A crypto analyst is calling for a $40,000 Bitcoin price surge within 60 days, and the macro environment may be building the case for exactly that. Bitcoin is still pushing around $70,000, and many traders are watching closely after weeks of volatility across global markets. Bitcoin Will Have Its Turn Very Soon One market participant known as ₿ariksis suggested that the Bitcoin price could surge from $70,000 to $110,000 within the next 60 days if the current macro and technical conditions are set up well. Related Reading: Has Bitcoin Price Bottomed Yet? Analyst Says We’re Not There Yet The prediction from ₿ariksis is built on rotation across major assets. Gold, silver, and oil have delivered strong upward moves in recent weeks. Gold, silver, and oil have already recorded strong moves in recent weeks. Both gold and silver have been pushing to new all-time highs in recent months, but Bitcoin has lagged behind. Geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran have pushed crude oil prices above $100 per barrel, which is another type of rapid rally that can unfold across markets. Bitcoin is already known for how fast things can change, and this serves as a reminder that the leading cryptocurrency could be next in line for a fast repricing. A move from $70,000 to $110,000 in 60 days would require a gain of about 57%. This is obviously volatile, but not outside Bitcoin’s historical character once momentum and liquidity line up. Bitcoin Is Already Winning The Battle Of Relative Strength The case for Bitcoin’s resilience was sharpened further by BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes, who shared a normalized comparative chart tracking Bitcoin, gold, and the Nasdaq 100 from February 28. Related Reading: This Analyst Correctly Predicted Bitcoin’s Recovery Will End Badly, But What’s Next? According to the chart shared by Hayes, Bitcoin has outperformed gold and the Nasdaq 100 since the US-Iran war started on February 28. Bitcoin’s line pushes above both gold and the Nasdaq over the period in the normalized performance chart, even as the oil and gas price spikes created the kind of macro conditions that usually punish risk assets. Bitcoin gained approximately 7% over the measured period, while gold declined roughly 2% and the Nasdaq 100 edged down 0.5%. “Relative to similar type large risky assets, $BTC did the best when viewed against oil and gas energy price spikes,” Hayes noted. There is also a second layer to this story: institutional conviction has not disappeared during the turbulence. For instance, Strategy recently disclosed that it acquired another 17,994 BTC for about $1.28 billion, bringing its total holdings to 738,731 BTC. The technical side of the bullish case shows Bitcoin’s price action is now touching a rising diagonal support that connects major cycle bottoms from 2018, 2020, 2022, and now 2026. The newest touch is marked near the mid-$60,000 area, almost exactly where Bitcoin has been trying to stabilize. Each prior interaction with that trendline came near important cycle lows, and each was followed by a major recovery phase. According to a crypto analyst that goes by the name Vivek San, Bitcoin rallied 450% the last time this setup appeared. The projection by the analyst points to a return above $100,000, then sketches a possible extension above $240,000 into 2027. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
As Bitcoin (BTC) seeks to solidify its position around $71,000, the cryptocurrency faces a challenge from the $74,000 resistance level that has so far prevented a decisive breakout. However, recent insights from Bloomberg indicate that a collection of indicators, historically associated with the conclusion of downward trends, suggest the current sell-off may be reaching its final phase. Bitcoin Recovery In Sight? Brett Munster of Blockforce Capital said that one of these indicators has already entered a range that has frequently preceded past lows. Meanwhile, two others are indicating figures between $54,000 and $58,000, which is lower than the current price range of between $65,000 and $73,000 that was set during the month. Although a definitive price floor is not guaranteed, Munster asserts that “the majority of the drawdown appears to be behind us,” suggesting that a market turnaround could potentially materialize by mid-year. Related Reading: Bitcoin Historically Surges 54% On Average Post-US Midterm Elections, Binance One of the critical indicators currently highlighting Bitcoin’s potential for recovery is the MVRV Z-Score. This measure signals when Bitcoin is trading above or below its on-chain cost basis. When this score dips below 0.4, it typically indicates that the cryptocurrency is undervalued. Presently, the score is around 0.38, indicating that Bitcoin may indeed be undervalued, although other metrics have not yet confirmed this trend. Potential Upside Emerges The realized price of Bitcoin—the average price at which it has last moved on-chain—currently hovers near $54,000, while the 200-week moving average (MA), which has historically marked important support levels, is positioned around $58,000. Related Reading: Hyperliquid (HYPE) Under The Lens: These 3 Metrics Point To Severe Undervaluation Moreover, the pattern of diminishing peak-to-trough drawdowns suggests a potential bottom could lie between $45,000 and $55,000. Collectively, these indicators define what Munster terms “a high-probability accumulation zone” ranging from approximately $45,000 to $60,000. Although pinpointing an exact market bottom is inherently uncertain and bear markets can last longer than anticipated, Munster believes that Bitcoin presently offers a more favorable risk-reward profile with greater upside potential. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin and crypto exchanges built much of the cryptocurrency industry’s reputation by challenging traditional finance. However, as major Wall Street institutions deepen their involvement in crypto services, the structure of the market could begin to change in ways that place pressure on both exchanges and the broader ecosystem surrounding Bitcoin. Why Bitcoin And Crypto Exchanges Could Face Pressure Recent industry commentary highlights how large financial institutions are gradually positioning themselves to compete directly with crypto exchanges. Among them, Morgan Stanley has been expanding its digital asset capabilities, moving beyond simple exposure products toward services such as crypto trading, custody, and staking. The development signals a broader shift in which traditional finance is no longer observing the crypto sector from the sidelines. Related Reading: Here’s How Much Needs To Flow Through Ripple For XRP Price To Reach $3,700 One key factor behind this shift is infrastructure. In the early years of the industry, building a crypto trading platform required specialized blockchain engineering, complex wallet systems, and custom liquidity networks. That barrier created a protective moat for early exchanges such as Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken. Today, however, specialized infrastructure providers, including Fireblocks, Copper, Talos, and Zero Hash, allow financial institutions to integrate crypto trading systems far more quickly. With these tools, banks can launch digital asset services in just months. Distribution power further strengthens this advantage. If crypto trading becomes integrated into existing brokerage dashboards alongside equities and bonds, clients may access digital assets without leaving their primary investment accounts. In that scenario, exchanges would no longer be the default destination for crypto trading. Capital efficiency is another area where traditional institutions excel. Unlike exchanges, which operate as isolated platforms for digital assets, banks can offer multi-asset trading environments where stocks, bonds, foreign exchange, derivatives, and cryptocurrencies exist within the same account. This structure allows investors to move collateral across markets and execute complex strategies without transferring funds between separate platforms. Crypto Exchanges Face A Strategic Crossroads Another pressure point lies in pricing. Many crypto exchanges rely heavily on transaction fees as their primary revenue stream. Large financial institutions, by contrast, operate diversified business models that include lending, asset management, advisory services, custody, and prime brokerage. Because of these multiple revenue channels, banks could reduce trading costs significantly, potentially compressing the fee structures that exchanges depend on. Related Reading: Dogecoin Descending Channel Shows Where It Is In This Cycle Institutional trust also plays a role in shaping where large investors choose to trade. Established financial firms like Morgan Stanley have decades of regulatory infrastructure and longstanding client relationships. For institutions already managing capital through those firms, conducting crypto transactions within the same framework may appear more straightforward than onboarding to an entirely separate exchange. Analysts note that liquidity often follows institutional capital. Morgan Stanley’s $9 trillion asset base alone dwarfs the assets held on many crypto trading platforms. If even a fraction of that capital begins flowing through bank-operated crypto desks, trading activity could gradually shift away from traditional exchanges. For the crypto sector, this shift is prompting a strategic reassessment, as competition could increasingly favor traditional financial institutions entering digital asset markets. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards says Bitcoin has moved into a historically attractive accumulation area, but not yet the kind of deep-discount zone that defined the best buying opportunities of prior cycles. In his view, the setup is constructive for long-term holders, though still lacking the confirmation needed to call a durable bottom. Speaking with Crypto Consulting Institute’s Joe Shew, Edwards framed Bitcoin as “closer to the bottom than the top,” with multiple on-chain metrics pointing to value even as price action remains damaged. He stopped short, however, of calling the current range a standout opportunity. “Bitcoin I think you could summarize in a few words as it’s close to the bottom than the top,” Edwards said. “Broadly trending within a value range historically in terms of onchain data and metrics. That said, it’s not at the deep value range that would be really exciting for me that we’ve seen in prior cycles.” That distinction matters. Edwards said Capriole still holds a small net long Bitcoin position, but the levels that would make him “super excited” sit lower, around the production-cost band between roughly $50,000 and $60,000, with the low-to-mid $50,000s standing out as particularly attractive. Historically, he said, Bitcoin has spent months in that zone during major cycle lows. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bull Score Surges To 30, Exits ‘Extra Bearish’ Zone For investors with a multi-year horizon, Edwards argued that some exposure still makes sense. But he cautioned that value alone is not enough. “As with any asset, equities, anything, you can be in a value zone for a long time,” he said. What is missing, in his telling, is a convincing signal of renewed strength through either a deeper capitulation, a technical breakout, or more durable evidence of demand. Bitcoin Institutional Flows Improving, But Not Decisive One of the clearest positives in Edwards’ framework is institutional buying. He described net purchases from U.S. spot ETFs and roughly 200 treasury companies as one of the most important Bitcoin metrics today, especially when those inflows exceed daily mined supply. “If it’s net positive, especially if it’s above the amount of Bitcoin it’s mined per day, so it’s greater than the organic supply, then that is really positive,” he said. “We’ve seen all the major price appreciation when that’s net positive.” Still, he noted that most of those buyers remain underwater. According to Edwards, about 80% of ETFs and treasury vehicles are currently below cost basis, reinforcing what he called “typical bear market vibes.” A more meaningful signal, he said, would be strong flows holding for a week or two while Bitcoin stays above the $70,000 area, with a weekly close above roughly $71,500 acting as a line in the sand for a more bullish short-term outlook. Related Reading: Bitcoin May Still Fall Under $10,000, Bloomberg’s McGlone Warns Even then, he warned that a rally into the mid-$70,000s or low $80,000s would not necessarily end the broader bearish structure. Quantum Risk Remains The Overhang The biggest reason Edwards is unwilling to get more aggressive is quantum computing risk, which he said is capping Bitcoin’s upside in a way previous cycles never had. He argued the market has already priced in much of that concern, but until Bitcoin Core developers begin treating it as a serious priority, upside may remain constrained. “I honestly think we may not see new all-time highs until it’s addressed by the core team,” Edwards said. “The opportunity is actually skewed to the upside in that as soon as you get two or three or four core developers to start talking about it openly about solving it, I think we can get significant repricing to the upside.” That leaves Bitcoin in an unusual position. Edwards sees a macro backdrop that should favor hard assets, with strong liquidity conditions and gold in a long-term outperformance regime against equities. Under normal circumstances, he suggested, that would be a supportive environment for Bitcoin too. For now, though, he sees a market in value territory rather than true deep value, promising, but not yet compelling. At press time, BTC traded at $71,466. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Despite trading more than 40% below its all-time high, with $70,000 serving as a short-term support level, Bitcoin (BTC) may be poised for a repeat pattern that could lead to a 54% increase following this year’s US midterm elections. New research from cryptocurrency exchange Binance suggests that, historically, the aftermath of midterm elections has been positive for both the Bitcoin price and the S&P 500. Will Bitcoin Follow Historical Patterns? The research shows that since 1939, the S&P 500 has reported no negative returns in the 12 months following midterm elections, averaging gains of 19%. In the same periods, Bitcoin has experienced an average rally of 54% across all three previously recorded midterm years. Binance’s analysis further reveals that midterm election years often lead to political volatility, resulting in average peak-to-trough drawdowns of about 16% for the S&P 500—marking them as the weakest years in the four-year presidential cycle. Related Reading: Ripple Launches $750 Million Share Buyback, Boosting Valuation To $50 Billion Tracking Bitcoin from 2014 onward, the research indicates that the market’s leading cryptocurrency has mirrored these market dynamics, with an average decline of 56% during midterm years. The research emphasizes what they call “The Post-Election Opportunity,” as once election results are settled and uncertainties are cleared, markets historically tend to rally significantly. The exchange asserts that the year following midterm elections has been shown to be particularly strong for market returns, thus setting the stage for potential Bitcoin gains as well. If Bitcoin follows a similar trajectory, it could make a strong case for a rebound. However, potentially not toward new record highs. The cryptocurrency has fallen by an average of 70% from its previous all-time highs during previous bear market cycles. With Bitcoin’s bull market peak at $126,000, a potential decline to $37,800 could precede a 54% surge pointed by Binance, potentially returning its price to nearly $58,000. However, some analysts are pointing out that the market bottom may already have been reached. Is The End Of The Bear Market Near? NewsBTC reported Wednesday that CryptoQuant analysts suggest that Bitcoin might be in the final stages of its bear market, especially after it dropped to $59,900 on February 6. Related Reading: White House Crypto Advisor Denounces Attempts To Sabotage CLARITY Act’s Goals Currently, Bitcoin is consolidating between $65,000 and $70,000, eyeing the key resistance level at $73,000. This phase may indicate a final accumulation stage of the bear cycle, which is often succeeded by substantial recoveries, albeit not in a straight path. With this pattern in mind, if Bitcoin maintains its current trading levels, the post-midterm elections in the US could propel the cryptocurrency back toward $107,000 for the first time since November 2025. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Crypto analyst Leshka has explained why it is unlikely that the Bitcoin price has bottomed even as it continues to attempt a recovery above $70,000. His analysis also aligns with predictions from analysts such as Doctor Profit, who predict that BTC could still drop to $40,000. Analyst Explains Why Bitcoin Price Hasn’t Bottomed In an X post, Leshka noted that the Bitcoin price has never bottomed after a drawdown of just 47%. He further remarked that every bear market in history saw at least 78% drawdown from the top. BTC notably saw drawdowns of around 87%; 84%; and 73% in 2013, 2017, and 2021, respectively. Related Reading: Pundit Reveals Why Bitcoin Is Headed For Another Crash To $42,000 As such, the analyst declared that the Bitcoin price is not yet at a bottom and that another flush to the downside is approaching. His accompanying chart showed that BTC could still drop to around $50,000 before it finds a macro bottom in this market cycle. Leshka noted that the leading crypto continues to retest the $72,000 resistance and has failed to hold above it on every attempt. Based on this, he predicted that a drop to $55,000 is next. Crypto analyst Doctor Profit also recently warned that the Bitcoin price hasn’t found a macro bottom, though he predicted that BTC could form a local bottom between $57,000 and $60,000. In the long term, he still expects Bitcoin to drop below $50,000 and into the low $40,000, which he believes will mark the macro bottom. Doctor Profit stated that the leading crypto could find a bottom between September and October later this year. In the meantime, he predicts that the Bitcoin price could see a relief bounce or continue trading sideways before recording another leg to the downside. BTC Is In The ‘Relief Rally’ Phase In an X post, crypto analyst Julio Moreno noted that the Bitcoin Bull Score Index has reached 30, its highest level since late October. The index phase has switched from extra bearish to bearish while bull flags have turned on for exchange flows, stablecoin liquidity growth, and price momentum. However, he warned that the Bitcoin price is still in a bear market and is simply seeing a relief rally. Related Reading: Bitcoin Candlestick Structure That Led To Crash To Below $20,000 Last Cycle Just Appeared Again Crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen noted that in bear markets, the Bitcoin price will often spend more time going up than going down. However, when it goes down, it drops very quickly, then sets a low, then trends back up for a few weeks to months before dropping again. “You can see the change in market structure from bull to bear,” he added. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $69,300, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Bloomberg Intelligence senior commodity strategist Mike McGlone said bitcoin could still fall back toward and potentially below the $10,000 area, arguing that crypto remains trapped in a broader macro unwind tied to deflationary pressure, overstretched risk assets and what he described as excess across the digital-asset complex. Speaking in an interview with EllioTrades, McGlone reiterated a call he first revived when bitcoin was above $100,000: that the market could again “lop off a zero.” This time, he framed the thesis less as a pure crypto-cycle forecast and more as a macro view on what happens when speculative assets begin to roll over together. The Thesis For $10,000 Bitcoin McGlone’s core argument was that bitcoin is no longer trading as a detached alternative asset. In his telling, it has been absorbed into the same cross-asset risk regime as equities, commodities and broader liquidity conditions. “Bitcoin was one in 2009 and now there’s 37 million cryptocurrencies,” he said. “Bitcoin was one. So limited supply. But this space led the way up in risk assets… Now they’re leading the way lower.” Related Reading: Arthur Hayes Says He Wouldn’t Buy Bitcoin Yet: Wait For This He tied that view to what he sees as a post-inflation deflationary phase, with bond markets, not crypto, likely to be the next relative winners. McGlone said the sharp move in energy, metals and crypto volatility has not yet fully spilled into equities, but expects that to change. His base case is that stock-market volatility rises materially from still-subdued levels, triggering a deeper correction in both equities and digital assets. That, in turn, underpins his bitcoin target. McGlone said he is not identifying $10,000 as a precise cycle low so much as the most important long-duration trading zone in the asset’s history from 2019-2020. “If you look at the highest most widely traded price in Bitcoin since 2020, maybe even going out to 2019, it’s 10,000 or lower and has a history of fluctuating around 10,000,” he said. “So my premise is we’re going back to that level.” The strategist was especially blunt about the rest of the sector. He argued that stablecoins are the only clear structural winners inside crypto because they “track something physical,” namely the dollar and Treasury-based collateral. Everything else, he suggested, depends largely on speculative belief. He pointed to the massive growth of Tether and broader crypto-dollar supply as evidence that the base layer of the ecosystem is increasing dollar demand, not appreciation in volatile tokens. Related Reading: Bitcoin ‘Sandwiched’ Between Two Key Zones As Price Tops $71,000 – Major Move Ahead? McGlone also said the speculative excess of 2024 and 2025, amplified by memecoins, ETFs and post-election enthusiasm around Donald Trump, may have marked a durable top for the broader asset class. “The bottom line is these risk assets have to prove me wrong,” he said. “Otherwise, I see us navigating and riding a bear market in equities, a bull market in volatility that’s barely getting started.” EllioTrades pushed back on both the magnitude of the bitcoin call and the idea that crypto is effectively “dead,” arguing that Bitcoin could still reassert itself as a debasement hedge and that stablecoin-based agentic commerce, privacy use cases and a post-washout class of surviving projects could support a future recovery. He also argued that, while many tokens may still go to zero, the surviving tokens of the market may follow a familiar purge-and-rebirth pattern seen in earlier cycles. McGlone did not rule out that crypto eventually finds a bottom. But his message was that the market is not there yet. For now, he said, bitcoin and the wider complex are still behaving like risk assets in a bear phase and until equities correct more meaningfully and stay down for a while, rallies should be treated with caution rather than as proof that the cycle has turned. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $69,890. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin (BTC) is currently navigating a trading range between $60,000 and $73,000, entering what analytics platform CryptoQuant describes as “the most frustrating phase in the cycle.” According to a recent analysis by CryptoQuant contributor MorenoDV, Bitcoin finds itself in a period characterized by heightened uncertainty, with market signals indicating more hesitation than firm conviction. Bear Market Signals Three key on-chain metrics point to a psychologically challenging phase for market participants, specifically Apparent Demand, the CryptoQuant Bull Market Cycle Indicator, and the Long-Term Holder SOPR. Related Reading: Ripple Launches $750 Million Share Buyback, Boosting Valuation To $50 Billion After the most recent sell-off, Apparent Demand initially showed signs of recovery, suggesting that opportunistic buyers were stepping in to capitalize on the recent price drop. However, this uptick was short-lived, quickly retreating to negative territory. Moreno also emphasized the absence of persistent buying pressure in the Bitcoin market, which he believes shows that market players are still cautious and hesitant to aggressively accumulate BTC at current prices. The CryptoQuant Bull Market Cycle Indicator, as seen in the chart below, further reinforces this sentiment, as it currently signals a phase typically associated with bear market consolidation. Moreover, the analyst noted that the behavioral dynamics at play can influence the cost bases of various market cohorts. He asserts that as short-term holders realize losses or transition to longer-term holders, the realized prices of Bitcoin can decline. Lastly, the Long-Term Holder SOPR metric is beginning to show that even seasoned investors are starting to realize losses, dropping below the crucial threshold of 1. Historically, this tends to arise in the later stages of bear markets when extended uncertainty erodes even the staunchest beliefs in the asset’s value. Bitcoin Eyes $72,000–$73,000 Resistance Level In the context of geopolitical events, Bitcoin has demonstrated resilience, outperforming gold and traditional stocks during the recent US-Israeli attack on Iran. Crypto stocks have also benefited, given their ability to be traded at any hour, unhindered by banking schedules. Gabe Selby, head of research at CF Benchmarks, told Fortune: Crypto’s 24/7 structure is increasingly an edge for the asset class. When the Iran conflict escalated over the weekend, crypto-native markets were the only venue open for global risk trading, a structural advantage that traditional markets cannot replicate. Additionally, Bitcoin has seen a positive uptick of about 4% following President Trump’s comments suggesting that the war may be winding down. Trump stated, “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” adding that Iran has “nothing left in a military sense.” Related Reading: XRP Price Outlook: Analyst Foresees New All-Time Highs Above $40 In 2026 While attempting to consolidate near $70,000 at the time of writing, Bitcoin is also seeking to break through its recent local high in the $72,000-$73,000 resistance zone, which was unsuccessfully tested last week. Selby emphasized that a sustained close above this threshold with significant volume could shift the narrative from a mere short squeeze to a genuine momentum recovery. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
The security architecture surrounding Bitcoin continues to evolve as new infrastructure emerges to support self-custody and advanced on-chain protections. A notable step in this direction is the integration between Babylon Labs and Ledger. By combining Babylon’s protocol-level vault system with Ledger’s hardware wallet security, the collaboration seeks to strengthen how users store, manage, and interact with BTC in decentralized environments. How Babylon And Ledger Aim To Strengthen Bitcoin Self-Custody The Babylon platform is expanding access to Trustless Bitcoin Vaults through a new integration with Ledger. According to the Babylon Labs post on X, once the integration goes live in the second half of the year, users will be able to authorize BTCVault transactions directly from a ledger device using clear signing. This will allow 8 million Ledger users to review and approve vault operations on a secure hardware screen. Related Reading: Bitcoin On-Chain Data Identifies Unusual Market Cap Behavior – Details These Trustless BTC Vaults are anchored directly on the BTC base layer and enable external applications to verify that BTC collateral remains locked in place while enforcing predefined collateralization conditions. This vault architecture utilizes cryptographic mechanisms to execute rules, such as unlocking funds or triggering a liquidation event, rather than relying on discretionary control. By combining Babylon’s vault architecture with Ledger’s secure signing infrastructure, BTCVault workflows can connect with the hardware security that many BTC holders already rely on for self-custody. As part of the broader rollout, Ledger devices will also support Babylon’s native asset, BABY, on Ledger devices. A Familiar Pattern Emerges In Bitcoin’s Orderbook Data As noted by Crypto analyst Ardi, the latest order book data is showing a pattern that has appeared at key moments in the market before. Currently, asks on Bitcoin have climbed to a two-month high, with roughly $1.57 billion in sell-side liquidity stacked above the current price compared with about $1.125 billion in bids below. This shift indicates around 40% more supply than demand within 5% of the market price. Related Reading: No Rebound For Bitcoin Yet — Short-Term BTC Holders Continue Holding At A Loss Ardi pointed out that the last time the asks reached a similar high level was during the retest that followed the $98,000 fakeout in January. In that case, BTC briefly broke above the fakeout range, price re-entered it, and then retested the level while the sell-side liquidity accumulated heavily above the retest price. Now, the BTC market structure appears to be retesting after the $72,000 fakeout, with orderbook data showing a similar signature. In this setup, bids below the price act as a support cushion, while asks above the price form a resistance wall. When Asks liquidity spikes to multi-month highs during a retest, it suggests that participants are using price rebounds as opportunities to sell into strength. However, Ardi cautions that orderbook liquidity can be removed at any time, and the recurring pattern of elevated asks during post-fakeout retests has shown a specific track record on this chart. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
Arthur Hayes is still structurally bullish on Bitcoin. He just does not think now is the moment to buy. Speaking on the Coin Stories podcast on March 10, the BitMEX co-founder and Maelstrom CIO said he would stay patient until a more familiar macro catalyst arrives: central bank liquidity. In Hayes’ telling, a prolonged Iran war and the credit stress that could follow from AI-driven economic disruption may ultimately force the Federal Reserve back into money printing, and that, rather than the conflict itself, is the signal he is waiting for. “If I had $1 to invest right now, would I be putting it into Bitcoin? No. I would wait,” Hayes said near the end of the interview. “I think that the longer that this conflict goes on, the higher the likelihood that the Fed has to print money to support the American war machine and that’s when I’m going to buy Bitcoin when the central banks start printing money.” That distinction mattered throughout the conversation. Hayes pushed back on the idea that war is automatically bullish for Bitcoin, arguing that the real transmission mechanism is liquidity expansion. “If you’re saying, ‘Okay, war is good for Bitcoin,’ what you’re really saying is war means money printing. Money printing is good for Bitcoin,” he said. “So wait for the money printing. Don’t try to time it because you could get it wrong.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Short Bets Surge—Will Bears Get Squeezed? Arthur Hayes Sees More Bitcoin Pain Ahead The argument fits a broader framework Hayes laid out across the interview: Bitcoin is less a clean debasement trade than a “liquidity alarm,” one that is already reacting to tightening conditions, credit stress and a lack of fresh dollar creation. He tied that view to the rise of AI, which he said could accelerate white-collar job losses, pressure private credit and banking exposures, and force markets to price in a much sharper economic break than many currently expect. “I think it’s going to happen faster than people think just because of the exponential nature of how fast AI is improving,” Hayes said. “It only takes 10 to 20% [job displacement]. And then the leverage in the banking system will do the rest. At some point the market goes, ‘Oh, this is worth zero.’” In that scenario, he said, the market’s recognition of the problem could come well before the full economic damage is visible in the data. Regional banks, private credit and broader financial equities could reprice violently, with deposit flight and emergency Fed support following close behind. That is the moment Hayes sees as far more constructive for Bitcoin than the current backdrop. Related Reading: Bitcoin Stabilizes, But Glassnode Warns Spot Demand Is Still Weak Still, his near-term caution did not extend to Bitcoin’s long-run role. Hayes described himself as “structurally very very long” crypto and argued that the case for non-state money is stronger now than it was at Bitcoin’s launch. He also warned against shaping the industry around institutional preferences, saying crypto should not reduce itself to a more complicated version of traditional finance. “Bitcoin got from zero to whatever $66,000 whatever the price is today with no government support, unclear regulations, hostile banking infrastructure and regulators,” Hayes said. “So why are we bending over backwards to try to gain acceptance from these folks who don’t have our best interest at heart?” He was equally dismissive of conspiracy-driven explanations for weak market performance, including claims that market makers are deliberately suppressing Bitcoin’s price. More often, he said, losses come down to poor positioning, bad timing or leverage used by traders who are not equipped for crypto’s pace. For investors frustrated that Bitcoin has not delivered instant life-changing returns, Hayes’ answer was blunt: adjust expectations. “The market’s job is not to make you money. The market’s job is to take your money,” he said, arguing that long-term compounding still matters far more than trying to force a six-month windfall. At press time, BTC traded at $69,538. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Crypto analyst Doctor Profit has provided insights into what to expect from the Bitcoin price after it dropped below $70,000 over the weekend. This comes as the leading crypto continues to face pressure due to the U.S.-Iran war and volatile oil prices. What To Expect From The Bitcoin Price In an X post, Doctor Profit said that he expects the Bitcoin price to move sideways between $57,000 and $87,000. The analyst noted that this sideways price action is not bullish but a preparation for what is coming in the next few months for the leading crypto. He predicts that BTC could drop to between $50,000 and $44,000 in the coming months. Related Reading: Bitcoin Is Repeating 2022 Playbook That Triggered Crash To $17,500 Doctor Profit also noted that the Bitcoin price is mirroring the 2022 price action, when BTC fell 52% from its all-time high (ATH) before rising 44% from its low, then falling again. As such, the leading crypto is expected to follow the same fractal and rally to the upside in the coming months, then drop below $60,000. The analyst said that market psychology supports a relief bounce, as the fear and greed index is currently at an extreme level of fear. As such, the Bitcoin price could move in the opposite direction, with many expecting a decline. Doctor Profit added that before the next leg down, the market needs to create additional liquidity in the downside and take the liquidity that was built to the upside. The Bitcoin price, however, continues to face huge resistance at the $70,000 level, negating any sustained rally. BTC also faces pressure amid the Iran war, which continues to make oil prices volatile. The leading crypto had climbed to as high as $71,000 yesterday but sharply dropped below $70,000 following reports that Iran was moving to deploy Naval mines at the Strait of Hormuz. Another Local Bottom Could Form Between $57,000 and $60,000 Doctor Profit said he considers $57,000 to $60,000 the local bottom but not the macro bottom, and expects this area to be tested multiple times. The analyst described this range as where it makes sense to buy. He also believes that there is no reason to sell at the moment because upside potential remains. Related Reading: Bitcoin Bear Market Could Be Shrinking, But Are We Watching History Repeating Itself? Doctor Profit said that the largest and most aggressive long-term bets will be placed much lower between the $50,000 level and into the low $40,000. This is where the analyst plans to re-enter the market with “serious size” ahead of the next bull cycle. This is also the area he expects the Bitcoin price to form a macro bottom. The analyst expects the Bitcoin price to drop to the $50,000 to $40,000 range between September and October later this year. In the meantime, he predicts that BTC will continue to see a “long and boring” sideways price action. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $69,800, down in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Standard Chartered’s Geoffrey Kendrick says Bitcoin could still face a final washout to $50,000 before recovering sharply, arguing that the current drawdown looks more like a macro-led tech capitulation than a crypto-specific breakdown. Speaking on Deribit’s Crypto Options Unplugged, Kendrick, the bank’s global head of digital assets research, said he still expects Bitcoin to end the year at $100,000 and reach $500,000 by 2030, even as he warned that the near-term setup remains fragile. “Picking the bottom is always extremely difficult,” Kendrick said, framing the recent selloff as mostly orderly outside a few volatile weeks. He argued that institutional positioning has held up better than many expected, pointing to relatively sticky ETF exposure and continued buying from MicroStrategy even after the stock’s premium to net asset value fell below one. Related Reading: 43% of Bitcoin Supply Is In Loss As Market Nears Bear Territory Still, Kendrick said the market may not be done deleveraging. “I suspect we could still see that final capitulation. Now, it could be macro driven,” he said. “Bitcoin and crypto assets more broadly is still very highly correlated with the Nasdaq.” In his view, weaker earnings from large US tech names over the next few months, combined with a lack of immediate Federal Reserve support, could drag crypto lower alongside equities. That, he said, is what makes the $50,000 level plausible. Kendrick compared the potential move with prior cycle drawdowns, noting that a decline to that zone would still be shallower than the roughly 75% peak-to-trough drop seen in the previous cycle. The key difference this time, he argued, is the absence so far of a major internal crypto failure on the scale of FTX. Why Kendrick Is Long-Term Bullish On Bitcoin Even so, Kendrick’s medium- and long-term thesis remains emphatically bullish. He tied that outlook less to short-term trading flows than to what he sees as a structural shift driven by stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets. Last year, when stablecoins stood around $200 billion, Kendrick projected they could grow to $2 trillion by the end of 2028. He said the market is now closer to $300 billion, with much of that demand coming not from crypto trading but from savings use cases in emerging markets. “What’s replaced it has primarily been savings in emerging markets,” Kendrick said, referring to stablecoins’ original role as on-off ramps for crypto trading. “On my estimate of the $300 billion, about $200 [billion] is for EM savings use case.” He added that much of that capital appears to sit in large wallets and turns over infrequently, suggesting it is being used more as stored value than transactional float. Related Reading: Bitcoin SOPR Ratio Shows Early Capitulation—But Not Full Bottom Yet Kendrick’s broader argument is that this trend could have macro consequences well beyond crypto. If stablecoin issuers absorb close to $1 trillion in additional T-bill demand over the next three years, he said, the US Treasury may respond by shifting issuance toward the front end, flattening the yield curve and reinforcing dollar demand. In his telling, that liquidity effect could eventually become a tailwind for risk assets, including Bitcoin. “I think we go down to, let’s say, $50,000 and back to $100,000 by the end of this year and $500,000 by 2030,” Kendrick said. “Ironically, if stablecoins are massive and Genius Act is as it is, the inflow of cash on liquidity and flattening yield curve and all that sort of stuff becomes massively supportive of Bitcoin medium term.” He extended that optimism across other large-cap crypto assets. Kendrick said he sees Ethereum reaching $40,000 and Solana hitting $2,000 by 2030, with Ethereum benefiting from stablecoin and tokenization activity and Solana from ultra-low-cost transaction flows and micropayments. He also projected tokenized real-world assets could grow from roughly $40 billion today to $2 trillion by the end of 2028. For now, though, Kendrick’s message was less about chasing momentum than about separating market price from underlying adoption. “Pretty much all the underlying metrics, if you like, have been improving,” he said. “Except for the price.” At press time, Bitcoin traded at $70,260. Featured image from YouTube, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin has climbed back to the top of its current trading range, placing the market at a critical decision point. While a breakout could open the door to further upside, analysts warn that failure to push higher may trigger a sharp rejection. If selling pressure emerges at these highs, Bitcoin could rotate back toward the key support level around $62,800. A Return To The Top Of Its Trading Range Bitcoin moves to its range highs, prompting analyst Lennaert Snyder to issue a cautious update regarding current market conditions. Snyder highlights his trading strategy: avoiding long positions at the top of a range. Since the most logical and high-probability buying opportunities are found at the range lows, entering a long at these elevated levels presents an unfavorable risk-to-reward ratio. Related Reading: Bitcoin At The Bottom? The 23-Month Cycle That Has Never Failed Instead of chasing the upward momentum, the current technical setup suggests that a shorting scenario is much more compelling. Snyder is currently tracking three potential paths for today’s price action, each focusing on how Bitcoin reacts to overhead resistance. If Bitcoin begins to drop from its current position and loses the critical market structure level at $69,383, it would signal a shift in momentum. In this case, Snyder intends to enter a short position, targeting the “weak lows” situated around $65,280. Furthermore, there is buy-side liquidity still resting above the current price at $71,200 and $72,846. If Bitcoin pushes higher to “sweep” these pools and trap breakout buyers, Snyder will wait for a bearish Market Structure Break (MSB) to confirm the move. This confirmation would then serve as the entry point to short the asset back down toward the same $65,280 target. Bitcoin Touches Exact Range High At $70,500 In a recent technical update, crypto analyst Zord highlighted that Bitcoin has accurately tapped the Range High at approximately $70,500, a level previously identified in his last market analysis. This precise touch confirms the current range boundaries, placing the asset at a critical inflection point where the next major directional move will likely be decided. Related Reading: Bitcoin Losing Strength — $66,000 Now The Line Between Recovery And Crash The potential for a bullish expansion remains on the table, with Zord noting that a successful breakout from this resistance could finally propel BTC toward a new all-time high or a sweep of the $74,000 level. However, the analyst cautioned that despite the proximity to these highs, a definitive breakout has not yet materialized. Conversely, the risk of a rejection at this overhead resistance carries significant downside implications. If BTC fails to sustain its momentum here, Zord anticipates an immediate retracement back through the Range Mid, ultimately targeting the Range Low situated at $62,800. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin (BTC) is showing technical warning signs that have caught the attention of market watchers, with one analyst now predicting a dramatic price collapse in the world’s largest cryptocurrency. The analyst noted that a Bitcoin candlestick pattern that previously preceded a devastating crash to below $20,000 has reappeared on the weekly chart, reigniting fears that history may be repeating itself. If it does, it could completely rewrite the narrative of this entire market cycle. Historical Setup Signals Bitcoin Potential Crash To $19,000 Market analyst Tony Severino has issued a stark warning to Bitcoin investors and holders, sharing a technical analysis on X that draws a chilling comparison between current price action and a previous cycle crash. The analyst has projected that Bitcoin could decline as low as $19,000 in this bear market. Related Reading: Analyst Says Bitcoin $200,000 Target Remains Open, But There’s A More Realistic Target The chart shared by Severino places two Bitcoin weekly candlestick patterns side by side, revealing a near-identical structural setup between the current market cycle and a previous bear phase. The left panel shows Bitcoin’s recent trajectory from late 2025 to early 2026, while the right panel displays a historical period that ultimately saw prices collapse below $20,000. Severino expressed his surprise at the chart patterns, noting that it was “absolutely wild” how similar the candlestick structures are between the two periods. He added that even the technical indicators are “almost exactly the same.” Both chart panels feature a prominent rectangular consolidation zone followed by a pink-highlighted rebound area. The visual symmetry between the two timeframes underpins the analyst’s bearish thesis, suggesting that the current rebound around the pink zone could be short-lived, followed by a potential crash below $19,000 if historical trends repeat. Notably, the analyst’s bearish forecast drew skepticism from some members of the crypto community. One member argued that a drop to such levels would not simply represent a routine cycle correction, but the largest retracement in Bitcoin’s history. Severino, however, stood firmly on his analysis and forecast, stating that a 74% correction was entirely possible and even normal within Bitcoin’s historical framework. Not backing down, he insisted again that the market may still have significant downside to navigate before any meaningful bottom is established. Update On BTC’s Price Action The Bitcoin price has recovered again from its previous level, trading back above $70,000. Last week, the cryptocurrency crashed to as low as $63,000 amid significant volatility and shifts in market sentiment. Related Reading: Bitcoin At The Bottom? The 23-Month Cycle That Has Never Failed However, CoinMarketCap data shows that Bitcoin has gained over 4.8% in the last 24 hours, with its daily trading volume up by more than 23.4%. The sudden price increase has been attributed to sustained inflows into Spot Bitcoin ETFs and easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin could be on track for a massive long-term rally if one of the most interesting valuation models in the crypto industry is still valid. According to pseudonymous analyst PlanB, the Stock-to-Flow (S2F) model suggests that Bitcoin could average around $500,000 during the current halving cycle between 2024 and 2028. The bold projection comes even as Bitcoin is showing no signs of trading at that level in recent days, but recent price action in the past 24 hours has seen it reclaiming the $70,000 price level. Here’s When Bitcoin Will Reach $500,000 PlanB’s projection for Bitcoin is not that the cryptocurrency’s price action instantly jumps to $50,000, but that the entire post-halving cycle from 2024 through 2028 could average around that level if the Stock-to-Flow framework continues to play out as predicted. That is a much more aggressive call than simply predicting a cycle top, because an average of $500,000 would imply that Bitcoin would eventually spend meaningful time well above that price level at some stage of the cycle. Related Reading: Why Did Bitcoin Price Crash To $67,000, And Ethereum Price Fell Below $2,000? The current Bitcoin price setup is a test of whether the leading cryptocurrency is deeply undervalued at today’s levels or whether the S2F model has finally broken down for good. The chart attached to PlanB’s technical analysis helps explain this prediction of a $500,000 price tag for Bitcoin. It overlays Bitcoin’s price history with the 200-week moving average, realized cost price, RSI coloring, and a staircase-like Stock-to-Flow path. The dotted S2F path for the 2024-2028 halving window rises to around $500,000 in 2027. Bitcoin S2F Model. Source: Plan B On X What’s Going On With Bitcoin? Bitcoin has spent the past week swinging between recovery and pressure, a stretch that saw the asset trade above $73,000 on March 5 before falling back toward the mid-$60,000s and then rebounding again above $70,000 at the time of writing. That uncertain context of price action is what makes PlanB’s latest Stock-to-Flow price prediction stand out, because it takes strong conviction to predict an average price of $500,000 for Bitcoin. Related Reading: Expert Trader Shows ‘Simple Math’ To Calculate The Bitcoin Price Bottom The recent price action places Bitcoin just above two long-watched structural supports: the realized cost price and the 200-week moving average. Both of these supports are also visible in PlanB’s Stock-to-Flow model chart shared above. That does not automatically prove a six-figure or seven-figure breakout is next, but it does support the view that the entire cycle structure has not fully collapsed. As it stands, about 43% of Bitcoin addresses are holding at a loss, with the majority being short-term holders and Bitcoin treasury firms. However, many analysts have proposed that Bitcoin’s correction is yet to find a bottom, despite it being down by over 45% from its October 2025 peak. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
Crypto analyst Merlijn has revealed that Bitcoin has just re-entered the DCA zone, indicating it’s a good time to buy BTC. The leading crypto is already staging another rebound, rising to the psychological $70,000, which has so far proved to be a major resistance level. Bitcoin Reenters DCA Zone As Price Eyes Another Rally In an X post, Merlijn stated that Bitcoin has just entered the DCA zone on the rainbow chart and that BTC is now back in the DCA zone. He noted that a massive rally has followed every time this has happened. At the same time, this is when retail investors have panicked and sold. The analyst added that this chart has never been wrong. Related Reading: Bitcoin At The Bottom? The 23-Month Cycle That Has Never Failed In another X post, Merlijn stated that Bitcoin has reached a critical level, especially as it continues to trade within a tight range between $60,000 and $70,000. His accompanying chart showed that BTC could rally above $120,000 if it holds this support level. However, there is the possibility of a larger decline if it fails to hold this current range. The analyst also revealed that Bitcoin is mirroring the 2021 top exactly with the same sequence, lower highs, and the same structure. He noted that 2021 ended with one final flush before the recovery. Merlijn said the $60,000 level is the last line of defense, and a hold above it would mean buyers are taking control. However, a drop below this level would put liquidity clusters below as the next targets. Bitcoin saw a violent recovery following the final flush below, and the analyst is confident that this time won’t be different. Crypto analysts like Benjamin Cowen have predicted that BTC could recover by the second half of this year as part of the 4-year cycle. Peter Brandt Predicts A Breakout For BTC Veteran trader Peter Brandt has predicted that Bitcoin could break out to the upside. In an X post, he said, alluding to BTC’s daily and weekly charts, that “the Big Banana is forming a Little Banana — and it indicates there is about to be a Banana Split.” His accompanying chart showed that the flagship crypto could rally to $82,500 by April. Related Reading: Samson Mow Calls Bitcoin ‘Exponential Gold’, Predicts What Will Happen In the long term, Brandt predicted that Bitcoin could rally to $120,000 and possibly $280,000. His prediction comes just days after he admitted that BTC may be in the midst of a bullish reversal. The veteran trader said that he viewed Bitcoin’s rally to $74,000 back then as potentially a significant change in price behavior since the October top last year. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $69,900, up over 3% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Pngtree, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin is showing tentative signs of stabilization after its pullback from $74,000, but Glassnode says the recovery still lacks the ingredients of a decisive bullish turn. In its March 9 Weekly Market Pulse, the analytics firm described a market that is improving at the margins even as spot participation, capital flows and broader conviction remain subdued. Glassnode’s overview is cautiously constructive, but only up to a point. The firm wrote, “ETF activity remains a relative area of strength. Net inflows accelerated and trading volumes picked up.” In the same breath, though, it stressed that “overall, conditions are stabilizing” while “capital flows remain soft,” a framing that captures the report’s central tension: some internals are healing, but the market still looks fragile rather than fully re-energized. Glassnode Sees Bitcoin Market Stabilizing That fragility is most visible in spot markets. Glassnode said the 14-day RSI rose from 45.2 to 47.7, a modest improvement in momentum that points to firmer buyer activity without suggesting the move is overheated. But the more important spot signals moved the other way. Spot CVD fell from negative $84.4 million to negative $97.6 million, indicating heavier sell-side pressure from aggressive traders, while spot volume dropped from $9.8 billion to $9.1 billion. The report said participants are showing less urgency as they wait for stronger directional cues, leaving sellers with an outsized role in price discovery. Related Reading: 43% of Bitcoin Supply Is In Loss As Market Nears Bear Territory Derivatives paint a more complicated picture. Futures open interest climbed 5.1% to $29.4 billion, showing leverage and speculative engagement are rebuilding, while perpetual CVD surged 201.7% to $172.6 million, a sign of aggressive buy-side activity in leveraged markets. At the same time, funding flipped sharply lower to negative $391.7K, falling below Glassnode’s statistical low band and signaling stronger demand for short exposure. In other words, leveraged traders are active again, but they are not aligned on direction. Options markets, by contrast, looked less defensive. Open interest rose from $32.8 billion to $34.1 billion, the volatility spread narrowed from negative 25.78% to negative 17.64%, and 25-delta skew fell from 16.51% to 11.72%. Glassnode’s interpretation was that fear is moderating and demand for downside protection is easing, leaving options positioning more balanced than it was a week earlier. Related Reading: Bitcoin Exchange Reserves Fall To 2019 Levels As ETFs And Corporate Treasuries Accumulate The clearest area of strength remains the US spot ETF complex. Weekly net inflows rose from $776 million to $934 million, while trading volume jumped from $16.0 billion to $23.1 billion. But even there, the signal is not cleanly bullish. ETF MVRV dropped from 1.07 to negative 0.53, pushing the average ETF holder underwater. Glassnode said that shift is “consistent with capitulation-like conditions,” suggesting institutional-style demand is still coming in even as existing positioning remains under stress. On-chain data tells a similar story of stabilization without renewed heat. Active addresses slipped 2.0% to 649.3K and fee volume fell 5.1% to $170.5K, both signs of a quieter network backdrop, even as transfer volume rose 23.7% to $5.9 billion. Realized cap change improved from negative 2.4% to negative 1.9%, suggesting outflows are easing, but hot capital share fell to 23.3% and remained well below the statistical low band. That points to a market still dominated by older capital, with little evidence yet of fresh speculative churn. Profitability metrics improved modestly, with supply in profit rising from 54.6% to 56.8%, NUPL improving from negative 31.9% to negative 26.7%, and the realized profit-to-loss ratio lifting from negative 0.8 to negative 0.7. That eases some of the pressure built up during the decline. Still, Glassnode’s broader message is hard to miss: Bitcoin’s market structure looks steadier than it did a week ago, but until spot demand returns in force, the rebound remains more tentative than convincing. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $70,755. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
The 2022 Bitcoin crash has been one for the history books, where the price went from $69,000 to $16,000 before hitting a bottom. Being the most recent bear market before the current cycle, there have been a lot of comparisons between the current trend and the previous one. So far, while the Bitcoin price has tried to hold up against the bears, there have been similarities to the 2022 bear market cycle that could suggest a repeat of such a crash. The Similarities That Say Bitcoin Price Might Crash Further A pseudonymous crypto analyst who goes by the name Sherlock on X pointed out multiple similarities that have popped up on the Bitcoin price chart that could suggest a repeat of the 2022 cycle. The first of these was the weekly trendline break that happened after the initial wave of declines. Once this was broken, the floodgates were opened for the bears. Related Reading: Analysts Predict Conservative XRP Price If It Follows 2017 Run Next on the list is that Bitcoin has recorded multiple red weekly candles. Then came a relief bounce that led to consolidation in the middle of this trend, as shown by the most recent bounce toward $74,000. This green candle pushed the price toward the next resistance. However, bulls were ultimately rejected from this level, leading to an impulsive break below the trend low. The last of the events that took place on the chart is the formation of the upper wick candle. Once this was completed and the price was rejected from this level, the next breakdown saw the Bitcoin price crash from $30,000 to $17,500 before the next relief, a 40% price decline. Presently, the completion of the upper wick candle is the only thing left for the Bitcoin price. Sherlock confirms that the digital asset is actually printing the upper wick candle. If this completes, then it could lead to the same breakdown that was seen back in 2022. Related Reading: XRP Bull Flag Breakout After 8-Month Consolidation To Send Price To $11 A repeat of this 40% breakdown from the current level would put the Bitcoin price back into the $35,000 territory. Following through to the end of where the last bear market bottom was established, it would mean falling as low as $30,000 before the sellers are exhausted. Interestingly, though, this was the last leg down that led to the end of the 2022 bear market. In the next few months that followed, there was a rapid recovery, and in the year following the bottom, the Bitcoin price would go on to hit new all-time highs. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin’s rally back to the mid-$73,000 region did not last long as the leading cryptocurrency’s price action reversed as the week came to a close and fell back around $67,000 after momentarily regaining momentum last week, pulling Ethereum down with it till the ETH price also lost the $2,000 price level. However, the pullback of these leading cryptocurrencies is the product of a few forces colliding at once: a war nobody fully priced in and institutions quietly heading for the exits. Here is what happened. Spot Bitcoin ETFs: From Boosting Rally To Draining Liquidity One of the clearest reasons for Bitcoin’s reversal is that the same ETF complex that helped lift the price early in the week suddenly turned into a source of pressure. SoSoValue data show that US-based Spot Bitcoin ETFs posted strong inflows at the start of the week, including about $458.19 million on March 2, $225.15 million on March 3, and $461.77 million on March 4. Related Reading: Bitcoin Pattern Memory Predicts The Bottom, And It’s Below $40,000 That stretch helped Bitcoin climb as high as roughly $74,051 intraday on March 4, but the tone changed quickly after that. By March 5, spot Bitcoin ETFs had flipped to a net outflow of about $227.83 million, and on March 6, the outflow worsened to roughly $348.83 million, showing that institutional demand softened just as Bitcoin was testing resistance near the mid-$70,000s. Spot Bitcoin ETFs. Source: SoSoValue Unsurprisingly, Ethereum also saw its own exchange-traded funds flows deteriorate in tandem with Bitcoin. SoSoValue’s data show US Spot Ethereum ETFs started the week on firmer footing, with $38.69 million in net inflows on March 2, led by BlackRock’s ETHA at about $26.51 million. However, by the second half of the week, that demand had faded massively. Spot Ethereum ETFs recorded about $90.94 million in net outflows on March 5 and another $82.85 million in net outflows on March 6, with Fidelity’s FETH alone accounting for roughly $67.57 million of the March 6 withdrawal. Spot Ethereum ETFs. Source: SoSoValue Profit-Taking And Global Risk Aversion The final piece is the macro backdrop. The bounce to $73,000 to $74,000 invited short-term traders to lock in gains, especially after Bitcoin ran into a clear resistance band and failed to push through decisively. On-chain data shows that more than 27,000 BTC in profit were sent to exchanges by short-term holders within 24 hours. Related Reading: XRP Price At $100 Is ‘Inevitable’, Analyst Explains Why This Is However, investors are not dealing with only crypto-related concerns. Financial markets are still pricing in the conflicts in the Middle East. Iran responded to US-Israel attacks by not only firing retaliatory strikes but also effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a passage for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. That closure is what truly rattled markets. Once Bitcoin lost altitude, Ethereum followed with even more force. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $67,500. Ethereum, on the other hand, is trading at $1,975. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
A crypto market analyst has outlined what he describes as a straightforward mathematical method that helped identify the bottom of Bitcoin’s previous bear market. By focusing on long-term Fibonacci levels and quarterly price behavior, the analyst argues that the same structural logic that marked the 2022 bottom is now shaping Bitcoin’s next macro phase. Simple Math That Identified The Bitcoin Price Bear Market Bottom In an X post shared on March 8, crypto analyst Chetan Gurjar revisited a prediction he made in December 2022 regarding Bitcoin’s bear market low. While he acknowledged that the timing of the call was slightly off by a few months, he stated that the price target itself proved accurate. Related Reading: Bitcoin Liquidation Map Predicts The Next Targets To Watch Out For The analysis referenced Bitcoin’s bear market bottom around the $15,000 region in late 2022, which the analyst had previously projected using this framework. His approach centers on macro Fibonacci extension levels plotted on the quarterly chart, with particular focus on the 1.618 Fibonacci level positioned near $62,084. The chart accompanying the explanation highlights how Bitcoin historically reacts to this macro level. During the 2021 bull cycle, Bitcoin repeatedly failed to break and sustain price action above the 1.618 Fibonacci level. The analyst pointed to the second and fourth quarter candles of 2021, both of which were rejected at that same zone. These repeated rejections signaled strong resistance at the time, reinforcing the significance of the level in the broader market structure. By mapping these macro levels across cycles, the analyst argues that long-term Fibonacci mathematics can help identify both extreme lows and potential expansion targets. Quarterly Fibonacci Retest Suggests Next Macro Phase The analyst’s latest chart interpretation suggests that Bitcoin’s relationship with the 1.618 Fibonacci level has shifted from resistance to support. After breaking above the $62,084 region on the quarterly timeframe, Bitcoin has not produced a quarterly candle close below the level since the breakout. The chart shows two notable retests following the move. In the second and third quarters afterward, Bitcoin briefly tested the level but managed to hold above it on a closing basis. One quarterly wick even dipped below $50,000 before reclaiming the $62,084 level. As of the current quarter ending in March, Bitcoin is again trading above the same macro Fibonacci level. According to the analyst’s interpretation, this behavior represents a bullish quarterly retest. Related Reading: Analyst Says Bitcoin Price Bottom Hasn’t Happened Yet, Gives Timeline To Expect Reversal The projection drawn on the chart extends toward the next Fibonacci expansion level at 2.618, which sits near $393,874. Gurjar describes this level as the minimum macro target if the structure holds. The chart also signals potential volatility, suggesting price wicks could stretch toward the $500,000 region during the expansion phase. However, the analyst notes that deeper quarterly wicks remain possible depending on broader market conditions, including potential weakness in the altcoin market. Even with that caveat, the framework presents the current structure as a continuation pattern centered on Bitcoin holding the 1.618 Fibonacci level. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
Crypto analyst Coinvo has explained why Bitcoin may be close to a bottom, which could spark a rally to new highs. This comes as BTC continues to face downside pressure due to the rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Why Bitcoin May Soon Reach A Bear Market Bottom In an X post, Coinvo alluded to the Bitcoin monthly chart, noting that the leading crypto has hit its bear market at exactly 23 months after the all-time high (ATH) in every single cycle. BTC is currently sitting at 23 months right now, which the analyst noted is a sign to buy more Bitcoin, as this pattern has “never failed.” Related Reading: Analyst Says Bitcoin $200,000 Target Remains Open, But There’s A More Realistic Target The analyst also predicted that Bitcoin could see a massive expansion once it bottoms, rallying to as high as $150,000. This means that BTC could still surpass its current ATH of $126,000, which it recorded in October last year. Meanwhile, in another X post, Coinvo revealed that Bitcoin is replicating the exact same bull market pattern that gold did in the 70s. He added that this pattern has never failed, suggesting BTC could soon see a bullish reversal. Bitcoin is currently facing downside pressure as the U.S-Iran war continues to escalate. The war has sent oil prices as high as $115 today, sparking concerns that this could drive inflation higher. However, Coinvo indicated that the rising oil prices may not be bearish for BTC. In an X post, he stated that most people think that rising oil prices are bearish for the leading because of inflation, but history says the opposite. This came as he revealed that BTC’s secret bull-run signal has just flashed for the fourth time in history. Bull Trap May Be Forming For BTC Popular crypto analyst Willy Woo warned that a bull trap is forming for Bitcoin, while also indicating that a bottom isn’t in yet. He stated that BTC is still “solidly” in the middle of its bear market through a lens of long-range liquidity. The analyst also noted that after rapid downward flushes like the market has seen, BTC tends to trade sideways and then mount a rally, testing resistance. Related Reading: Here’s What’s Driving The Bitcoin Price Crash Toward $60,0000 Willy Woo also revealed that current conditions are setting up a Bitcoin rally to test the mid-$80,000 range, which is the cost basis for short-term investors. This rally looks more likely, especially considering that BTC sold off fast in the early bear market. The analyst highlighted that investor flows have been in consistent recovery since mid-February, which could spark this rebound to $80,000. He added that expected volatility in equities is hinting at a switch to risk-on in the coming weeks. At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $67,800, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
A growing share of Bitcoin supply has slipped underwater, with CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost arguing that the market is now sitting much closer to historical bear-phase conditions than to a confirmed bull trend. His latest charts show 43% of Bitcoin supply held in UTXOs is currently in loss, leaving just 57% in profit. Darkfost is looking at the distribution of supply across Bitcoin’s unspent transaction outputs, a way of tracking how much coin supply is sitting above or below cost basis. In his reading, that metric has reached a zone that has historically marked the boundary between advancing bull markets and broader corrections. “Roughly one out of two investors is currently at a loss. More precisely, this refers to the supply held within each UTXO on Bitcoin. At the moment, 43% of that supply is in loss,” he wrote on X. He added that “historically, as the histogram shows, we usually see around 75% of the supply in profit,” describing that level as a “rough boundary between a bull trend and a market correction.” Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Must Not Drop Below $63,700, Analyst Warns That framing is central to the thesis. When the share of supply in profit rises back above roughly 75%, Darkfost said, bull trends have typically “confirmed and accelerated.” When more supply starts falling into loss, the opposite tends to happen: corrections deepen, confidence weakens and the market begins to resemble prior bear-market structures. With Bitcoin now at 57% supply in profit, he said conditions look “closer to those seen during deep bear market phases.” Still, he did not present the current setup as a one-way collapse. Darkfost said the market is showing signs of stabilization, which he linked to the current consolidation phase. But he also warned that the process may not be finished. “It is still possible that the market moves lower in order to shake out LTHs further and push the share of supply in loss toward around 45%, a level that has been reached during previous bear markets,” he wrote. Related Reading: Bitcoin Big-Money On The Move: Exchange Whale Ratio Spikes To 0.6 Macro Backdrop Weighs On Bitcoin His second chart ties that on-chain deterioration to a macro backdrop that has become less supportive for risk assets. As tensions around the Strait of Hormuz intensified, Darkfost argued, oil’s rally has added another layer of pressure to Bitcoin. “Since the beginning of the year, oil has gained more than 60%, a dramatic increase reflecting market concerns over the geopolitical situation,” he wrote. “This is not surprising, given that the Strait of Hormuz accounts for about 20% of global daily oil exports and nearly 35% of oil transported by sea. Any incident that blocks the strait or disrupts transit therefore has an immediate impact on oil prices.” He extended that argument beyond energy markets. Higher oil prices, he said, feed directly into inflation expectations and broader financial-market stress, a combination that has historically not favored speculative assets. “For a volatile and risky asset like Bitcoin, this type of environment is unfavorable,” Darkfost wrote. “Historically, periods when oil prices regain strength often coincide with BTC end-of-cycle phases. These moments also signal geopolitical tensions, which are not conducive to risk-taking or exposure to more speculative assets.” Taken together, the two charts sketch a market that is not yet definitively in a bear trend but is drifting toward a zone where that label becomes harder to dismiss. The immediate question is whether Bitcoin can rebuild the share of supply back into profit and reclaim the historical 75% threshold, or whether macro stress and further long-term-holder selling push the market deeper into loss territory first. At press time, BTC traded at $67,730. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin is showing signs of weakening momentum as it struggles to regain higher ground, placing the market at a critical turning point. The $66,000 level has now emerged as a key support zone that could determine the next major move. Holding above it may give bulls a chance to spark a recovery, while a decisive break below could open the door for a deeper decline. Bitcoin Struggles Below Blue Box Resistance As Buyers Stay Quiet Bitcoin continues to trade below the blue box resistance, signaling that the market has yet to regain strong bullish momentum. According to crypto analyst Kamile Uray, buyers failed to step in at the $69,407 level that had been closely monitored on the 4-hour timeframe. Although selling pressure pushed the price lower, the pace of the decline has started to slow in the current region. Related Reading: Bitcoin Consolidates Near Key Support Band — $77,000 Holds The Key To The Next Move Uray explained that as long as Bitcoin remains above the $66,187 level, the possibility of another attempt toward the blue box resistance remains on the table. A decisive breakout above the $69,407 resistance, especially with strong high-volume candles, could open the door for a much larger upward move. Based on the principle of equal waves, such a breakout scenario could propel Bitcoin toward the $100,000 mark. A daily close above $98,200 would also establish a new high peak in the context of the latest wave structure on the daily chart, increasing the chances of a sustained uptrend. However, caution may be required if the price approaches the $107,000–$109,000 region, as a bearish Libra formation could develop within that zone. Failure to close above the previous peak could activate the pattern and trigger a renewed downward move. Meanwhile, the $66,187 level remains a key support to watch on the 4-hour chart. Holding above it would keep bullish expectations intact, while a close below it may lead to a retest of $62,433. If the decline deepens further and resistance levels continue to cap upward attempts, the next major support targets are $62,433, $55,230, and $47,256. BTC Loses $70,000 Support As Bearish Momentum Builds Crypto analyst Crypto Candy noted that Bitcoin was unable to maintain its position above the $70,000 level and eventually closed below it. Holding above that zone was previously highlighted as crucial for sustaining bullish momentum. Failure to defend the $70,000 mark suggests that sellers have regained control of the market. Related Reading: Analyst Shares Timeline For When A New Bitcoin Bull Run Will Begin This Year The analyst further explained that bearish pressure may continue unless Bitcoin manages to reclaim and break above the $74,000 level. As long as the price remains below that threshold, momentum favors the downside, with a potential move toward the $61,000 region or even lower levels. Featured image from Getty Images, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin’s initial break above the 6-figure price point back in 2024, and then the eventual move to an all-time high of $126,000, has fueled the expectations of higher price points. Even now, as the price continues to trend below $100,000, it has done little to erase the bullish momentum surrounding the cryptocurrency, especially in the long term. As a result, predictions continue to come out that the Bitcoin price will eventually trade at 6-figures again, and eventually, new all-time highs. Mapping The Bitcoin Price Recovery In a post on the TradingView website, Setupsfx points out an interesting thing about the Bitcoin price chart and why this is bullish for the digital asset. After the Bitcoin price reclaimed $70,000 earlier in the week, it set the tone for another recovery trend, and the analyst suggests that this means that the price can still climb to $200,000. Related Reading: Pundit Says XRP Price At $100 Is Not Insane If You Understand This The analysis highlights that, unlike before, the break above $72,000 came with strong bullish volume. What this simply means is that there is a lot of demand right now for the cryptocurrency, and that is what is driving the current uptrend. If this holds, then the price is likely to continue upward rather than experience another crash. Following the current trend, the analysis sets the first major Bitcoin target at the $104,000 level. This is important because there is a liquidity void sitting in this area. This means that there could be a stop to the uptrend at this level, being a major point of resistance. However, all hope is not lost at this point because it simply shows how important it is to break this resistance. Once this breaks, it sets the cryptocurrency on the path to the next major target, which lies at $124,000. Reaching $124,000 would be momentous for the Bitcoin price as this is just below its current all-time high levels. Related Reading: Dogecoin Morning Doji Star Shows Bullish Reversal That Will Send Price To $0.8 The final target for this analysis actually lies at the $134,000 level, which could deem the uptrend complete. As for the rally to $200,000, the analyst explains that this is still possible, despite many saying that it is unrealistic. Mainly, the $200,000 target is set for the long-term view of the cryptocurrency. Featured image from Dall.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin (BTC) began the week with a sharp rebound that briefly lifted the world’s largest cryptocurrency back toward the $74,000 mark on Wednesday for the first time in more than a month. However, as the week comes to a close, that momentum has faded, with BTC sliding back to roughly $68,260. Even with the choppy price action, on-chain analytics firm Amber Data argues that the broader outlook for Bitcoin remains constructive. In its latest market report, the firm suggests that new all-time highs are still possible this year. Post-Liquidation Reset Amber Data describes Bitcoin as entering 2026 in an unusual position. The market, it says, has been “de-risked” following October’s liquidation event, which they assert flushed out excessive leverage from the market. In the report, they contend that open interest had climbed to “unsustainable levels,” the basis trade had become overcrowded, and funding rates reflected stretched positioning. Related Reading: Bank Resistance Puts 2026 Passage Of Crypto Market Structure Bill In Doubt, Reuters When headlines surrounding President Donald Trump’s tariff policies hit the market, the overleveraged structure was unable to withstand the selling pressure. The result was a cascade of liquidations that wiped out weak hands and reset positioning. While painful, the correction served a purpose. Valuations have since normalized, leverage has been largely cleared from the system, and the Bitcoin market structure appears healthier, Amber Data noted. Yet the recovery remains fragile. Liquidity is still impaired, and the carry trade — once a major driver of activity — is no longer especially attractive. In Amber Data’s view, the market is now structurally sound but lacks a clear catalyst to define its next major move. ‘Muddle Through’ Phase In its base case, which it assigns a 50% probability, Bitcoin trades between $90,000 and $120,000. This outcome envisions extended consolidation until a meaningful macro catalyst emerges. Under this “muddle through” scenario, conditions neither worsen dramatically nor improve significantly. Volatility compresses, enthusiasm cools, and both bullish breakout expectations and bearish collapse predictions are repeatedly frustrated. Early signs supporting this scenario would include basis annual percentage rates recovering to 8–10%, spot Bitcoin ETF inflows turning consistently positive, order book depth returning toward pre-crash conditions, and funding rates stabilizing in positive territory. 25% Chance Bitcoin Breakout To $180,000 Amber Data assigns a 25% probability to a more optimistic outcome, with Bitcoin climbing between $120,000 and $180,000. In this bull case, institutional participation accelerates alongside sovereign adoption, creating a feedback loop of expanding flows. Early confirmation signals would include weekly Bitcoin ETF inflows exceeding $1 billion, basis rates expanding beyond 15% as leverage demand surges, and new accumulation cohorts appearing in HODL wave data, indicating fresh capital entering at scale. Bear Case Targets $60,000 On the downside, Amber Data assigns a 20% probability to a bearish scenario in which Bitcoin trades between $60,000 and $80,000. This would occur if macroeconomic conditions deteriorate more sharply than currently expected and global markets shift decisively into risk-off mode. Warning signs would include sustained ETF outflows exceeding $1 billion per week, basis yields collapsing below 3%, widespread stablecoin redemptions signaling capital flight, and a potential test of the $80,000 ETF cost basis level. Related Reading: XRP Faces High Risk Of Breakdown Below $1.30, Expert Flags Bitcoin As Main Threat Finally, the firm outlines a 5% probability “volatility and chop” scenario, in which Bitcoin trades between $75,000 and $110,000 with no sustained directional trend. Indicators would include sharply fluctuating funding rates, repeated spikes and collapses in open interest as positions are liquidated on both sides, and inconsistent ETF flows alternating between inflows and outflows without a clear pattern. Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin’s latest rebound to $74,050 on Thursday is running into immediate selling pressure as short-term holders move coins to exchanges in large volumes, suggesting the market’s most reactive cohort remains unconvinced by the recovery. On-chain data shared by CryptoQuant contributors indicates that traders who bought Bitcoin only weeks ago are now locking in gains rather than holding through the bounce, creating a fresh pocket of supply just as the market attempts to stabilize. Bitcoin Short-Term Holders Cash In According to CryptoQuant contributor Darkfost, more than 27,000 BTC in profits were sent to exchanges by short-term holders (STHs) over the past 24 hours, one of the largest spikes recorded in recent months. The metric tracks coins moved to exchanges by investors who are currently in profit, often interpreted as a precursor to potential selling pressure. Related Reading: Bitcoin Price Suppressed By Shadow Banking Rehypothecation, Saylor Says “Despite the slight recovery of Bitcoin, STHs (Short Term Holders) do not seem convinced and prefer to take profits quickly,” Darkfost wrote. “Over the past 24 hours, STHs have sent more than 27,000 BTC in profit to exchanges, which ranks among the highest levels observed in recent months.” The dynamic appears concentrated among the most recent buyers. According to the analysis, the only cohort currently able to realize meaningful gains consists of investors who accumulated Bitcoin between one week and one month ago, with a realized price near $68,000. That positioning places them directly in the money after Bitcoin’s latest bounce toward the low-$70,000 range, creating a natural incentive to exit positions quickly. “STH are known for being reactive and emotionally driven, especially the youngest cohorts,” Darkfost noted. “Current news flow and macroeconomic projections remain rather negative in the short term, which makes this behavior relatively understandable and, in this case, fairly rational.” Related Reading: Bitcoin To $11 Million By 2036? This AI-Deflation Thesis Is Turning Heads For now, that behavior translates into near-term supply. “This represents selling pressure to monitor, as STH do not yet appear willing to hold their positions for longer,” he added. Repeated Pattern Around Range Highs Separate market structure analysis points to another pattern that may be reinforcing the selling. CryptoQuant contributor Maartunn highlighted a recurring technical setup that has played out multiple times in recent months: brief breakouts above key resistance levels followed by swift reversals. “Deviations above the Range High keep getting sold,” Maartunn wrote. “Over the last few months, BTC has shown the same pattern three times: break above the range high, short-lived deviation, sharp move lower.” The most recent instance occurred as Bitcoin briefly pushed above a range ceiling near $71,000 before stalling. “The latest deviation just occurred around $71K,” he noted. “If history repeats, this level may again act as a trap for late longs.” The pattern was visible in early-October 2025 and mid-January 2026. Breakouts above local range highs were followed by rapid pullbacks, reinforcing the idea that liquidity above resistance levels has been used primarily as an exit point for sellers. At press time, Bitcoin traded at $70,127. Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com
Bitcoin’s recent break above $70,000 is leading to questions of whether this is the start of a new impulsive leg higher or just another stop in a longer bottoming process. Crypto analyst CrypFlow, posting on X, laid out a technical case for why Bitcoin may be in the early stages of forming a major cycle bottom and why October 2026 could mark the launchpad for the next full-scale bull run. The analysis is based on multi-year trendlines, cycle behavior, and the Stochastic RSI indicator. Bitcoin Is Respecting Trendline That Has Held Since 2018 Technical analysis of Bitcoin’s price action on the monthly timeframe shows that the leading cryptocurrency’s price action is still respecting a multi-year trendline that has quietly shaped Bitcoin’s biggest cycle lows. That ascending trendline connects the 2018 cycle bottom with the 2022 bottom and now appears to be acting as support again in 2026. Bitcoin’s current position is now sitting right on top of that structure. Related Reading: Bitcoin Just Flashed Death Cross That Has Led To Previous Bottoms, But What’s The Target? CrypFlow also pointed to a major horizontal zone that previously acted as resistance around the 2021 cycle top. That old ceiling around $69,000 is now being tested as support in the current price action. That kind of role reversal is very important for Bitcoin’s price action, because it shows the cryptocurrency may be trying to build a base at the intersection of that old resistance band and the rising trendline. If Bitcoin manages to stay above the current zone near $69,000 without falling to the $50,000 region, it would mirror the structure seen at the 2022 bottom. That low formed at a similar confluence where the rising trendline met the previous cycle’s resistance from the 2017 peak. Timeline For A New Bull Run Price levels get all the attention. Time gets almost none, and according to CrypFlow, that is precisely where most people are getting this cycle wrong. The analyst pointed to the Stochastic RSI to track how long this indicator has spent below the zero line during each major bear market cycle, and the historical pattern is striking in its consistency. Related Reading: Analyst Says It’s Time For Bitcoin, But What’s Important About $58,000? In the 2018/2019 cycle, the Stochastic RSI spent approximately 365 days below zero before Bitcoin mounted its real reversal and the next bull market began. The same held true in the 2022/2023 bear market cycle, where Bitcoin spent roughly one full year below zero before the sustained recovery kicked in. This cycle, however, Bitcoin’s Stochastic RSI has only been below zero for around 120 days. Putting it all together, this opens up a scenario where Bitcoin forms a double bottom later this year, likely around October 2026, before the next major bull run begins. This doesn’t necessarily mean Bitcoin is about to crash further. What it does suggest, according to CrypFlow, is that the price action hasn’t completed the slow, grinding work that true cycle bottoms are built on. Featured image from Pngtree, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin’s derivatives market is showing where the next major price reactions could occur. A liquidation map tracking leverage positions on the Binance BTC/USDT perpetual market highlights clusters of highly leveraged trades positioned above the current market price. This arrangement provides clues about how the next Bitcoin price move could unfold, how much short traders can be liquidated in the next sweep, and what could probably happen after. Massive Short Liquidation Wall Sits Around $71,800 Bitcoin has spent the past 24 to 48 hours trading above $70,000, offering an early glimpse into how price action may unfold for the leading cryptocurrency throughout March. Interestingly, technical analysis of the BTC liquidation heatmap on Binance, which was posted on X by crypto analyst Sherlock, shows clusters of highly leveraged trades positioned just above the current market price. This is notable to watch, as clusters often influence price direction because markets tend to move toward zones where large volumes of forced liquidations can occur. Related Reading: Analyst Says Bitcoin Price Bottom Hasn’t Happened Yet, Gives Timeline To Expect Reversal The most prominent liquidity target revealed by the chart is around $71,800, where a dense concentration of short liquidations has formed. This area is dominated by extremely high leverage positions, particularly 50x and 100x leverage, which shows that many Bitcoin traders are heavily positioned on the assumption that Bitcoin will fail to reclaim above $72,000. As shown in the Coinglass liquidation chart below, the vertical liquidation bars around $71,000 to $72,000 are significantly larger compared to surrounding levels. This shows a buildup of short positions that would be forced to buy back Bitcoin if the market rises into that zone. A move to that level could therefore lead to a chain reaction of liquidations, which in turn would contribute to a move upward as short positions are closed. BTC/USDT Liquidation Map. Source: @Sherlockwhale On X What Happens After The Liquidity Sweep? After the $71,800 level, the structure of the liquidation map changes noticeably. The bars on the chart become thinner across the $72,000 to $76,000 range, and the cumulative liquidation curve flattens. This means that once the initial wave of short liquidations is triggered, there may not be enough additional liquidation fuel to sustain a prolonged rally. Related Reading: Bitcoin Pattern Memory Predicts The Bottom, And It’s Below $40,000 According to Sherlock, that forced buying from liquidated shorts could carry Bitcoin from $71,800 to $75,000, but extending the rally beyond that point would need real buyers and organic demand. Not forced buying. At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $70,500. The leading cryptocurrency faced sustained downward pressure throughout most of February, although signs of gradual spot accumulation are beginning to appear, and this could support a steady rally in March. If new buyers fail to support the price after liquidity at $76,000 is taken, then the price could quickly lose upward momentum. In that case, the price could fall straight back below $60,000. Featured image created with Dall.E, chart from Tradingview.com
Bitcoin’s latest rally has injected fresh optimism into the market, but the analyst believes the move may be setting the stage for a critical turning point rather than the start of a sustained uptrend. After weeks of volatility and uneven momentum, BTC has climbed toward key resistance levels, prompting debate over whether the current surge reflects strength or a temporary rebound within a broader market structure. Is Bitcoin Repeating A Classic Market Structure Pattern? The reason Bitcoin is simply rallying at the current range is to set what is likely the macro lower high. Crypto analyst Ardi pointed out on X that this area was the longest consolidation range of the entire 2021-2025 bull run, which lasted roughly 259 days between March and November 2024. During that extended sideways phase, more value was transacted, more positions were built, and more liquidity was exchanged in that range than at any other level on the chart over the four-year cycle. Related Reading: Bitcoin Supply Shift: 212,000 BTC Moves Into Long-Term Holder Hands, Price Nearing A Bounce? When the price pulls back into a zone with that kind of history where months of market participants have occurred, reactions are rarely insignificant. The liquidity created during nearly nine months of accumulation does not simply disappear once the market moves higher. Instead, all the liquidity is sitting in that area. From a structural perspective, Ardi argues that this region was always the most logical destination for a macro pullback, followed by a short-term rally. This zone is where the market built its foundation for BTC to surge toward the $126,000 region, marking it a key technical level that the market would not easily break through on its first attempt. How Consolidation Could Prepare The Next Expansion The market may be misreading the current setup of Bitcoin, and many traders expect price action to follow a pattern similar to the 2022 downturn. Analyst Bobby A has highlighted that the true “pain trade” could unfold in the opposite direction. Instead of dropping lower, BTC could stage a strong leg upward and quickly push the price back toward the low six-figure region. Such a move would leave a large portion of the market sidelined and waiting for lower prices that will never arrive. Related Reading: Bitcoin Consolidates Near Key Support Band — $77,000 Holds The Key To The Next Move Bobby A suggested that from the surge, BTC could transition into a multi-month consolidation phase, ranging between $80,000 and $100,000. This kind of sideways structure would allow momentum to reset while sentiment remains divided. However, by the time the consolidation range matures, many traders might once again position themselves for a major breakdown below the January lows, which may ultimately never materialize. Regardless of how the path unfolds, there is a strong possibility that BTC’s next upward move may have already begun. Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com
Renowned macro analyst Alex Krüger is pushing back on a comparison that has taken hold across desks since strikes involving Iran began: that markets are replaying the 2022 Russia-Ukraine shock, with crypto and Bitcoin in particular tracing an uncomfortably familiar pattern. Yes, the setups rhyme, Krüger wrote in a March 4 Substack note. But he argues the analogy breaks where it matters for Bitcoin: monetary policy and the persistence of the energy shock. “Markets are panicking. Everyone sees 2022 again. The chart setups look almost identical and the energy shock is real,” he wrote. “But the comparison falls apart under scrutiny. The macro is different, and the oil disruption is transitory.” What Is Crucial For Bitcoin Now Krüger’s starting point is historical rather than crypto-specific: wars and kinetic conflicts have often created “buying opportunities,” even when the initial impulse is risk-off. The reason 2022 became so toxic for risk, he says, wasn’t the invasion itself, it was what came after. In 2022, Bitcoin and overall risk assets bottomed on the day Russia invaded Ukraine (Feb. 24), then bounced hard, then rolled over by late March as markets resumed sliding. The war was the catalyst, not the engine. The engine was a Federal Reserve forced into an aggressive hiking cycle with inflation already running hot, and an oil spike that worsened the inflation problem. Krüger’s core claim is that 2026 does not have the same policy backdrop. In 2022, the Fed was “behind the curve” with year-over-year inflation at 7.9% and the real Fed Funds rate around -7.5% when war broke out. Today, he says the Fed is in “wait-and-see mode,” with inflation trending lower and real rates around +1.2%. Related Reading: Manufacturing The Bitcoin Reserve: Inside The Trump Family’s 11,000-Miner Expansion At American Bitcoin He frames the policy asymmetry in blunt terms: “Even if the oil spike pushes headline inflation temporarily higher, the Fed has room to look through it. At +1.2% real rates, they don’t need to tighten into a supply shock. In 2022 they had no choice — at -7.5% they were catastrophically behind. That’s the difference that matters for risk assets.” Krüger points to recent Fed communication as consistent with that stance. John Williams said oil would affect the “near-term inflation outlook” but that persistence mattered: “code for: we’re not moving unless this lasts,” Krüger wrote, while noting the US is less oil-dependent than past decades. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also argued the US is “in a very different position than when Russia invaded Ukraine.” Since the strikes began, Krüger noted, four Fed officials have spoken publicly without changing their outlook; Williams described the market reaction as “muted,” Neel Kashkari said it’s “too soon to know” and still sees one to two cuts this year if inflation cools, and hawk Beth Hammack called policy “neutral” while urging an extended pause. The second pillar of Krüger’s argument is that the oil disruption in 2026 is more likely to be temporary than the structural break of 2022. Then, Europe lost access to roughly 4.5 million barrels per day of Russian crude and refined products and sanctions made that disruption effectively permanent; Brent surged near $130 on March 8 and didn’t sustainably break below $90 until late August. Related Reading: Bitcoin To $11 Million By 2036? This AI-Deflation Thesis Is Turning Heads This time, he argues, Iran’s own barrels are not the key variable. Iran produced roughly 3.3 million bpd and exported about 1.9 million bpd before the strikes, mostly to China through shadow channels at an $11–$12 discount to Brent, with most of its tanker fleet already sanctioned, meaning “additional sanctions on Iran post-war would change nothing.” The market’s focus, instead, is the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 14 million bpd transits — about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption and where traffic has “dropped almost to a standstill.” Krüger says the futures curve is doing the real talking. In 2022, the front month repriced about +50% and the tenth contract +29%, signaling a long repair job. In 2026, he estimates the front month is up +32% but the tenth contract only +12%, “despite a shock affecting 4.4x more barrels,” implying traders see an expiration date to the disruption rather than a rewiring of supply chains. Tail Risk Is The Curve’s “Tell” Krüger is explicit about what could turn a “transitory” shock into a 2022-style regime shift: direct, repeated hits that take refining capacity or LNG offline for months. Iran has already struck Ras Tanura, Fujairah, and Qatari LNG facilities, he wrote, mostly with debris from intercepted drones but he sees an escalation pattern toward energy infrastructure, with “tens of thousands of drones in reserve.” “If direct hits start landing on refining capacity — SAMREF, Jebel Ali, Jubail — that is lost production that does not come back with a ceasefire. Refineries take months to repair,” he wrote. “And the risk is no longer limited to oil. This is becoming a products and gas crisis, not just a crude problem.” Krüger added that QatarEnergy has shut down LNG output at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed, removing roughly a fifth of global LNG export capacity. For Bitcoin, the takeaway is less about pattern-matching the chart and more about watching whether the macro “off-switch” remains credible. Krüger’s rule of thumb is simple: if the back end of the curve starts repricing, for example, if that tenth contract moves from roughly +12% toward +25%, the market is signaling the shock is turning structural. “But as of today,” he wrote, “the curve hasn’t blinked. Don’t confuse a transitory geopolitical shock (2026) with a major liquidity crisis (2022).” At press time, Bitcoin traded at $ Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com