethereum On Fire: User Growth Sparks Massive Activity Spike Price Context Matters Bitcoin was trading around $95,250 at the time of writing, with an intraday range from about $94,320 to $95,660 on major exchanges. That level shapes how recent buyers are viewed. Gains make the strategy look smart. Losses make it look unattractive. Timing and cash needs often decide the outcome. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

On-chain data shows Bitcoin short-term holders have transferred a large amount of tokens to exchanges alongside the asset’s recovery rally. Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Have Made Profit Transactions To Exchanges In a new post on X, CryptoQuant community analyst Maartunn has talked about the latest trend in the exchange deposit transactions of Bitcoin short-term holders (STHs). Related Reading: XRP In A ‘Super Cycle’? SuperTrend Suggests Another Story STHs include the BTC investors who purchased their coins within the past 155 days. They make up for one of the two main sides of the network divided on the basis of holding time, with the other side being known as long-term holders (LTHs). Historically, the STH cohort has proven to represent the weak hands of the market, who easily react to market volatility. In contrast, LTHs include the diamond hands of the sector. Bitcoin has witnessed a recovery rally recently, so, considering the track record of STHs, some selling from them is likely to have occurred. One way to track distribution from the group is through its exchange inflow data. Below is the chart shared by Maartunn that shows the exchange deposit transactions that Bitcoin STHs have made over the last couple of months. In the graph, the STH exchange inflows are shown separately for profit and loss transactions, based on whether holders held an unrealized gain or loss before sending the tokens to exchanges. From the chart, it’s apparent that the 24-hour sum of the STH exchange deposit transactions in profit has shot up as the cryptocurrency has gone through its rally, reaching a high of 41,800 BTC. Meanwhile, loss exchange inflows have shrunken, falling to a low of 1,800 BTC. Thus, it would appear that selling focus from STHs has largely shifted to profit-taking. Though, while some STHs may be harvesting profits, the cohort has a whole is still in a state of net unrealized loss as Bitcoin is trading below the STH Realized Profit, as highlighted by the analyst in another X post. The “Realized Price” is an on-chain metric that measures the average cost basis of Bitcoin investors or addresses as a whole. The STH version specifically tracks the break-even level of the supply purchased within the past 155 days. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rally Accompanied By ‘Very Bullish’ Whale-Retail Behavior, Santiment Says As displayed in the above chart, the Bitcoin spot price plummeted under the STH Realized Price during the drawdown of Q4 2025. Since then, it has remained under the line, although the latest rally has brought it close. Currently, the indicator’s value is situated at $99,412. BTC Price Bitcoin has gone down since its high above $97,000 earlier in the week as its price is now trading around $94,600. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin may be replaying a market structure that historically preceded one of its most powerful rallies. A high-timeframe trader has identified a fractal that closely mirrored Bitcoin’s behavior ahead of the 2021 bull run. He argues that the current cycle is unfolding in line with a well-established structural script observed across multiple market cycles spanning more than a decade. Bitcoin’s Fractal: Rooted In High-Timeframe Structure The fractal highlighted by the trader is based on a direct structural comparison between Bitcoin’s current cycle and the 2021 setup, illustrated in a chart he attached to his analysis. The chart aligns both periods to show how price advanced into a broad distribution range, rolled over into a sharp corrective phase, and then attempted to recover while capped by descending resistance. In both cases, Bitcoin retraced to the 0.382 Fibonacci level before stabilizing, marking a shared technical inflection point rather than a coincidental price overlap. Related Reading: XRP Price Is Approaching A Key Decision Zone, But Structure Is Still Firmly Bullish This structural symmetry extends beyond price levels into timing. According to the trader, the current cycle has tracked the rhythm of prior four-year cycles with notable consistency, allowing historical all-time highs and lows to be mapped objectively. Using that same framework, the data previously supported a high-probability short near the peak candle around $123,000, reinforcing his view that recurring market structure continues to guide directional risk. By comparing the two cycles directly, the trader argues that Bitcoin’s behavior is being evaluated through a recurring structural pattern that has remained intact for more than 12 years, rather than through subjective bias. $100,000 As A Structural And Psychological Ceiling Within the identified fractal, psychological resistance is a key determinant of Bitcoin’s upside potential. Looking back at 2021, Bitcoin failed to decisively reclaim the $50,000 level and instead front-ran it before reversing, establishing a behavioral precedent for how traders respond to significant round-number thresholds. Applying this pattern to the current cycle, $100,000 now functions as the analogous psychological ceiling. As a result, some participants may act preemptively, which could generate selling pressure from underwater holders and distribution by larger players. Related Reading: Pundit Reveals The Biggest Enemy Of XRP Investors As Price Struggles At $2 This potential resistance is reinforced by diagonal trendlines that mirror the caps observed in 2021, creating a structural limit on upside momentum. Within this context, short-term extensions into the $98,000–$99,000 range remain plausible and are fully compatible with the fractal, as price can approach the psychological ceiling. Moreover, positioning data from the past six to eight months indicates that the median short-term buyer cost basis has clustered between $95,000 and $100,000, highlighting zones where profit-taking and defensive selling are likely to intensify. These elements suggest a scenario where price may test resistance, experience temporary stalls, and respect structural limits without invalidating the broader high-timeframe thesis. However, the trader notes that the framework is probabilistic: only a sustained move above $104,000–$105,000 would break the fractal pattern and necessitate a full reassessment of the high-timeframe trend. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

According to CoinGecko’s annual report, crypto treasury companies were among the year’s biggest buyers even as prices fell. Their balance sheets grew sharply, and their actions left a clear mark on supply and markets. The numbers tell a story of heavy buying, pause, and then corporate moves to protect share value. Related Reading: Crypto Money Floods US Politics As $21 Million Backs Trump PAC Large Treasury Buying Spree Reports have disclosed that these treasury firms deployed close to $50 billion into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other tokens during 2025. At the start of the year, treasuries held more than $56 billion in crypto. By January one, 2026, that figure had risen to $134 billion — a gain of 137%. This buying helped push institutional ownership higher, with treasuries holding more than 5% of both Bitcoin and Ethereum supply by year-end. Public companies alone raised their Bitcoin reserves from about 598,714 coins to more than 1 million, an increase near 500,000 BTC. Market Drop Came Late In The Year The broader market did not keep its earlier momentum. Total crypto value fell almost 8% in 2025 and finished the year near $3 trillion. Most of the damage came late. 2025 Annual Crypto Industry Report is now LIVE ???? Last year marked crypto’s first down year since 2022, featuring a brief $4.4T peak in Q4 before a historic $19B liquidation ended the year at $3.0T. Here are 7 key highlights you shouldn’t miss ???? pic.twitter.com/HLbI5BrzwN — CoinGecko (@coingecko) January 15, 2026 The market shed almost a quarter of its value in the last three months, and a liquidation wave near $19 billion in October sped the decline after total market value briefly hit about $4.4 trillion. Bitcoin slipped roughly 1.4% to near $95,300 at one point as investors weighed policy moves in the US and shifting rate expectations. Supply Now Held By Treasuries By the start of 2026, treasuries were holding more than 1 million Bitcoin and 6 million ETH. That concentration matters because assets put on corporate books are less likely to be traded frequently. When large shares of supply are locked up, price swings can be smaller in calm times, but the effect can flip if selling is forced. BTCUSD trading at $95,524 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView Related Reading: Bitcoin’s New Power Buyers: Companies Bought 3 Times What Miners Produced Companies Shifted Strategy When Stocks Fell When prices fell in the fourth quarter, some treasury firms saw their share prices dip below the value of their crypto holdings. To support their stock, many paused buying and turned to share buybacks. That action slowed the pace of token purchases. The move was traditional: protect investors’ equity value rather than add more tokens into a weakening market. Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView

Recent allegations regarding the Bitcoin (BTC) sale by the US Marshal Service (USMS) — operating under the Department of Justice (DOJ) — have been addressed by White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt, who confirmed that the digital assets forfeited by Samourai Wallet and its founders have not been liquidated. DOJ Confirms Samourai Bitcoin Will Not Be Sold In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Witt clarified that the DOJ has verified that the digital assets taken from the Samourai Wallet will not be sold, in accordance with Executive Order 14233. He emphasized that these assets will remain on the government’s balance sheet as part of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. Related Reading: Bitcoin And Crypto ETFs Set To Attract $130 Billion-Plus Inflows This Year, JPMorgan Predicts Earlier in the month, speculations suggested that the USMS, following directives from the DOJ, had sold approximately 57.55 Bitcoin forfeited in the Samourai Wallet case through Coinbase Prime on November 3, 2025.  The lack of confirmation until now had led experts to assert that such actions would violate EO 14233, signed by President Donald Trump. This order mandates that Bitcoin obtained through criminal or civil forfeiture be retained and added to the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, rather than being sold off. The Bitcoin in question is valued at almost $6.4 million and was seized from the creators of Samourai Wallet. According to US authorities, the cryptocurrency mixer facilitated over $237 million worth of illicit transactions.  Samourai Wallet’s Co-Founders Face Justice The DOJ had announced in November the sentencing of Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, the co-founders of Samourai Wallet.  Rodriguez, the company’s CEO, and Hill, its Chief Technology Officer, were implicated in a conspiracy involving the operation of a money transmitting business that “knowingly” transmitted proceeds from criminal activities.  Related Reading: XRP Will Skyrocket Beyond $18: Analyst Suggests 800% Growth Potential In 2026 The criminal proceeds laundered through their platform originated from various illegal activities, including drug trafficking, darknet marketplace operations, cyber intrusions, fraud, murder-for-hire schemes, and even a child pornography website. Rodriguez received a five-year prison sentence, while Hill was sentenced to four years. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $95,300, marking an almost 6% increase over the past seven days. However, it is still unable to regain the key $100,000 level, which has eluded the cryptocurrency since November last year.  Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Crypto analyst TARA has predicted that the Bitcoin price will still rally despite bearish signals that have surfaced. She highlighted why the flagship crypto could reach this level and what could happen once it touches the price target.  Analyst Predicts Bitcoin Price Surge To $99,000 In an X post, TARA opined that the Bitcoin price will reach $99,300, even though the flagship crypto is printing a bearish candlestick. She stated that BTC wants to touch this price target before it retraces deeper so that the correction does not break the critical support at $90,000. The analyst added that retracement levels for BTC will continue to be adjusted, with the new 2026 high above $97,000, while revealing subwaves on the way to the full target at $103,000.  Related Reading: Analyst Outlines The Bulllish And Bearish Scenarios For Bitcoin – Here’s What To Know Notably, crypto traders are currently betting on the Bitcoin price rallying past the $99,000 level and reaching the psychological $100,000 level. Polymarket data shows a 48% chance that BTC will rally to $100,000 this month. This follows the flagship crypto’s recent rally from around $92,000 to above $97,000 following the release of the soft CPI inflation data earlier this week.  The spot Bitcoin ETFs have also contributed to the Bitcoin price surge to start the year. In an X post, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas highlighted that ETFs recorded net inflows of $843 million on January 14 and now boast 1-week net inflows of $1 billion and $1.5 billion year-to-date (YTD). With BTC rallying to $97,000 after trading sideways towards the end of last year, Balchunas opined that the buyers may have exhausted the sellers.  Arthur Hayes Predicts Bitcoin Rally On Rising Liquidity In his latest blog post, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes predicted that the Bitcoin price could sustain this rally as dollar liquidity rapidly increases. Hayes expects dollar liquidity to increase as U.S. President Donald Trump finds more ways to inject liquidity into the economy. The BitMEX co-founder highlighted how Trump plans to lower mortgage rates, which could cause Americans to borrow more.   Related Reading: What’s Going On With Bitcoin And The Stock Market? Analyst Breaks It Down Hayes also mentioned that the liquidity in 2025 didn’t support crypto portfolios, which is why the Bitcoin price underperformed. He urged market participants not to draw wrong conclusions from the 2025 underperformance, as it was always a liquidity story rather than a cyclical bear market, as some analysts suggested.  More liquidity could also flow into the market as Trump nominates a rate-cut advocate to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell. This could lead to larger rate cuts, which would be bullish for the Bitcoin price and the broader crypto market.  At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $95,300, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

The consensus that Bitcoin has matured into “digital gold” faces a new fracture line on Wall Street, one that has little to do with daily price volatility and everything to do with the distant future of computing. Two prominent strategists named Wood are currently offering diametrically opposed roadmaps to global allocators for the world’s largest […]
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As Iran’s economy continues to strain under heavy sanctions, high inflation, and a weakening currency, many citizens are turning to crypto as an alternative financial lifeline. Related Reading: Bitcoin Tailwind: Cathie Wood Sees ‘Reaganomics On Steroids’ Ahead Recent blockchain data shows a sharp rise in Bitcoin withdrawals and transfers to personal wallets, particularly during periods of unrest and internet restrictions. For many Iranians, digital assets now serve both as a hedge against currency collapse and a way to move funds beyond government-controlled systems. The Iranian rial has lost around 90% of its value against the U.S. dollar since 2018, while inflation has hovered between 40% and 50%. In response, crypto usage has grown steadily, with Iran’s total cryptocurrency activity reaching an estimated $7.78 billion in 2025, according to Chainalysis. BTC's price trends sideways on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview Bitcoin Use Rises During Protests and Internet Blackouts Crypto activity surged during mass protests that began in late December 2025, triggered by rising living costs and currency devaluation. As demonstrations spread, authorities imposed internet shutdowns and tightened financial controls. During this period, blockchain data showed higher average daily transaction values and a notable increase in transfers from Iranian exchanges to self-custodied Bitcoin wallets. Smaller withdrawals, often associated with individual users, recorded some of the strongest growth. Medium and large transfers also increased, suggesting that both households and businesses were seeking to move funds out of local platforms. Bitcoin’s appeal lies in its ability to be stored and transferred without relying on domestic banks or state oversight. For Iranians facing restrictions on access to cash, foreign currency, or international transfers, crypto offers a way to preserve value and maintain some financial mobility. Crypto’s Dual Role: Citizens and State Actors While ordinary Iranians are using cryptocurrencies to protect savings, state-linked actors are also active in the digital asset space. Wallets associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accounted for more than half of the country’s crypto transaction value in the final quarter of 2025. These wallets received over $3 billion during the year, up from around $2 billion in 2024. Western authorities believe the IRGC uses cryptocurrencies to bypass sanctions, move funds across borders, and support regional operations. Chainalysis notes that these figures likely underestimate the true scale, as many affiliated wallets and networks remain unidentified. At the same time, spikes in Iranian crypto activity have closely followed major political and security events, including the Kerman bombings in 2024, missile strikes in October 2024, and a 12-day conflict in June 2025 that disrupted Iran’s largest crypto exchange and a major state bank. A Growing Dependence on Digital Assets For many Iranians, cryptos have become more than a speculative asset. They are increasingly used as a tool for financial survival in an economy marked by inflation, sanctions, and limited access to global markets. Bitcoin’s censorship resistance and portability make it especially attractive during periods of unrest or capital controls. Related Reading: XRP In A ‘Super Cycle’? SuperTrend Suggests Another Story As economic pressures persist and geopolitical tensions remain high, blockchain analysts expect crypto usage in Iran to continue rising. Whether as a means of preserving personal wealth or navigating sanctions, digital assets are now a central part of Iran’s financial landscape. Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

Cathie Wood is arguing that the next phase of US policy and macro could recreate an early-1980s style risk-on regime, one that, in her telling, strengthens the case for bitcoin as a portfolio diversifier even as it complicates the “digital gold” narrative. In a post on X, the ARK Invest CEO said “the next three years could be Reaganomics on steroids,” pointing to deregulation, tax cuts, “sound monetary policy,” and “peace through strength” as ingredients for a stronger dollar and capped gold prices. Her January 15 “New Year letter,” titled Cathie Wood’s 2026 Outlook: The US Economy Is A Coiled Spring, lays out the mechanics behind that analogy and places crypto explicitly inside the policy and productivity story. A “Coiled Spring” Macro Thesis Wood’s central claim is that the US has looked sturdier than it really is because weakness has rotated through rate-sensitive pockets rather than hitting the whole economy at once. “Despite sustained real gross domestic product (GDP) growth during the past three years, the underlying US economy has suffered a rolling recession and has evolved into a coiled spring that could bounce back powerfully during the next few years. In response to COVID-related supply shocks, the record-breaking 22-fold surge in the Fed funds rate from 0.25% in March 2022 to 5.5% in the sixteen months ended July 2023 pushed housing, manufacturing, non-AI capital spending, and low-to-middle income America into recession.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Rally Accompanied By ‘Very Bullish’ Whale-Retail Behavior, Santiment Says She anchors the housing leg with a specific trough: existing home sales fell 40% from a 5.9 million annual rate in January 2021 to 3.5 million in October 2023, which she notes is “a level last seen in November 2010.” From there, Wood pivots to policy impulse and cash-flow relief. “Thanks to the confluence of deregulation and lower taxes (including tariffs), inflation, and interest rates, the rolling recession which has characterized the last few years in the US could turn quickly and sharply during the next year and beyond. Deregulation is unleashing innovation in every sector, led by the first AI and Crypto Czar, David Sacks, in the AI and digital assets space. Meanwhile, lower taxes on tips, overtime, and social security should hand US consumers significant refunds this quarter, potentially driving real disposable income growth up from ~2% at an annual rate during the second half of 2025 to ~8.3% this quarter.” She also argues corporate cash flows could be boosted by accelerated depreciation, writing that it could push the effective corporate tax rate “down toward 10%,” with 100% first-year depreciation for equipment, software and domestic R&D made permanent and retroactive to January 1, 2025. Gold, Bitcoin, And The Dollar Wood’s inflation case is concrete and component-driven. She points to oil falling from about $124 on March 8, 2022 to a level that’s roughly 53% lower, and down about 22% year-over-year as of ARK’s January 12 data cut. She adds that single-family home sale prices are down about 15% from the October 2022 peak, while existing home price inflation (three-month moving average) decelerated from roughly 24% YoY in June 2021 to about 1.3%. On labor, she cites non-farm productivity up 1.9% YoY (third quarter), compensation per man-hour up 3.2%, and unit labor cost inflation at 1.2%. She then pushes a real-time check: Truflation at 1.7% YoY as of January 7, nearly 100 bps below CPI-based inflation. The crypto hook comes through her attempt to split gold’s recent run from bitcoin’s role in portfolios. “During 2025, the gold price appreciated 65% as the price of bitcoin slipped 6%. While many observers have attributed the 166% surge in the gold price from $1,600 to $4,300 since the end of the US equity bear market in October 2022 to the risk of inflation, another interpretation is that global wealth creation… has outpaced the ~1.8% annualized increase in the gold supply globally.” Related Reading: Glassnode: Bitcoin Is Back At $96K, Hitting The Same Sell Ceiling Again Wood then leans on supply schedules and correlations. She notes bitcoin’s supply is “mathematically metered” to rise about 0.82% per year for the next two years before slowing to ~0.41%, and argues that diversification — not “digital gold” rhetoric — is the cleaner allocator lens. In ARK’s correlation matrix using weekly returns from 1/1/2020 through 1/6/2026, bitcoin’s correlation is 0.14 to gold, 0.06 to bonds, and 0.28 to the S&P 500; the S&P 500–bonds correlation is shown at 0.27. Finally, she brings it back to FX: after a year in which the trade-weighted dollar (DXY) fell 11% in the first half and 9% for the full year, Wood argues that higher US returns on invested capital, driven by fiscal, deregulation, and US-led technological breakthroughs, could push the dollar higher, echoing the early Reagan period when “the dollar nearly doubled.” If Wood’s “Reaganomics on steroids” framing gains traction, the near-term market implication is less about a single bitcoin price target and more about positioning: a regime she expects to feature falling inflation, lower rates, and heavy AI capex (data-center systems investment up 47% to nearly $500 billion in 2025, with a further 20% to roughly $600 billion expected in 2026) is one where allocators may revisit where bitcoin sits on the risk spectrum, and whether its low cross-asset correlation is the more durable thesis than any one-line comparison to gold. While Wood’s 2026 outlook does not publish a specific Bitcoin price target, ARK has previously outlined 2030 scenarios for BTC of roughly $300,000 (bear), $710,000 (base), and $1.2 million (bull). At press time, BTC traded at $95,685. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin has shown renewed bullish momentum in recent sessions, pushing price back toward the $97,000 level after weeks of persistent selling pressure. For much of the recent consolidation, the market struggled under distribution from short-term participants and cautious positioning from traders who remained uncertain about the broader trend. That dynamic now appears to be shifting. While price action alone does not confirm a full trend reversal, the latest rebound suggests that downside pressure is easing and that buyers are becoming more willing to absorb available supply. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Take Control: Futures Positioning Turns Bullish for First Time Since October This improvement in price behavior is supported by on-chain context rather than pure speculation. A quick insight from a CryptoQuant analyst highlights a rare development in market sentiment: the Bitcoin Bull Score Index has dropped to 20, a level that has historically appeared only a handful of times over the past several years. Such readings typically reflect deeply pessimistic conditions, when bullish signals across multiple indicators are scarce. Paradoxically, these environments often coincide with transitional phases rather than sustained declines. When bearish sentiment becomes widespread and measurable optimism disappears, markets tend to become increasingly sensitive to even modest improvements in demand. Bitcoin Bull Score Hits A Rare Historical Level Over the past six years, the Bitcoin Bull Score Index has fallen to levels of 20 or lower only seven times. The market is now experiencing the seventh occurrence, placing the current environment among the rarest sentiment regimes in Bitcoin’s history. This index aggregates multiple on-chain and market indicators to assess whether conditions favor bullish continuation or reflect broad-based weakness. Readings near 20 indicate that very few bullish signals are active at the same time, highlighting a market dominated by caution rather than optimism. Historically, such extremes have tended to appear during transitional phases. They often emerge late in corrections, when selling pressure has largely played out, but confidence has not yet returned. This does not guarantee an immediate reversal. However, it does suggest that downside momentum is becoming increasingly fragile, as most participants who wanted to de-risk have already done so. The timing of this signal is particularly relevant as Bitcoin approaches a critical psychological zone near $100,000. This level represents both a major round-number resistance and a key reference point for short-term and long-term holders. The coming weeks will be decisive. A sustained push toward and above $100K, accompanied by improving breadth in on-chain indicators, would likely mark a shift away from defensive positioning. Conversely, failure at this level could reinforce consolidation and prolong uncertainty. Related Reading: OG Bitcoin Selling Slows Sharply: Long-Dormant Coins Go Quiet Weekly Chart Shows Recovery Attempt Below Resistance Bitcoin’s weekly chart shows a market attempting to reassert strength after a prolonged corrective phase, with price now trading around the $96,000–$97,000 zone. This area is technically important, as it aligns with a former consolidation range that acted as support during mid-2025 and later flipped into resistance after the November breakdown. The recent rebound suggests buyers are willing to defend higher lows, but confirmation remains incomplete. From a trend perspective, Bitcoin is still trading below the declining 50-week moving average, which currently caps upside attempts. This level has acted as dynamic resistance during previous bear-to-neutral transitions. And will be a critical area to reclaim for trend continuation. Below the price, the 100-week moving average continues to slope upward and has provided structural support during the recent pullbacks. Reinforcing the idea that the broader market structure remains intact despite short-term weakness. Related Reading: Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Near A Profit Flip: A Key Level Comes Into Focus Volume behavior is also notable. The rebound toward $97,000 occurred without a major expansion in volume, revealing that the move may still lack strong conviction. This supports the view that the current advance could be a recovery leg within a larger consolidation rather than the start of an impulse. If Bitcoin can consolidate above $95,000 and eventually reclaim the 50-week moving average, the probability of a continuation toward the $105,000–$110,000 region increases. Failure to hold this zone would expose the market to renewed downside tests toward the mid-$80,000s. Keeping the broader consolidation unresolved. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin price started a fresh increase above $96,000. BTC is correcting some gains and might decline to $94,000 before a fresh increase. Bitcoin started a decent increase above $95,000 and $96,000. The price is trading above $95,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There is a declining channel or a possible bullish flag forming with resistance at $96,200 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might continue to move up if it stays above the $95,000 zone. Bitcoin Price Dips and Corrects Some Gains Bitcoin price managed to stay above the $93,500 support and started a fresh increase. BTC was able to settle above $95,000 and $95,500. The bulls were able to push the price above $96,000. Finally, the price spiked above $97,500. A high was formed at $97,898, and the price is now correcting some gains. There was a move below the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $89,995 swing low to the $97,898 high. Bitcoin is now trading above $95,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $95,000, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $96,000 level. The first key resistance is near the $96,200 level. There is also a declining channel or a possible bullish flag forming with resistance at $96,200 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair. The next resistance could be $97,000. A close above the $97,000 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $97,800 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $98,800 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $99,200 and $100,000. Downside Continuation In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $96,200 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $95,000 level. The first major support is near the $94,000 level and the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $89,995 swing low to the $97,898 high. The next support is now near the $93,000 zone. Any more losses might send the price toward the $91,850 support in the near term. The main support sits at $91,500, below which BTC might accelerate lower in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now losing pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now below the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $95,000, followed by $94,000. Major Resistance Levels – $96,200 and $97,000.

Bitcoin has pushed above the $97,000 level, extending a recovery that has brought short-term relief to a market weighed down by weeks of uncertainty. While the move has reignited optimism among some investors, a large share of analysts remains cautious, arguing that the rally could still be a counter-trend bounce within a broader bearish setup for 2026. Price strength alone, however, does not fully explain the current move. According to a CryptoQuant analyst, Bitcoin has shown notable resilience after decisively breaking the $94,200 resistance zone and accelerating toward the $97,500 area, with on-chain data offering important context behind the advance. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bulls Take Control: Futures Positioning Turns Bullish for First Time Since October One of the key indicators supporting this move is Value Days Destroyed (VDD), a metric that sheds light on long-term holder behavior. VDD measures how long coins remained inactive before being spent, weighted by transaction size. In simple terms, it helps distinguish whether price movements are driven by experienced holders distributing old coins or by newer coins changing hands. As of January 2026, VDD is hovering around 0.53, a historically low reading. This implies that the coins currently moving on the network are relatively young, while older holdings remain largely dormant. Such behavior suggests that long-term holders are not rushing to sell into strength, lending structural support to the recent breakout—even as the broader market debates whether this surge marks renewed strength or merely a temporary reprieve. Long-Term Holders Reinforce Bitcoin’s Breakout Quality The report by Carmelo Alemán, Verified On-Chain Analyst at CryptoQuant, highlights an important dynamic behind Bitcoin’s recent move above key resistance levels. Despite the sharp price appreciation, long-term holders remain largely inactive. In practical terms, this means that investors who have held Bitcoin through multiple cycles are not using the current strength as an opportunity to exit positions. Their restraint significantly improves the quality of the rally. Historically, this behavior has mattered. When Bitcoin advances while Value Days Destroyed (VDD) stays low, it signals that older coins are not entering circulation. Demand is being met primarily by younger supply, allowing price to rise without triggering structural selling pressure from the most experienced market participants. These phases have often aligned with healthier expansion periods rather than short-lived speculative spikes. The current breakout fits that historical pattern. Bitcoin’s move through resistance has not been accompanied by a surge in long-dormant coins being spent. Instead, long-term capital appears comfortable holding through higher prices, suggesting confidence in the broader market structure rather than urgency to lock in gains. This supportive backdrop remains conditional. As long as VDD stays suppressed, the rally retains a strong foundation. However, a sustained increase in the indicator would change the narrative, signaling that long-term holders are beginning to distribute and potentially marking a shift toward heavier selling pressure. Related Reading: OG Bitcoin Selling Slows Sharply: Long-Dormant Coins Go Quiet Price Tests Key Resistance After December Rebound Bitcoin price is trying to stabilize after a sharp rebound from the December lows, with the chart showing BTC reclaiming the $96,000–$97,000 zone. This level coincides with a confluence of technical factors, making it a critical area for short-term direction. The recent recovery followed a strong sell-off from the November highs. Where the price broke below the 50-day and 100-day moving averages and briefly capitulated toward the low $80,000s. From a structure perspective, BTC is now printing higher lows on the daily timeframe, signaling a potential short-term trend reversal. Price has also reclaimed the 50-day moving average, which often acts as dynamic resistance during downtrends. Holding above this level would be constructive, as it suggests buyers are regaining control after weeks of distribution and volatility. Related Reading: Bitcoin LTH SOPR Signals Early Capitulation, But Selling Pressure Remains Contained However, overhead resistance remains significant. The 100-day and 200-day moving averages, currently clustered between $100,000 and $108,000, represent a heavy supply zone where previous breakdowns occurred. A failure to push higher could lead to renewed consolidation or a pullback toward the $92,000–$94,000 support range. Volume has increased during the rebound, showing genuine participation rather than a low-liquidity bounce. Still, the broader trend remains unclear. For bullish momentum, Bitcoin needs acceptance above $97,000 and a clear attempt toward the $100,000 psychological level. Otherwise, the move risks being a technical rebound within a larger corrective phase. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

On-chain analytics firm Santiment has revealed how Bitcoin is currently in a bullish zone based on the behavior of whale and retail investors. Bitcoin Major & Retail Entities Have Shown Opposite Trajectories Recently In a new post on X, Santiment has talked about how Bitcoin investor behavior currently compares between the top and low ends. Sharks and whales make up for the former category, while retail investors represent the latter. Formally, the wallet ranges of the two sides of the market are defined as 10 to 10,000 BTC and less than 0.01 BTC. Below is the chart shared by Santiment that shows the trend in the Bitcoin supply held by each of these cohorts over the last few months. Related Reading: Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index Turns ‘Neutral’ For First Time Since October As is visible in the graph, the Bitcoin sharks and whales have seen their combined supply rise during the last few days, indicating that the large investors have been accumulating. Meanwhile, the retail investors have sold instead. This could imply that the big-money hands are backing the latest price rally, while small holders don’t believe the run will last, so they are exiting with their profits. If history is to go by, this may actually be a positive signal. According to the analytics firm, whale and retail behavior diverging in this manner puts the market in what it defines as the “Very Bullish” zone. “This is the ideal setup for a bull run,” noted Santiment. In the chart, the analytics firm has also highlighted four other zones for BTC based on the trajectories followed by the whale and retail supplies. “Very Bearish” (colored in red) follows the same contrarian logic as the Very Bullish region, with the zone appearing when large entities are selling, and retail is accumulating. Bearish (orange), Neutral (yellow), and Bullish (blue) map out the spectrum between the two extreme regions. Bitcoin’s latest venture into the green Very Bullish zone has come as sharks and whales have loaded up on 32,693 BTC (worth about $3.1 billion) since January 10th, corresponding to a supply increase of 0.24%. Retail investors have sold 149 BTC ($14.4 million) in this window instead, equivalent to a drop of 0.30%. Related Reading: Litecoin Whale Activity Spikes To 5-Week High: Reversal Or Continuation Signal? It now remains to be seen whether BTC will stay in this region for long or if another shift in investor behavior will take place. “How long it lasts depends on how long retail doubts the mini rally that has formed,” explains Santiment. BTC Price Bitcoin witnessed a break beyond the $97,000 level on Wednesday, but the bullish momentum has since cooled, with the BTC price returning to the $96,900 mark. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com

Crypto analyst Trader Tardigrade has revealed that the Dogecoin price is following a bullish signal, which could lead to a rally above the $0.15 level. This comes as the crypto market rebounds, with Bitcoin rallying to a new yearly above $97,000.  Dogecoin Price Eyes Rally Above $0.15 With This Bullish Signal In an X post, Trader Tardigrade hinted that the Dogecoin price could rally above $0.15 after rebounding from the Kumo support, which was exactly what the bullish signal flagged. The rebound comes amid the broader crypto market rally, with major crypto assets also recording significant gains as Bitcoin rallies above $97,000, with the psychological $100,000 level now in sight.  Related Reading: Dogecoin Rapid Accumulation Suggests Sharp Upward Sweep Is Coming In another X post, Trader Tardigrade revealed that the Dogecoin price has formed a bull flag on the weekly chart and is now targeting the $0.195 price level. This will bring the leading meme coin close to the psychological $0.2 level, with a break above it paving the way for new local highs.  Crypto analyst Crypto Tony highlighted the $0.154 level as being critical for the next leg up for the Dogecoin price. His accompanying chart showed that reclaiming this level would spark a rally above $0.16. One factor that could contribute to this bullish run for the foremost meme coin is renewed inflows into the Dogecoin ETFs.  SoSoValue data shows that these Dogecoin ETFs still recorded zero flows on January 14 despite the rebound in the Dogecoin price. However, this could change soon, as these funds notably saw increased demand at the start of the year, when DOGE rallied to as high as $0.15, making it one of the best-performing crypto assets among the top 10 coins by market cap.  What’s Next For DOGE As It Targets New Highs In an X post, crypto analyst Kevin Capital stated that a successful retest followed by a new local high will be further evidence that the corrective phase for the Dogecoin price has ended. This came as he noted that DOGE, like BTC and many other altcoins, has since come back and successfully tested its key 4-hour MAs after breaking out of them, attempting to end its major corrective phase. The analyst added that a new high would be a break of $0.157.  Related Reading: Here’s Why The Bitcoin, Ethereum, And Dogecoin Prices Are Surging Today Meanwhile, crypto analyst Bitcoinsensus has suggested that the Dogecoin price could rally to as high as $4.5 if DOGE is repeating its macro cycle pattern. The analyst noted that so far this cycle, the meme coin has maintained its ground and has mainly been moving sideways. As such, it remains to be seen if this cycle can be as explosive as the last ones.   At the time of writing, the Dogecoin price is trading at around $0.143, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

Bitcoin is starting to emerge from its consolidation phase, suggesting that a decisive move may be underway. After holding above the former resistance, the market is starting to show early signs of confidence returning. The spotlight now shifts to the $107,000 level, where the strength of this breakout will be truly tested. Holds Firm Despite A Weak Start To The Session Bitcoin Meraklsi, in a recent BTC market update, outlined a largely positive outlook despite the day beginning with some downside pressure. While early trading showed red across the board, the analyst emphasized that the broader structure remains healthy, with Bitcoin still trading comfortably above the $96,000 region. Related Reading: BTC Breaks Higher as Record Bitcoin ETF Inflows Trigger Wave of Bearish Liquidations A major technical development highlighted in the update is Bitcoin’s breakout above the long-watched $94,800 resistance level, which previously capped upside moves, and is now acting as support. So far, price action suggests that buyers are stepping in on pullbacks, reinforcing the strength of this level and reducing the risk of an immediate reversal. As long as BTC continues to hold above $94,800, the bullish roadmap remains unchanged. The next clear upside target sits at $107,300, a level that could mark the next phase of expansion if momentum continues to build.  The analyst also addressed why altcoins have yet to respond meaningfully to Bitcoin’s strength. In the view, the wider market is still waiting for confirmation and confidence from BTC itself. That confidence is more likely to emerge once Bitcoin reaches the $107,300 region. At that point, improved sentiment and risk appetite could spill over into altcoins, setting the stage for a stronger, more synchronized market move. Bitcoin Tests The Upper Boundary Of A Long-Standing Range According to Crypto Candy, Bitcoin appears to be transitioning out of a prolonged consolidation phase after spending considerable time moving sideways. At the time of the post, price was challenging the upper boundary of the $94,000–$96,000 range, signaling a potential shift in market momentum as buyers attempt to regain control. Related Reading: Wall Street Analyst Is Still Bullish On Bitcoin, Predicts Price Recovery BTC is now trading above it, but it must continue to hold above the range, which serves as a crucial validation zone. Sustained strength above this area would confirm bullish intent and increase the probability of a continued advance, with the $107,000 region standing out as the next major upside objective in the weeks ahead. However, the setup is not without risk. If Bitcoin fails to maintain its position above $94,000, the current move could quickly lose traction and be labeled a false breakout. Such a development invites renewed selling pressure, potentially dragging the price back toward lower support zones as the market reassesses direction. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

The recent Bitcoin rally may be driven by real spot demand on Coinbase. Data indicating elevated spot activity on Coinbase suggests that this move higher is bolstered by direct purchases rather than leveraged positioning in derivatives markets. This distinction matters because Spot buying reflects a real capital commitment, not a temporary bet. Why Risk Management When Demand Is Structural The Bitcoin rally since Sunday’s Powell subpoena news has been largely linked to Coinbase spot buyers. Crypto trader Alex Krüger has highlighted on X that both the Adjusted Coinbase Premium and Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) show steady spot accumulation, which is exactly why this has been a true hated rally even among bitcoiners. For over a month, the dominant narrative in every crypto chat room has been that BTC is lagging while equities and commodities are moving upward. Related Reading: Analyst Outlines The Bulllish And Bearish Scenarios For Bitcoin – Here’s What To Know However, the fun fact is that equities are not accurate, but 40% of the S&P 500 (Standard & Poor’s 500) stocks have actually closed red in 2025, (39.2% to be precise). Perception is doing a lot of work here, and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) move on Powell represented a major macro litmus test for BTC. Kruger claims that the BTC long-term value proposition is about protecting against the tail risk of central bank profligacy.  On Monday, BTC surged upward, although the move was just a little surge. According to Krüger, the BTC key battlefield remains the 50-week moving average (WMA), which is currently around $101,420. Meanwhile, the trader is looking to take some profits into short liquidations right above the $100,000 mark. Why Bitcoin Benefits First From Institutional Flows The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act is set for markup today, January 15th, 2026, in the Senate Banking Committee. According to the update by BTC_road_to200k on X (Formally Twitter), this is where the lawmakers will debate and shape the final version of the bill before it moves forward. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Stays Pinned Above Support, Setting Up a Bigger Move This matters because the art aims to clear up the ongoing regulatory uncertainty between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which has been a major source of hesitation for large institutional players looking to move into Bitcoin and other digital assets. Furthermore, the Clarity Act will be a turning point as it aims to clear rules that will bring more confidence to banks, pension funds, and large investors, which often translates into higher demand and stronger price momentum for BTC. As the regulatory clouds lift, the market might start experiencing a renewed wave of institutional money flowing in, and that’s obviously bullish for BTC. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

Bitcoin’s early-2026 bounce has pushed back into a familiar problem area: a dense pocket of overhead supply that Glassnode says has repeatedly capped rallies since November. In its latest Week On-chain report, the analytics firm frames the move above $96,000 as constructive on the surface, but still largely dependent on derivatives positioning and liquidity conditions rather than persistent spot accumulation. Glassnode’s central argument is that Bitcoin has rallied straight into a historically significant band of long-term holder (LTH) cost basis, built during April to July 2025 and associated with sustained distribution near cycle highs. The report describes a “dense cluster” spanning roughly $93K to $110K, with rebounds since November repeatedly stalling near the lower boundary. “This region has consistently acted as a transition barrier, separating corrective phases from durable bull regimes,” Glassnode wrote. “With price once again pressing into this overhead supply, the market now faces a familiar test of resilience, where absorbing long-term holder distribution remains a prerequisite for any broader trend reversal.” The firm’s framing is blunt: the market is back at the same sell ceiling, and clearing it requires real absorption, not just price probing. The next level the report highlights is the short-term holder (STH) cost basis at $98.3K, which it treats as a confidence gauge for newer buyers. Sustained trading above it would indicate that recent demand is strong enough to keep late entrants in profit while soaking up overhead supply. On-chain, Glassnode notes long-term holders remain net sellers, with total LTH supply still trending lower. The key change is speed. The report says the rate of decline has “slowed materially” versus the aggressive distribution seen in Q3 and Q4 2025, suggesting profit-taking is continuing but with less intensity. Related Reading: Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index Turns ‘Neutral’ For First Time Since October “What follows will depend primarily on the demand side’s ability to absorb this supply, particularly from investors accumulated over Q2 2025,” the report said. “Failure to hold above the True Market Mean at ~$81k, in the long term, would significantly increase the risk of a deeper capitulation phase, reminiscent of the April 2022 to April 2023 period.” It is one of the clearest downside conditionals in the note: if the market loses the long-run mean, the probability distribution shifts toward a more severe unwind. A related signal is the Net Realized Profit and Loss of Long-Term Holders, which Glassnode says reflects a “markedly cooler distribution regime.” Long-term holders are realizing roughly 12.8K BTC per week in net profit, a sharp slowdown from cycle peaks above 100K BTC per week. That moderation does not imply capitulation risk is gone, but it does suggest the heaviest phase of profit-taking has eased. Bitcoin Demand Remains Uneven Off-chain indicators lean more constructive. Glassnode argues institutional balance-sheet flows have “gone through a full reset” after months of heavy outflows across spot ETFs, corporates, and sovereign entities, with net flows stabilizing as sell-side pressure appears exhausted. Spot ETFs are described as the first cohort to turn positive again, re-establishing themselves as the primary marginal buyer. Corporate and sovereign treasury flows, by contrast, are portrayed as sporadic and event-driven rather than consistent. The upshot is a market where balance-sheet demand can help stabilize price, but may not yet function as a sustained growth engine, leaving short-term direction more sensitive to derivatives positioning and liquidity conditions. At the venue level, Glassnode points to improving spot behavior. Binance and aggregate exchange flow measures have shifted back into buy-dominant regimes, and Coinbase, described as a consistent source of sell-side aggression during the consolidation, has “meaningfully slowed its selling activity.” The report calls this a constructive structural shift, while stressing it still falls short of the persistent, aggressive accumulation typically associated with full trend expansions. Related Reading: Bitcoin Futures Flush 31% Of Open Interest As Bottom Thesis Takes Shape The most pointed caution in the report is that the move into the $96K region was “mechanically reinforced” by short liquidations in a relatively thin liquidity environment. Futures turnover remains well below the elevated activity seen across most of 2025, implying it took comparatively little capital to force shorts out and push price through resistance. “This indicates that the breakout occurred in a comparatively light liquidity environment, where modest positioning shifts were able to drive disproportionately large price responses,” Glassnode said. “In practical terms, it did not take significant new capital to force shorts out of the market and lift price through resistance.” The implication is that continuation now depends on whether spot demand and sustained volume can replace forced covering once the squeeze impulse fades. Options markets add a second layer of tension. Glassnode describes implied volatility as low but “deferred,” while skew continues to price downside asymmetry, with 25-delta skew biased toward puts in mid and longer maturities. In short: participants appear comfortable holding exposure, but remain unwilling to do so without insurance. Positioning also matters at the microstructure level. The report flags dealers as short gamma around spot, with a zone roughly from $94K to $104K. In that setup, hedging flows can amplify moves rather than dampen them, buying into rallies and selling into dips, raising the odds of faster travel toward high-interest strikes such as $100K if momentum takes hold. At press time, BTC traded at $96,334. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin's brief climb above $97,000 over the past day extended a run that suggests the underlying mechanics signal a structural shift in how capital is interacting with the asset class. According to CryptoSlate data, BTC reached a peak of $97,860, its highest price level since last November. This price performance continues the flagship digital asset's strong […]
The post Bitcoin price is exploding, and a rare “gamma squeeze” suggests the price action is about to get violent appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Arthur Hayes is positioning for a 2026 liquidity rebound, arguing that Bitcoin’s weak 2025 wasn’t a referendum on “crypto narratives” so much as a straightforward dollar-credit story. In his latest essay, “Frowny Cloud,” the Maelstrom CIO says he is adding risk via Strategy (MSTR), Japan’s Metaplanet, and Zcash (ZEC) as he expects US dollar liquidity to inflect higher after a year in which Bitcoin lagged both gold and US tech stocks. Hayes frames 2025 as an awkward year for the standard cross-asset shorthand that treats Bitcoin as either digital gold or a high-beta proxy for US tech. In his telling, Bitcoin behaved “as expected” under tightening conditions, while gold and the Nasdaq 100 rose for different reasons despite falling dollar liquidity. Related Reading: Here’s Why Bitcoin Volatility Sparks Fresh Attention On MicroStrategy He argues gold’s bid is being driven by sovereign balance sheets rather than retail mania, rooted in distrust of US Treasury exposure after prior asset-freeze precedents. “If the US president steals your money, it’s an instant zero. Does it then matter what price you buy gold at?” he writes, casting central banks as price-insensitive buyers. On equities, Hayes leans into an industrial-policy interpretation of the AI trade. His claim is that the US and China have effectively treated “winning AI” as strategic, dulling the usual market discipline and helping explain why the Nasdaq decoupled from his dollar-liquidity index in 2025. That divergence matters because it sets up his core takeaway for 2026: Bitcoin needs expanding dollar liquidity to regain momentum. “Bitcoin and the Nasdaq rise when dollar liquidity expands. The only problem is the recent divergence,” Hayes writes, before returning to the “vicissitudes of dollar liquidity” as the primary driver he wants to track. The Three-Pillar Liquidity Pitch Hayes’ 2026 outlook hinges on a sharp rebound in dollar credit creation. He cites three channels: a growing Fed balance sheet via Reserve Management Purchases (RMP), commercial-bank lending into “strategic industries,” and lower mortgage rates catalyzed by policy-driven demand for mortgage-backed securities. In his account, quantitative tightening faded as a dominant headwind in late 2025, with QT ending in December and RMP beginning as a new, steady buyer. He claims RMP “at a minimum” expands the balance sheet by $40 billion per month, and expects that pace to rise as government funding needs increase. The second leg is bank credit creation, which he says accelerated in 4Q25, with large lenders willing to extend loans where government equity stakes or offtake agreements reduce default risk. The third is housing: Hayes points to Trump-backed directives for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to deploy $200 billion toward MBS purchases, arguing that lower mortgage rates could unlock a familiar wealth effect and, by extension, more credit. Related Reading: Bitcoin Accumulation Continues: Strategy Purchases 1,287 BTC Amid Rising Prices He ties the pieces together with a simple conclusion: if liquidity turns, Bitcoin should follow. “Bitcoin … and dollar liquidity bottomed around the same time,” he writes, arguing that the next major leg depends less on sentiment than on renewed credit expansion. MSTR, Metaplanet, And ZCash Hayes describes himself as a “degen speculator” and says Maelstrom is already “nearly fully invested,” but he still wants “MOAR risk” to capture upside convexity if Bitcoin reclaims higher levels. Rather than using perpetuals or options, he says he’s long Strategy and Metaplanet for levered exposure via corporate balance sheets. His timing argument is valuation-relative: he compares each company’s “DAT” to Bitcoin priced in the relevant currency (yen for Metaplanet, dollars for Strategy) and says those ratios sit near the low end of the past two years, after being “down substantially” from mid-2025 peaks. He adds a key condition: “If Bitcoin can retake $110,000, investors will get the itch to go long Bitcoin through these vehicles. Given the leverage embedded in the capital structure of these businesses, they will outperform Bitcoin on the upside.” He also flags continued accumulation of Zcash. Hayes argues the departure of developers at Electric Coin Company (ECC) is not bearish: “We continue to add to our Zcash position. The departure of the devs at ECC is not bearish. I firmly believe they will ship better, more impactful products within their own for-profit entity. I’m thankful for the opportunity to buy discounted ZEC from weak hands.” At press time, MSTR traded at $179.33. Featured image from YouTube, chart from TradingView.com

After its recent price breakout, Ethereum (ETH) is facing its next big test and attempting to turn a crucial area into support. Some analysts have suggested that the altcoin is ready to continue its bullish momentum, arguing that the biggest rotation in years is coming. Related Reading: Bitcoin Nears ‘Historic’ Technical Test As Price Eyes $93,500 Barrier – What’s Next? Ethereum Challenges Key Resistance Area On Wednesday, Ethereum broke past a crucial area and retested the $3,400 level for the first time in over a month. The king of altcoins has seen a 6% increase in the daily timeframe, jumping from the $3,100 level to the current levels. Notably, ETH has been hovering between the $3,000-$3,300 area since the start of the year rally, but failed to break the local range’s upper boundary during last week’s attempt. Now, the cryptocurrency has daily closed above this barrier and is testing this area as support. Amid this performance, analyst Michaël van de Poppe affirmed that “it’s ETH season” as the leading altcoin has held above the 21-day Moving Average (MA) since January 1. He explained that this level, officially lost during the early Q4 2025 corrections, is crucial for the price to hold onto to strengthen the momentum. To the market observer, Ethereum is “ready to make new highs and continue the uptrend,” and based on this structure, his main scenario is that the cryptocurrency will likely retest the $3,800 area soon. Meanwhile, Daan Crypto Trades pointed out that ETH is currently facing a “big test.” The trader noted that the altcoin has been moving within its $2,600-$3,300 price range over the past two months, adding that a breakout from this range is necessary to define the direction of its next move. Per the chart, Ethereum must reclaim the $3,350 level, where the 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) is located. This indicator has served as a key rejection area since November, and breaking above it “should lead to a move higher to catch the Daily 200MA next,” currently located around the $3,600 area. ETH To Follow Its 2018 Playbook? Crypto Jelle also shared an optimistic outlook for the cryptocurrency, asserting that Ethereum “looks better than it has looked in years” against both Bitcoin (BTC) and the US Dollar. He argued that both charts are poised to move higher since ETH’s downtrend against BTC is over, and its USD chart looks ready to push towards the $4,000 barrier again. He added that the ETH/BTC anticipated rally means “ETHUSD could see price move a lot higher over the coming months.” Similarly, Alex Wacy recently explained that the “biggest ETH rotation in 8 years [is] forming right now.” The analyst highlighted that the king of altcoins is repeating the same playbook that led to its 2018 breakout against BTC, but with “bigger players” and “more capital entering.” Related Reading: Monero (XMR) Hits New $610 All-Time High – Veteran Trader Shares Silver-Like Setup According to the chart, ETH saw a multi-year accumulation against Bitcoin between 2015 and 2017, leading to its massive expansion in 2018. After an initial breakout, the cryptocurrency re-accumulated for an extended period inside a falling wedge pattern, which resulted in a 50x pump from this structure. This time, Ethereum’s trading pair against BTC moved within a multi-year falling wedge pattern again, which was broken out of in Q4 2025. If history repeats itself, the altcoin could see a new massive surge against the flagship crypto over the coming months. As of this writing, Ethereum is trading at $3,375, a 5% increase in the weekly timeframe. Featured Image from Unsplash.com, Chart from TradingView.com

Sentiment in the Bitcoin market has marked an improvement recently as the Fear & Greed Index has surged into the neutral zone for the first time in months. Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index Is Now Pointing At ‘Neutral’ The “Fear & Greed Index” refers to an indicator created by Alternative that tells us about the average sentiment present among traders in the Bitcoin and wider cryptocurrency markets. It determines the investor mentality using the data of five factors: market cap dominance, trading volume, volatility, social media sentiment, and Google Trends. To represent the sentiment, the index makes use of a numerical scale running from 0 to 100. All values below 47 correspond to fear among the investors, while those above 53 reflect the dominance of greed. The metric being between the two cutoffs suggests a net neutral sentiment. Related Reading: Litecoin Whale Activity Spikes To 5-Week High: Reversal Or Continuation Signal? Now, here is how the current market sentiment is like, according to the Fear & Greed Index: As is visible above, the index has a value of 48 right now, indicating that sentiment around Bitcoin is neutral. This is a sharp change from how the market mood looked just yesterday. The Bitcoin Fear & Greed Index had a value of 26 on Tuesday, which means that the investor sentiment was deep inside the fear zone. The reason behind the turnaround in trader mood has been the coin’s recovery rally, which has now taken its price beyond the $97,000 level. Since the Fear & Greed Index hasn’t made it into the greed zone yet, investors still look to be hesitant about embracing the bullish price action. In the past, the cryptocurrency market has often tended to move against the expectations of the majority, so the fact that traders aren’t outright greedy yet could actually be a positive sign for the rally’s sustainability. That said, the latest jump in sentiment has been a rapid one, so the indicator could be to keep an eye on in the coming days, as a venture into the greed zone could very well be next. The current break into the neutral zone reflects the first time since late October that the Fear & Greed Index has surged into the region. A greedy sentiment hasn’t been witnessed since the first half of October, more than three months ago. Related Reading: Monero (XMR) Rockets 51% To New ATH, But Watch Out For FOMO In some other news, the new Bitcoin recovery run has triggered a large amount of liquidations, as revealed by on-chain analytics firm Glassnode. “Across the top 500 cryptocurrencies, the latest move triggered the largest short-liquidation event since 10/10,” explained Glassnode. BTC Price At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $97,500, up more than 7% in the last seven days. Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin has returned to a price range where repeated profit-taking by long-term holders capped rallies last year, though those wallets are now selling more slowly than in 2025.

Bitcoin is pushing above the $95,000 level as selling pressure across the market continues to ease, offering a renewed sense of short-term stability after weeks of choppy consolidation. Following a volatile end to last year, price action has gradually improved, with buyers regaining control and forcing Bitcoin back into a range that had previously acted as resistance. While skepticism remains high and many analysts continue to warn of a broader corrective phase, recent derivatives and positioning data suggest that market behavior may be shifting beneath the surface. Related Reading: Bitcoin LTH SOPR Signals Early Capitulation, But Selling Pressure Remains Contained According to an analysis shared by Axel Adler, Bitcoin’s Positioning Index SMA-30d has climbed to 3.5, marking the first sustained breakout above the 3.0 level since October 6, 2025. That previous breakout occurred during the rally that ultimately carried BTC toward the $125,000 peak, making the current move particularly notable from a historical perspective. The positioning index reflects aggregated futures market dynamics, including open interest, funding behavior, and long-short activity, and is often used to identify regime changes in trader sentiment. This renewed strength in positioning does not guarantee immediate upside continuation, but it does indicate that futures traders are once again willing to take directional exposure after months of defensive positioning. As Bitcoin holds above $95K, the coming sessions will be critical in determining whether this move develops into a broader trend or remains a temporary relief rally. Futures Positioning Signals a Shift Toward a Bullish Regime According to Axel Adler Jr., the recent breakout of the Positioning Index SMA-30d above the 3.0 level marks an important local shift in Bitcoin’s futures market structure. After spending nearly three months oscillating within the 0 ± 2 range, this move signals that traders are transitioning from neutral or defensive positioning into a more directional stance. Adler notes that confirmation now depends on persistence rather than speed. The key continuation trigger is the SMA holding above the 2.0 level for at least one week, which would validate that the shift is not a short-lived reaction. This view is reinforced by developments in the Bitcoin Advanced Sentiment Index. While sentiment briefly peaked at 93.15% when BTC traded near $95,061, it has since cooled to roughly 70%. Importantly, this pullback has occurred without a breakdown in price structure. The index remains well above the neutral 50% threshold and above its 30-day average near 62.9%, indicating that bullish conditions still dominate the futures market. Adler interprets the roughly 23-percentage-point decline in sentiment as a healthy release of short-term overheating rather than a trend reversal. Historically, such resets often strengthen trend durability. Risk emerges if sentiment falls below 50% alongside a price drop under $92,000. Conversely, holding sentiment above 60% during short consolidation phases would support further upside continuation. Related Reading: Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Near A Profit Flip: A Key Level Comes Into Focus Bitcoin Price Action Details Bitcoin price action on the daily chart shows a clear attempt to regain control after a prolonged consolidation phase. Following the sharp November sell-off that pushed BTC into the low $80K region, price has gradually formed a higher-low structure, signaling stabilization rather than continued capitulation. The recent push above $95,000 marks the highest daily close since mid-November and places Bitcoin back above its short-term moving average, a level that had capped upside throughout December. However, the broader trend remains mixed. The 50-day moving average is still sloping downward and sits above the current price, acting as near-term dynamic resistance. Meanwhile, the 200-day moving average continues to trend higher well below price, confirming that the broader market structure remains intact despite recent volatility. This positioning reflects a market transitioning from corrective pressure into a potential recovery phase, rather than a clean trend reversal. Related Reading: XRP Consolidates Above $2 As Volume Z-Score Signals A Quiet Market The recent advance toward $95K occurred without a significant volume spike, suggesting reduced selling pressure rather than aggressive new demand. This is consistent with a relief-driven move fueled by short covering and position rebalancing. For bulls, holding above the $93K–$95K range is critical to maintain momentum and build a base for continuation. Failure to consolidate above this zone would increase the risk of renewed range-bound trading or a pullback toward the $90K support area. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin has pushed above the $95,000 level for the first time since mid-November, reigniting debate across the market. For some analysts, this move represents a constructive breakout that confirms underlying strength after weeks of consolidation. For others, the rally is viewed with caution, framed as a classic relief move occurring within a broader corrective or bearish structure. With sentiment split and volatility compressed, the market is once again searching for confirmation rather than direction alone. Related Reading: Bitcoin LTH SOPR Signals Early Capitulation, But Selling Pressure Remains Contained Adding an important layer to this discussion, an analysis by Darkfost highlights a notable shift beneath the surface: OG Bitcoin activity has dropped sharply. OGs—holders whose coins have remained dormant for several years—have historically played a key role during major cycle transitions, often distributing aggressively near macro tops. During this cycle, their activity surged earlier, coinciding with strong institutional demand and elevated prices. However, recent data shows that this selling pressure has slowed significantly. This decline in OG spending suggests that long-dormant holders are no longer actively distributing into strength, reducing a major source of structural sell pressure. While this does not guarantee immediate upside continuation, it changes the risk profile of the current move. With fewer legacy holders selling, price action above $95K is now being shaped more by marginal demand and derivatives positioning than by long-term distribution, making the next phase especially critical to monitor. OG Selling Pressure Fades as Long-Dormant Coins Go Quiet Darkfost’s analysis uses UTXO behavior to understand how long-term holders are acting beneath the surface. UTXOs, which track when and how previously unspent Bitcoin is moved, provide a reliable way to identify activity from OG holders—coins that have remained dormant for several years. When these coins move, it usually signals intentional distribution rather than short-term speculation. Earlier in this cycle, OG activity was unusually elevated. Long-held coins were spent at levels well above those seen in the previous cycle, coinciding with a favorable environment for distribution. Institutional inflows, spot ETFs, and even government-linked demand created deep liquidity conditions that allowed legacy holders to sell without destabilizing the price. That window appears to be closing. Recent data shows a clear shift. Spikes in OG spending during local price peaks have become smaller and less frequent. The rolling average of spent older outputs has fallen materially from prior highs, indicating that the heaviest phase of long-term distribution is likely behind us. This does not imply that OGs have turned aggressively bullish, but it does suggest reduced urgency to sell. From a market structure perspective, declining OG selling pressure removes a major overhead supply source. With fewer long-dormant coins entering circulation, price action becomes increasingly dependent on short-term demand dynamics and derivatives positioning. This transition often precedes either consolidation or trend continuation, making OG inactivity a quietly constructive signal rather than an outright bullish trigger. Related Reading: Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Near A Profit Flip: A Key Level Comes Into Focus Bitcoin Tests Key Resistance After Short-Term Breakout Bitcoin has pushed back above the $95,000 level after weeks of consolidation, marking a notable short-term breakout. On this daily chart, price has reclaimed the descending short-term moving average and is now testing a former resistance zone that previously acted as support during September and October. This area around $95K–$96K is technically significant, as it coincides with prior range lows and a visible supply cluster. The rebound follows a sharp corrective phase in November, where BTC printed a local bottom near the mid-$80,000 region. Since then, price action has formed a series of higher lows, suggesting an improving short-term structure. Volume remains moderate, indicating that this move is not driven by aggressive speculation, but rather by steady spot demand and short covering. Related Reading: Trump-Powell Conflict Fuels Volatility While Retail Sells Bitcoin At A Loss – Details However, Bitcoin still trades below its longer-term moving averages, which continue to slope downward. This implies that, despite the recent strength, the broader trend has not yet fully flipped bullish. A sustained hold above $95,000 would take it into the $98,000–$100,000 zone. A level where stronger resistance and prior breakdown zones sit. Failure to consolidate above current levels could result in another retest of the $90,000–$92,000 support range. The chart reflects a transition phase: momentum is improving, but confirmation will depend on follow-through and acceptance above this critical resistance area. Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com v

Bitcoin price started a fresh increase above $95,500. BTC is trading above $96,000 and might soon aim for a move to $100k in the near term. Bitcoin started a decent increase above $94,000 and $95,500. The price is trading above $95,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. There is a bullish trend line forming with support at $95,250 on the hourly chart of the BTC/USD pair (data feed from Kraken). The pair might continue to move up if it stays above the $95,000 zone. Bitcoin Price Breaks Key Resistance Bitcoin price managed to stay above the $92,500 support and started a fresh increase. BTC was able to settle above $94,000 and $95,000. The bulls were able to push the price above $95,500. Finally, the price spiked above $97,000. A high was formed at $97,898, and the price is now consolidating gains above the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $89,995 swing low to the $97,898 high. Bitcoin is now trading above $96,000 and the 100 hourly Simple moving average. If the price remains stable above $95,500, it could attempt a fresh increase. Immediate resistance is near the $97,200 level. The first key resistance is near the $97,800 level. The next resistance could be $98,000. A close above the $98,000 resistance might send the price further higher. In the stated case, the price could rise and test the $98,800 resistance. Any more gains might send the price toward the $99,500 level. The next barrier for the bulls could be $99,800 and $100,000. Another Drop In BTC? If Bitcoin fails to rise above the $97,200 resistance zone, it could start another decline. Immediate support is near the $96,000 level. The first major support is near the $95,250 level and the trend line. The next support is now near the $94,000 zone or the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent wave from the $89,995 swing low to the $97,898 high. Any more losses might send the price toward the $93,000 support in the near term. The main support sits at $92,500, below which BTC might accelerate lower in the near term. Technical indicators: Hourly MACD – The MACD is now losing pace in the bullish zone. Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for BTC/USD is now above the 50 level. Major Support Levels – $96,000, followed by $95,250. Major Resistance Levels – $97,200 and $97,800.

Bitcoin’s derivatives market is showing signs of a reset after a speculative 2025, with Binance open interest falling more than 31% from an October peak as futures-led selling pressure cools, a combination CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost argues often coincides with meaningful cycle lows. In a series of posts on X, Darkfost said 2025’s leverage build-up was fueled by record activity on Binance, where futures trading volumes “exceeded $25T,” helping push Bitcoin open interest (OI) to an all-time high “of over $15B on October 6.” “To put this into perspective, during the previous bull cycle in November 2021, when Bitcoin hit its ATH, open interest on Binance peaked at $5.7B,” Darkfost wrote. “In other words, OI nearly tripled in 2025. Since that peak, open interest has dropped by more than 31%, stabilizing today around $10B.” Darkfost framed the move as a deleveraging phase that intensified amid “massive liquidations,” with OI slipping below its 180-day moving average, a condition the analyst says has historically mattered more than the raw level of leverage. “These deleveraging periods are crucial, as they help purge the excess leverage built up in the market,” Darkfost wrote. “Historically, they have often marked significant bottoms, effectively resetting the market and creating a stronger base for a potential bullish recovery.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Could Be Entering A Supercycle, Fidelity Warns The logic is straightforward: when leverage is forced out, the market can become less vulnerable to cascade-style liquidations and reflexive selling. In that sense, a lower OI environment can reduce the marginal impact of futures positioning on spot, at least compared with the late-stage “crowded trade” conditions that precede sharp drawdowns. But Darkfost warned that a deleveraging signal is not the same thing as a confirmed bottom. “This could be the case again, but caution is warranted,” the analyst wrote, adding that if Bitcoin “continues to slide and fully enters a bear market,” OI could “contract further,” pointing to “deeper deleveraging and a potential extension of the correction.” Bitcoin Sellers Are Losing Momentum Alongside the open interest reset, Darkfost pointed to a sharp drop in futures-driven selling pressure, using Net Taker Volume — a measure intended to capture who is dominating futures order books. Related Reading: Bitcoin HODLer Selloff Ending? LTH Outflows Decline “Selling pressure on BTC coming from the futures market is sharply declining,” Darkfost wrote, noting that after the monthly average hit “–$489M” at its peak, the figure has now been “divided by ten.” “At the moment, sellers still slightly dominate the order books, with –$51M,” the analyst added. The key nuance is that the indicator has not flipped, but it is moving in that direction. “We have not yet returned to positive territory, but we are getting closer,” Darkfost wrote. “It is very encouraging to see traders starting to change their approach, especially given the significant impact futures volumes have on price action. Notably, since this decline in selling pressure began, BTC price action has also stabilized.” For the “bottom thesis” to graduate into a more forceful reversal call, Darkfost anchored the trigger to that sign change: “If Net Taker Volume were to turn positive again, it would clearly ignite the fuse for a bullish reversal.” At press time, BTC traded at $95,131. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin’s latest recovery above $94,000 raises up the question of whether it is the next leg for the continuation of a bull cycle or the final rally before a deeper reset. However, an interesting technical outlook shared on TradingView by crypto analyst Xanrox suggests the bullish path many traders are watching could ultimately end lower than expected, even if price strength is strong in the near term. Elliott Wave Setup Leaves Room For One More Push Higher Technical analysis of Bitcoin’s price action on the weekly candlestick timeframe chart shows the cryptocurrency has completed a five-impulse wave that goes as far back as early 2023. This impulse wave count ended with Bitcoin’s peak above $126,000 in October 2025 and the cryptocurrency is now playing out corrective waves ABC.  Related Reading: Next XRP Wave Shows Where Price Is Headed Next, But There’s A Catch Based on the Elliott Wave theory, Xanrox noted that Bitcoin may already have completed a sharp decline from a projected 2025 peak near $125,000 down to the low-$80,000 range, labeling that move as a corrective wave A. The price action is now viewed as being in a bullish counter-trend phase, commonly referred to as wave (B) or (X), which is known to retrace a portion of the prior decline before rolling over. In this scenario, Bitcoin could still advance to as high as the $100,000 to $103,000 range over the coming weeks or months and even encourage a brief rotation into altcoins during the advance. That upside, however, is corrective and not impulsive, and the next move is a larger move lower once the structure is complete. Bitcoin Weekly Candlestick. Source: TradingView Long-Term Structure Points To A Painful Reset Window Xanrox’s analysis places Bitcoin within a long-term linear structure stretching from 2017 into 2026, highlighting how previous market cycles ended with deep corrections after euphoric peaks. The analysis uses the 2018 and 2022 drawdowns, which erased more than three-quarters of Bitcoin’s value each time, as anchors for what could unfold next for the leading cryptocurrency.  Related Reading: Get Ready For An XRP Price Explosion Once This Happens; Analyst According to this framework, the next major corrective phase is projected to play out in 2026, when Bitcoin could fall into the sub-$60,000 region, with $57,000 as the most important area of interest where the correction might end. The $57,000 price correction target is based on the location of the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement when projected from the recent 2025 peak and is going to be just above the 200-week moving average.  The projected move would still represent a correction of roughly 54% from the 2025 high if this actually turns out to be the cycle peak. However, it is important to note that the presence of Spot Bitcoin ETFs introduces a stabilizing force compared to earlier cycles in 2018 and 2022, and so any high correction might find a strong support level before falling as low as $57,000.    Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com

Ethereum’s outlook has been improving its case. After a prolonged period of underperformance and skepticism, the network is starting to exhibit signs of renewed structural and fundamental strength.  While BTC continues to anchor the market as the primary store of value and digital gold, conditions are emerging that could allow ETH to outperform BTC over the coming period. Why The Ethereum Narrative Is Gaining Strength Ethereum has been seen outperforming Bitcoin. In a recent post on X, Walter Bloomberg revealed that Standard Chartered says that the ETH outlook has improved, and now ETH might outperform BTC, citing rising institutional demand and stronger fundamental positioning across key on-chain sectors.  Related Reading: Altcoin Season In Q1? Bitcoin, Ethereum Breakdown Maps Out Performance While weakness in BTC has weighed on the broader crypto market, ETH has continued to benefit from institutional-driven demand, and its dominance in stablecoins, decentralized finance (DeFi), and real-world assets (RWA) tokenization. Standard Chartered also points to the increased throughput and potential US regulatory clarity that it could provide additional upside. In terms of valuation, the bank forecasts ETH at $7,500 this year and $30,000 by 2029, reflecting the expectations of sustained network growth. The Co-founder of PinkBrains_io, a DeFi Creator Studio, DefiIgnas, has highlighted that Ethereum could outperform Bitcoin this year, and the reason is roadmap execution. While BTC will likely keep facing recurring waves of quantum FUD into 2026, ETH has a clear roadmap to prepare for future cryptographic risks.  Furthermore, ETH is actually scaling. Gas limits on layer 1 keep rising, and zkEVMs will get full production readiness, making ETH cheap and fast enough for high-value transactions, while layer 2s will handle most of the trading and high-frequency activity. Related Reading: Bitcoin And Ethereum Market Structure Points To Crypto Winter – Details These upgrades are incremental, which means there’s no breaking news moment for ETH, but progress is happening fast. Early in the cycle, a lot of Degens loaded up on ETH before the bull run, but many got disillusioned and sold their ETH for BTC. “It would be fun to see the playbook reverse higher,” DefiIgnas noted. A Different Liquidity Cycle Than Previous Bull Markets Crypto liquidity quality witnessed a change in 2025. A technical analyst and show host of Crypto Banter, Kyledoops, reported that Wintermute noted that capital in 2025 stopped rotating broadly across the market. Instead, liquidity is concentrated into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a small group of large-cap tokens. As a result, the long-anticipated wave of altcoin-wide liquidity never really arrived. Meanwhile, the rise of spot ETFs and crypto treasury vehicles created a new, highly structured inflow channel that funneled flow into the top of the market. These vehicles break the crypto’s oldest playbooks. Price action is no longer driven by broad market expansion. It’s driven by where new liquidity can actually enter. Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

Bitcoin (BTC) surged sharply this week, surpassing the $96,000 mark as renewed institutional demand and easing inflation concerns boosted sentiment across crypto markets. Related Reading: Dogecoin Bulls Don’t Celebrate Too Early: This Level Still Must Fall The action followed a strong inflow into U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and a softer-than-feared U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, which reduced expectations of aggressive interest rate tightening by the Federal Reserve. The rally ended a prolonged consolidation phase that had kept Bitcoin trading sideways for more than a month. As prices broke through key resistance levels near $94,000–$95,000, short sellers were forced to close positions, adding further momentum to the upside. BTC's price records important gains on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSD on Tradingview Bitcoin ETF Inflows Signal Institutional Return U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $753.7 million in net inflows on Tuesday, the largest single-day total since October. Fidelity’s FBTC led with $351 million, followed by Bitwise’s BITB with $159 million and BlackRock’s IBIT with $126 million, according to data from SoSoValue. The surge suggests institutional investors are rotating back into crypto-linked products after year-end portfolio adjustments and tax-related selling weighed on the market in late 2025. Ether-focused ETFs also saw renewed interest, with $130 million in net inflows across five products. Bitcoin rose around 3% following the data, trading near $94,600 at the time, while Ethereum gained more than 6% to around $3,320. Broader crypto markets followed, lifting total market capitalization above $3.3 trillion. Inflation Data Supports Risk Assets The latest U.S. CPI report showed inflation holding steady at 2.7% year-on-year, largely in line with expectations. The absence of an inflation surprise reduced fears of further rate hikes and reinforced views that the Federal Reserve could pivot toward rate cuts later in the year. Lower real-rate expectations typically support risk assets, including cryptocurrencies, by reducing the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets, such as Bitcoin. U.S. equities also advanced, suggesting the crypto rally was part of a broader shift in risk sentiment rather than an isolated move. Short Liquidations Add Fuel to the Rally As Bitcoin surged past $96,000, bearish positions were wiped out. Data from Coinglass shows more than $290 million in Bitcoin short positions were liquidated within 24 hours, compared with about $24 million in long liquidations. Across the broader cryptocurrency market, short liquidations totaled close to $700 million. Strong spot buying, rising open interest, and technical breakouts contributed to the move. Bitcoin is now testing former resistance levels as support, with chart patterns indicating a possible continuation toward the $105,000–$110,000 range if momentum persists. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s New Power Buyers: Companies Bought 3 Times What Miners Produced While short-term consolidation remains possible near the $98,000–$100,000 zone, sustained ETF inflows, reduced selling pressure from long-term holders, and continued corporate accumulation suggest underlying demand remains firm. Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

Bitcoin’s price has shown strength over the past 48 hours and is now trading in the mid-$90,000s after days of consolidating around $90,000. Technical analyst Jackis presented a fair assessment of potential paths for Bitcoin’s next significant rise in the context of near-term consolidation and attempted breakouts above $95,000, outlining distinct scenarios for both bulls and bears. Both Outlooks Have A Case, But Price Has To Confirm Bitcoin is now back to trading above $95,000 after a 3.1% increase in the past 24 hours. Price action in the past 24 hours alone shows that the outlook might be bullish. However, as it stands, Bitcoin’s price action has reached a point where traders should let the chart tell them what’s next.  Related Reading: Bitcoin Top Is Not In At $126,000, According To The Business Cycle, Here’s Why According to a technical analysis from a crypto analyst known as Jackis on the social media platform X, arguments alone are not enough here because there are both good bullish & bearish arguments out there for Bitcoin. In his words, he has watched similar-looking price action resolve in opposite directions across different cycles.  The chart below shows how Bitcoin price action is currently forming an ascending triangle pattern on the 8-hour candlestick timeframe chart. However, examples show how this same formation led to an upward reversal for Bitcoin in the past and then also a bearish continuation for Ethereum in the past. Based on his read, he currently sees more reasons for downward continuation, and until the market proves otherwise, the active trend is bearish. Both bullish and bearish outlooks have a case, but price action has to confirm. Bullish And Bearish Scenarios For Bitcoin Once price breaks out in either direction, the follow-through can be fast, which means being stubborn on the wrong side can be costly.  Related Reading: Why The $2.9 Billion Bitcoin Whale Buy Could Spell Doom For The Market On the bullish side, Jackis highlighted that a breakout toward $96,000 is the kind of move that would confirm a bullish continuation. He added that a push through $96,000 at this point could open the path to $107,000 or higher. On the other hand, Jackis’ bearish trigger is tied to the rising support line. Price action can look constructive right up until the trendline snaps, and that’s the point where downside continuation becomes the higher-probability route in this framework. If Bitcoin were to lose the lower trendline of the ascending trend, then it would likely drift back to the April 24 lows. The April lows refer to how Bitcoin rejected above $106,100 in January 2025 and entered into a multi-month correction that eventually bottomed at a low around $76,000.  This means that a clean breakdown could change the conversation away from range chop in the mid-$90,000s to a reset. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com