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  • Bitcoin just hit a critical point: analysts split between $85K crash and $250K surge

    Bitcoin just hit a critical point: analysts split between $85K crash and $250K surge

    Bitcoin price just hit a critical point

    • Bitcoin trades near $92K amid mixed signals from ETFs and tech markets.
    • Hoskinson and Saylor predict a strong BTC rebound despite recent losses.
    • ETF outflows and macro risks could, however, push BTC toward $85K support.

    While Bitcoin price has recovered from the low of $88,540 hit on November 19, the question is whether it will hit a higher high than the $93,403 registered on November 18.

    Some analysts believe BTC is preparing for a deeper slide, while others insist a powerful rebound is already forming beneath the surface.

    At press time, BTC price was around $92,237 and already showing signs of exhaustion, which would spell doom since it formed a lower low on November 19, which is a bearish sign.

    Bullish calls grow despite the slide

    At $92,237, Bitcoin (BTC) is reeling from a bruising stretch that has erased more than $33,000 from its value in under two months.

    Notably, today’s uptick follows a pause in ETF outflows and a rebound in tech stocks, driven by Nvidia’s stronger-than-expected earnings.

    While the market remains on edge as macro uncertainty and shifting liquidity conditions continue to pressure risk assets, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson remains one of the strongest voices calling for a major rebound.

    During CNBC’s Squawk Box show on Tuesday, Hoskinson argued that Bitcoin’s recent losses reflect broader macro distortions, including tariff tensions, recession risks, and uneven regulatory signals.

    Hoskinson believes these forces will ease in the coming months.

    He expects BTC to recover sharply and potentially hit $250,000 within the next year, projecting that institutional adoption and large-scale tokenisation will redefine market cycles.

    Michael Saylor shares a similar level of confidence, viewing the current downturn as typical of Bitcoin’s long-term behaviour.

    The MicroStrategy executive says the company is built to withstand extreme drawdowns, calling his position “indestructible” in a recent interview with Fox Business.

    Notably, Saylor has continued to buy BTC even as volatility increases, reinforcing his view that deep corrections are part of the broader path toward higher valuations.

    ETF activity has also become a pivotal factor.

    The BlackRock Bitcoin ETF posted a record $523 million daily loss on November 18 following a streak of outflows across the spot Bitcoin ETF landscape.

    Total Bitcoin Spot ETF Net Inflow
    Total Bitcoin Spot ETF Net Inflow | Source: Coinglass

    The Bitcoin ETFs outflow seems to have stabilised, with IBIT seeing $60M worth of inflows on November 19.

    Analysts warn that sustained inflows will be essential if Bitcoin hopes to avoid a retest of this week’s lows.

    Bearish risks still loom

    Not all signals point upward. Some traders see a real chance BTC could break below key support levels near $90,000.

    If the market fails to hold this support, prediction platforms indicate rising expectations of a drop toward $87,000.

    ETF outflows totalling more than $3 billion this month highlight lingering caution, and many retail participants remain hesitant after weeks of drawdowns.

    Macro conditions remain complicated.

    Expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts have faded, while recession concerns are resurfacing due to weak jobs data and ongoing trade friction.

    These pressures have limited upside momentum even as Nvidia’s tech rally briefly boosted risk appetite.

    Despite the uncertainty, Bitcoin continues to trade like a high-beta asset tied closely to broader market sentiment, and the next few days may determine whether buyers regain control or whether sellers will test new lows.

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  • Decred defies market downtrend, jumps to 4-year high: analysts see path to $100

    Decred defies market downtrend, jumps to 4-year high: analysts see path to $100

    Decred Price Bullish

    • Decred price jumped to highs of $65 before paring gains to a key support level.
    • Gains came as privacy coins Zcash and Dash also spiked to the defy broader market dump.
    • DCR could target $100 next after hitting the four-year highs.

    As top coins slip to or below key levels, Decred (DCR) and a few others have bucked the trend with notable spikes.

    The widespread cryptocurrency market slump has seen Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP fall sharply, yet Decred is soaring to heights not witnessed since 2021. All this comes as Zcash and Dash stand out amid the ongoing resurgence of privacy-focused assets.

    Decred jumps to 4-year high of $65

    Decred’s price exploded more than 150% in 24 hours to touch a four-year peak above $65, with this coming amid a broader crypto downturn.

    The breakout follows bulls decisively breaching the resistance of a long-term falling wedge, with $40 a key level that allowed DCR to hit highs of $65.78. While the pattern remains in place on the longer term time frame, a little paring of gains has Decred price near $40 and risking profit taking flip.

    What fueled the early Tuesday surge was a staggering increase in trading volume, which skyrocketed over 1,100% to over $172 million. It offered a glimpse of the sharp buyer interest in the coin as privacy coins see traction.

    Zcash, Dash also surge

    Decred’s gains mirrored a broader revival in the privacy coin sector, where Zcash (ZEC) and Dash (DASH) have recently defied bears. In October, Zcash and Dash both rose to key levels, the ZEC spike seeing the altcoin hit 7-year highs.

    While Zcash has been the frontrunner in this pack, privacy coins such as DASH, Railgun, Horizon, Tornado Cash, and Verge have notched gains.

    Can Decred price go to $100 next?

    What privacy coins’ collective rally speaks to is a market rotation, with assets offering financial anonymity and robust fundamentals attractive.

    In this case, Decred stands out for its hybrid proof-of-work and proof-of-stake model, which emphasizes decentralized governance and enhanced security.

    The project recently highlighted its privacy credentials, noting non-custodial peer-to-peer mixing with post-quantum encryption. Users can mix coins while staking for untraceable histories and anonymous governance.

    Also key is DCR’s finite 21 million coin cap, pointing to a potential supply shock as holdings on exchanges like Binance continue to decline.

    Analyst Captain Faibik pointed to a potential spike in DCR price.

    While currently trading at $40.24, Decred still has potential for strong upward momentum.

    However, bulls have to show they are firmly in control by maintaining support above the $40 level. This could pave the way for further gains, potentially targeting $70 or beyond. Bulls hitting $65 means a fresh rally could bring $100 into play.

    On the flipside, $32 and $25 could be key demand reload zones.

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  • Bitcoin’s October slowdown masks underlying strength, analysts say

    Bitcoin’s October slowdown masks underlying strength, analysts say

    Bitcoin's October slowdown masks underlying strength, analysts say

    • Bitcoin is lagging in October, but analysts say its stability signals strength.
    • The “digital gold” is failing to rally alongside gold, which is hitting new highs.
    • One analyst says a massive move, similar to late 2024, “will start very soon.”

    A strange and deceptive calm has settled over the Bitcoin market.

    While its analog cousin, gold, is once again surging to new all-time highs and US stocks are basking in the green, the king of crypto remains stuck in a frustrating holding pattern, stubbornly refusing to join the party.

    But for some of the market’s sharpest observers, this is not a sign of weakness; it is the quiet coiling of a spring, the calm before a powerful and imminent storm.

    The price action has been a familiar and frustrating story for the bulls. Bitcoin has slipped 1.2 percent over the past 24 hours to $111,500, with the rest of the crypto sector seeing even steeper losses.

    But beneath this sluggish surface, a powerful undercurrent of institutional demand and a shifting macroeconomic tide are quietly building a case for a major breakout.

    A prophecy of a powerful move

    Speaking at the Digital Asset Summit in London on Wednesday, Quinn Thompson, the chief investment officer at Lekker Capital, delivered a bold and bullish prophecy.

    He argued that Bitcoin’s current decoupling from gold is a temporary anomaly that is about to violently correct itself.

    “I posit that we will catch up to gold,” he told the audience. 

    “It will start very soon and the move that is about to come in bitcoin and crypto broadly will resemble a November 2024 and an October 2023 type of move.” 

    These were periods of explosive, parabolic growth, and Thompson’s prediction is a clear signal that he believes a similar fire is about to be lit.

    A ‘floor’ of demand, a path to $150,000

    This view is not held in isolation. Matt Mena, a crypto research analyst at 21Shares, voiced a similar outlook, arguing that Bitcoin’s remarkable durability in the face of global uncertainty is a testament to its underlying strength.

    This, he says, is “underscoring how structural demand—anchored by ETF inflows and a more dovish policy outlook—continues to provide a floor.”

    With the speculative leverage recently flushed out of the system and a new era of monetary easing on the horizon, Mena is now projecting that Bitcoin could climb to $150,000 before the end of the year.

    The shadow of the Fed looms large

    The key to unlocking this potential, all agree, lies with the US Federal Reserve. The market’s conviction that the central bank is on a firm path to continue easing its monetary policy is the primary engine of the current “risk-on” mood.

    That conviction was strengthened on Wednesday with the release of the Fed’s Beige Book, which reported growing signs of weakness in the US labor market.

    Fed Chair Jerome Powell himself has acknowledged this “softness,” a clear signal to the market that further rate cuts are very much on the table for the two remaining policy meetings this year.

    For now, Bitcoin waits, a sleeping giant biding its time. But if the analysts are right, it is a slumber that is about to come to a spectacular and explosive end.

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  • Bitcoin dips below $122K after 16% rally, altcoins follow as analysts eye rebound

    Bitcoin dips below $122K after 16% rally, altcoins follow as analysts eye rebound

    Bitcoin slips under $122K after a 16% surge fueled by ETFs and futures.

    • Bitcoin slips under $122K after a 16% surge fueled by ETFs and futures.
    • Profit-taking triggers a short-term dip, pulling major altcoins down 4–7%.
    • Analysts eye a potential rebound, with Bitcoin aiming past $130K and altcoins poised for recovery.

    Bitcoin took a bit of a breather on Tuesday, slipping below the $122,000 mark after a blistering rally that had traders buzzing with excitement.

    For the traders following the crypto rollercoaster, this pullback probably didn’t come as a huge surprise.

    The market had been running pretty hot, and sometimes you just need to catch your breath before the next big move.

    Bitcoin price: What’s behind the dip?

    So, what’s causing Bitcoin and its crypto cousins like Solana, Cardano, and XRP to catch some cold feet right now? Well, a lot of it comes down to the fast-paced buying spree we saw over the past several days.

    Bitcoin’s price zoomed up by around 16%, fueled by a flood of fresh investments pouring into ETFs and futures.

    It’s like everyone piled onto the bandwagon at once, which can make things a little wobbly. When the crowd rushes in simultaneously, it often leads to what experts call an “overheated” market.

    Basically, traders get a bit too optimistic, pushing prices higher than what fundamentals might support in the short term. Then, boom, some folks start locking in profits, and the selling begins.

    We saw exactly that as bitcoin lost some steam, dragging most altcoins down with it, with drops ranging from 4% to 7% for the bigger names.

    But here’s the thing, it’s not all doom and gloom. These kinds of corrections are pretty common in volatile markets like crypto.

    Think of it this way: it cleans out the weak hands and sets the stage for healthier growth ahead. Plus, bitcoin still has strong support around the $118,000 to $120,000 zone, which many believe will keep the floor from falling out completely.

    What’s next for crypto?

    Many analysts are keeping a hopeful eye on the coming weeks. If Bitcoin can hang onto those key support levels, the path might just be clear for it to climb back past $130,000, riding the momentum of a strong finish to 2025.

    Of course, the crypto world isn’t just about Bitcoin. Ethereum, for one, has been holding up relatively well, partly thanks to growing interest in staking and the ongoing development of decentralized finance platforms.

    The altcoin scene may have taken a hit during this pullback, but it’s not out of the game.

    Tokens like Solana and XRP are still on many investors’ radars, especially with potential new ETF approvals on the horizon and technical upgrades underway.

    October has historically been a lively month for crypto, so don’t be surprised if the market springs back with a classic “Uptober” rally soon.

    That said, this ride isn’t for the faint of heart. The market’s inherent volatility means prices can swing wildly, sometimes on little more than speculation or headlines.

    Plus, global economic factors and regulatory news can turn the tide pretty quickly.

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  • Dash price soars 35% to $38 as privacy coins rally; analysts eye breakout toward $60

    Dash price soars 35% to $38 as privacy coins rally; analysts eye breakout toward $60

    Dash Price Soars

    • Dash price jumped 35% to above $38, trending near the key resistance zone at $40.
    • Analysts say breakout is possible but key support remains $26 area.
    • DASH gained as privacy coins Zcash and Monero rose to lead the market gainers.

    Dash (DASH) price has surged 35% in the past 24 hours as top privacy coins rally.

    The Dash token’s value topped $38 as of early Thursday, riding overall gains that have seen Zcash lead privacy coins amid a spike to above $150.

    Dash joins the crypto party at a time when bulls are targeting the October uptick that could catapult alts to new highs.

    Dash price jumps 35% to near key level

    As noted, Dash which is currently trading at $36.69,rose as privacy coins showed gains.

    The uptick for ZEC and Monero aided Dash’s impressive 35% leap today. A lot of the upside outlook is down a confluence of this, plus technical and broader macroeconomic catalysts.

    In particular, the reaction on Wall Street as the US government officially shut down and capital rotation into top cryptocurrencies looks to fuel DASH bulls.

    Privacy coin momentum: Dash mirrors ZEC, XMR gains

    The cryptocurrency landscape is currently trending bullish, and one sector witnessing a robust revival is that of privacy coins.

    While top coins see notable traction amid ETF and treasury asset moves, small caps like Dash are taking in inflows as concerns over data privacy and regulatory overreach continue.

    Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC) are top coins in the privacy coins market. Support for ZEC by Grayscale with a Zcash Trust saw the token’s price skyrocket to highs last seen in April 2022.

    Monero, also notching privacy-related momentum, gained over 10%. Dash price is mirroring this as its adoption gains further traction.

    Market data reveals a 15-20% average uptick across the sector in the last month, with transaction volumes of privacy-focused tokens rising significantly year-over-year.

    Dash price chart by CoinMarketCap

    DASH price forecast: Is $60 next target?

    For Dash, the last 24 hours have seen trading volumes across exchanges jump over 385% to over $400 million.  This increase in volume signals potential upside continuation.

    Crypto traders and analysts at Alpha Crypto Signal shared the update below on the DASH price.

    “$DASH has exploded out of its long-standing horizontal channel after months of sideways consolidation,” they posted on X.”DASH had been trapped between 18–26 for almost half the year, building a strong base. The recent surge finally broke through the channel resistance with heavy volume, confirming a bullish breakout.”

    The analysts noted that the key level to watch is the $35-$40 zone, with a breakout above this threshold critical to bulls’ ambitions. Gains to $60 or higher could be next amid broader market movements.

    However, if profit-taking takes hold, the Dash price could dip to support around $26.

    “As long as price holds above the former resistance at 26, the breakout remains valid and buyers stay in control. Another strong showing from the privacy coin sector,” the analysts added.

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  • Bitcoin surges to $112K as Strategy adds 196 BTC, analysts eye $120K potential

    Bitcoin surges to $112K as Strategy adds 196 BTC, analysts eye $120K potential

    Bitcoin BTC

    • Bitcoin hits $112k, fueled by institutional buying.
    • Strategy added 196 BTC, increasing its holdings to 640,031 BTC.
    • Analysts see potential for $120,000 but warn of volatility risks.

    Bitcoin (BTC) has surged to $112k, fueled by renewed institutional interest and a significant acquisition by Strategy, the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder.

    Strategy acquires 196 BTC, holdings hit 640,031

    Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy, has announced the acquisition of 196 Bitcoin for an undisclosed amount, bringing its total holdings to 640,031 BTC, according to a Form 8-K filing.

    The purchase, funded through the company’s ATM offering programs, outlines Strategy’s position as the leading corporate Bitcoin treasury, with holdings valued at approximately $71.7 billion based on current market prices.

    The acquisition follows a pattern of consistent buying, with Strategy adding 850 BTC on September 22, 2025, and 525 BTC on September 15, 2025, at an average price of $114,562 per BTC.

    Michael Saylor, the Executive Chairman, has a strategy of leveraging equity and debt financing to accumulate BTC which has solidified the company’s role as a Bitcoin-backed treasury model.

    This latest purchase concurs with Bitcoin’s price climbing to $112,500, reflecting a 2.9% increase from $109,525.50 three days prior.

    Analysts on BTC price outlook

    Analysts are cautiously optimistic about Bitcoin’s price trajectory following its climb to $112,000.

    The surge aligns with the Strategy’s aggressive accumulation and broader market momentum, but opinions vary on future movements.

    Analysts have projected BTC could reach $150k-$200k in 2025, and institutional adoption and macroeconomic factors are seen as key tailwinds. However, some say volatility means bears may not be done yet.

    QCP analysts shared their outlook

    “After a volatile September, $BTC is still up more than 3% on the month. Options markets show conviction slowly returning, but the 115k level remains the hurdle to clear for a renewed uptrend.”

    Bitcoin at ‘Buy’ for dip level?

    According to QCP analysts, the crypto market is showing “signs of recovery” following the carnage seen the previous week. The shakeout that saw BTC trade to under $109k may nonetheless offer a buy-the-dip opportunity.

    “Despite sizable ETF outflows, particularly on Friday, spot managed to hold sideways through the weekend. This points to quarter-end basis unwinds as a key driver of redemptions, with markets absorbing the selling pressure more smoothly than expected,” QCP wrote. “With spot rebounding, this week’s ETF flows could set the tone for institutional demand heading into a seasonally bullish month.”

    Strategy’s consistent buying is seen as a bullish signal, with potential U.S. policies on digital assets influencing long-term price stability.

    If bulls rally, Bitcoin’s ability to break past $117k will be crucial. The level marks a sizable supply wall area and will b pivotal for a breakout above $118k and retest of the $120k mark.

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  • Bitcoin slips below $110,000 as analysts warn of ‘brittle’ market structure

    Bitcoin slips below $110,000 as analysts warn of ‘brittle’ market structure

    Bitcoin slips below 110,000 as analysts warn of 'brittle' market structure

    • The crypto bull run is fraying as Bitcoin slips below $110,000.
    • A massive whale sale triggered over 500 million in liquidations.
    • A huge divergence: Retail is selling while institutions are buying.

    The crypto bull run is fraying at the edges, its momentum faltering in the face of a profound and unsettling contradiction.

    On the surface, the market is a picture of fragility and fear, with thinning liquidity, massive liquidations, and a Bitcoin price struggling to hold the line.



    But beneath this chaotic veneer, a different story is unfolding: one of quiet, colossal, and strategic accumulation by the world’s financial titans.

    The immediate pain is undeniable. Bitcoin is trading just below $110,000 after another failed attempt to bounce, marking a roughly 7% decline since its euphoric peak after Fed Chair Powell’s dovish speech.

    Ethereum, which briefly tasted the air near 4,900, has been sharply rejected and is now battling to hold $4,300, showing clear signs of exhaustion after weeks of outperformance.

    This weakness cascaded through the altcoin market on Monday, with ETH, SOL, DOGE, and others sliding 6-8%, triggering a brutal 700 million liquidation event that overwhelmingly punished long positions.

    A structure of glass: the anatomy of a collapse

    For many market observers, this is a textbook case of a rally running on fumes. The analytics firm Glassnode, in its latest Market Pulse, paints a grim picture of the cycle slipping from euphoria into fragility.

    They point to fading spot momentum, a stunning 1 billion swing to outflows in ETFs, and realized profits collapsing back to breakeven.

    This structural weakness was laid bare in a brutal weekend crash, the anatomy of which was traced by QCP Capital.

    They revealed that the collapse was initiated by a single early holder unloading a massive 24,000 BTC into dangerously thin liquidity.

    The sale cascaded through the market, triggering $500 million in liquidations and exposing, as QCP noted, just how brittle the system has become.

    The quiet accumulators: a different breed of buyer

    But this is only half the story. The Singapore-based market maker Enflux argues that a myopic focus on the retail washout misses the bigger picture. Not all flows, they contend, are created equal.

    While leveraged retail traders were being blown out, a different kind of player was making its move.

    Enflux points to a staggering $2.55 billion ETH stake routed through a single contract and the UAE royal family’s 700 million BTC exposure via Citadel Mining.

    These are not speculative punts; they are the deliberate, programmatic footprints of sovereign and institutional allocators. In their analysis, these giants are intentionally “using volatility to scale into size.”

    This is the great divergence: a market where the short-term conviction of the crowd is shattered, while the long-horizon conviction of the “smart money” is quietly being deployed.

    A bleak September looms?

    The problem, however, is that this long-term institutional buying does little to solve the immediate crisis of liquidity on the Bitcoin blockchain itself.

    With transaction fees collapsing toward decade lows and blocks clearing with little congestion, the network is running quiet.

    This is a critical issue for miners, who are already squeezed by the halving, and it leaves the broader market exposed and bracing for what comes next.

    As September—historically Bitcoin’s weakest month—approaches, the market is on a knife’s edge.

    The battle between the fragile, fleeing retail trader and the patient, accumulating giant will determine whether the next move is a painful consolidation or a much deeper, darker drawdown.

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  • Crypto update: Bitcoin slips as analysts warn of ‘fragile’ market structure

    Crypto update: Bitcoin slips as analysts warn of ‘fragile’ market structure

    Bitcoin slips as analysts warn of 'fragile' market structure

    • Bitcoin and Ether prices are falling despite positive industry news.
    • A key disconnect exists between weak price action and strong fundamentals.
    • Glassnode warns of market fragility and stretched leverage in the short term.

    A profound and unsettling disconnect is cleaving the cryptocurrency market in two as the trading day begins in Asia.

    While a torrent of structurally bullish headlines points to a maturing and increasingly powerful industry, the price action on screen tells a story of weakness, fear, and retreat.



    This growing chasm between the long-term promise and the short-term pain has left investors caught in a tense tug-of-war.

    The immediate picture is painted in red. Bitcoin is down 3% in the past 24 hours, struggling to hold the line at $113,000.

    Ether is suffering even more, having shed 5.6% to land at $4,100, extending a week of bruising losses across the major digital assets. This persistent pullback is happening in the face of news that would, in any other environment, be sending prices soaring.

    The view from the charts: a structure of sand?

    For one camp of market observers, the current weakness is a simple function of a fragile and overextended market structure.

    In a recent report, the analytics firm Glassnode frames the decline as a textbook case of exhaustion: spot momentum is fading, leverage is dangerously stretched, and the pressure from profit-taking is building to a critical point.

    They warn that even the massive $900 million in inflows into U.S.-listed spot ETFs last week is not enough to sustain the rally on its own.

    Without a renewed wave of conviction buying in the spot markets, Glassnode argues, the market’s positioning remains acutely “vulnerable to deeper deleveraging.”

    A foundation of steel

    This pessimistic view, however, is far from universal. Another camp argues that fixating on the short-term price action is a classic case of missing the forest for the trees.

    The Singapore-based market maker Enflux, in a note shared with CoinDesk, contends that the industry is maturing at a pace that the charts are simply failing to capture.

    They see the weak price action as a temporary “disconnect” and urge traders to focus on the truly significant headlines: Google becoming the largest shareholder in miner TeraWulf, Wyoming launching a state-backed stablecoin, and Tether hiring a former White House crypto policy official. 

    These are not fleeting signals, Enflux argues; they are proof that serious capital and top-tier talent are aligning around a future that is institutional, regulated, and built to last.

    The divergence in tone is telling. One side sees a house of cards, the other sees the scaffolding of a skyscraper being erected.

    The shadow of the Fed

    This internal conflict is being amplified by a powerful external force: the Federal Reserve.

    The entire market is holding its breath ahead of the Fed’s FOMC minutes and, more importantly, Chairman Jerome Powell’s pivotal speech at the Jackson Hole symposium later this week.

    With economists from institutions like Bank of America warning that Powell may argue for holding rates steady amid sticky inflation, the easy-money hopes that have buoyed risk assets are beginning to fade.

    This macro uncertainty is forcing a reckoning in the crypto market, where the short-term fragility is clashing head-on with the long-term fundamental strength. The question now is which narrative will break first.

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  • Bitcoin consolidates below $120K; Analysts say Ethereum flows will guide next market move

    Bitcoin consolidates below $120K; Analysts say Ethereum flows will guide next market move

    Bitcoin consolidates below $120K; Analysts say Ethereum flows will guide next market move

    • The crypto rally has stalled, with Bitcoin struggling to challenge the $120K level as institutional investors take profit.
    • Institutional ETF inflows into Bitcoin have plunged by 80% this week to just $496 million, a sign of cooling demand.
    • Market focus is now shifting to Ether (ETH), with its capital flows seen as the key to the market’s next move.

    The powerful cryptocurrency rally is showing signs of fatigue, with Bitcoin struggling to challenge the $120,000 mark and key indicators pointing to a significant pullback from institutional investors.

    As the market enters a tense consolidation phase, observers say the focus is now shifting to Ether (ETH) and whether it has the strength to bring fresh capital back into the fold and reignite the bullish momentum.

    After briefly touching new all-time highs last week, the crypto market has entered a period of consolidation, and the underlying data is revealing some cracks in the bullish facade.

    Glassnode data highlights a dramatic cooling of institutional interest, with inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs plunging by a staggering 80% this week to just $496 million.

    This was accompanied by a sharp decline in ETF trading volume, which fell to $18.7 billion.

    Bitcoin’s spot market sentiment is also showing signs of weakening.

    The Relative Strength Index (RSI)—a popular technical indicator used to measure whether an asset is overbought or oversold—has been retreating sharply, underscoring a move away from previously overbought levels.

    Taken together, these signals point to a clear, albeit perhaps temporary, institutional withdrawal from the market, raising questions about the potential for further downside.

    A tense derivatives market: hedging and profit-taking on the rise

    Trading firm QCP Capital has noted similar tensions in the derivatives market.

    While funding rates for perpetual futures remain elevated at above 15%, suggesting that some traders are still maintaining aggressive long positions, recent flows indicate that large, sophisticated players are actively taking profits and hedging against potential downside.

    QCP, in its recent note, pointed out that a major ETH call fly (a complex options strategy) was recently unwound, while sizeable BTC put options were bought for protection.

    This is not the kind of market activity that typically supports a fresh leg up in a rally.

    Despite these cautionary signals, QCP remains broadly constructive on the market’s outlook.

    “Momentum, narrative strength, and macro tailwinds are still on our side,” the firm wrote in a recent update. “Hodlers and institutions will likely buy the dip, as we saw on Friday.”

    The Ethereum litmus test: consolidation, capitulation, or the next leg up?

    Market maker Enflux, however, isn’t sounding the alarm just yet. The firm views the current market conditions as a period of healthy consolidation, not a sign of impending capitulation.

    They note that spot and perpetual futures markets are essentially treading water, not bleeding out.

    The key to what comes next, according to Enflux, lies with Ethereum.

    “How institutional ETH flows evolve, and whether capital re-engages with alts, would likely guide the next leg of market structure,” the firm said in a note to CoinDesk.

    Ethereum now finds itself at the center of these diverging perspectives.

    If institutional investors, who have been stepping back from Bitcoin, decide to rotate their capital back into the crypto market through ETH, it could reignite the altcoin cycle and lift the entire market.

    If not, this period of consolidation could harden into something more prolonged and painful.

    For now, the rally has paused. Glassnode sees fragility in the current market structure. Enflux sees neutrality. QCP sees a hedged optimism.

    But all seem to agree that the next major breakout—or breakdown—will likely be sparked by how capital flows into and out of Ethereum materialize in the coming days and weeks.

    Broader market snapshot

    • BTC: Bitcoin is trading at $118,000, consolidating between channel support at $114,000 and resistance near its all-time high of $123,000.

    • A recent liquidity sweep below $116,000 and renewed supply from a reactivated whale wallet have stalled its bullish momentum, according to CoinDesk’s market insights bot.

    • ETH: Ethereum is trading at $3,783, holding a bullish inverse head-and-shoulders pattern that technically targets the $4,300 level.

    • However, neutral funding rates near multi-year resistance suggest trader caution, even as institutional accumulation continues.

    • Gold: Gold fell to a near three-week low, with spot prices down 0.7% to $3,313.57.

    • A recent US-EU trade deal has boosted risk sentiment and temporarily reduced the demand for safe-haven assets ahead of a busy week for corporate earnings and a key US Federal Reserve meeting.

    • Nikkei 225: Asian markets opened lower, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 0.61% as traders adopted a wait-and-see mode to determine if more regional trade deals can be struck.

    • S&P 500: The S&P 500 ended Monday’s session nearly flat, as the positive news of a US-EU trade deal failed to ignite a significant new rally in U.S. equities.
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  • BTC holds $106K; analysts point to institutional integration, on-chain innovation

    BTC holds $106K; analysts point to institutional integration, on-chain innovation

    BTC holds $106K; analysts point to institutional integration, on-chain innovation

    • Bitcoin (BTC) regained its footing, trading around $106K after a tense weekend involving a US strike on Iran.
    • Bitcoin’s resilience is attributed to its growing integration into the broader macro-financial system via institutional infrastructure.
    • Bitcoin ETFs saw massive inflows ($1.1B last week, $350M one day), cited as a major bullish tailwind.

    Bitcoin (BTC) has regained its footing, hovering around the $106,000 mark as the Asian trading week gets underway on Wednesday.

    This resilient performance comes after a tense weekend that saw the US bomb an Iranian nuclear site, with Bitcoin now pushing past levels seen earlier this month when Israel first bombed Iran.

    This stability, in the face of significant geopolitical turmoil, is increasingly being attributed to a fundamental shift in Bitcoin’s market structure and a renewed wave of innovation flocking to its blockchain.

    Part of the reason why the crypto market has recovered so swiftly alongside traditional markets is the growing correlation between the two.

    The days of Bitcoin operating in a vacuum appear to be over. “Bitcoin’s sensitivity to traditional asset classes and macroeconomic indicators has evolved markedly over the past few market cycles, reflecting its growing integration into the broader macro-financial system,” reads a recent report from Glassnode and Avenir Group.

    This integration has been facilitated by the development of a robust institutional infrastructure. “Institutional infrastructure has reshaped how capital engages with bitcoin,” the report continues.

    As a result, its market behavior is increasingly governed by structural liquidity, long-horizon positioning, and regulated access points.

    This institutional backbone was clearly visible again this week. Semir Gabeljic, director of capital formation and investment strategy at Pythagoras Investments, highlighted the significant impact of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), citing them as a major tailwind.

    “The huge recent capital inflows in Bitcoin ETFs of $1.1 billion last week and even $350 million today alone” are driving the positive trend, Gabeljic noted.

    Spencer Yang, a Core Contributor to Fractal Bitcoin, added another perspective on Bitcoin’s ability to shake off the war jitters so quickly.

    He argued that, fundamentally, nothing has changed about the asset class itself as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

    The core metrics that long-term investors look to for Bitcoin remain intact. Furthermore, other bullish on-chain signals are potentially on the way.

    “We’re seeing continued interest in protocols like BRC-20, especially with the recent upgrade, as well as Runes and Alkanes, which have been getting a lot of attention,” Yang added.

    So overall, on‑chain activity across the board is increasing thanks to these types of assets.

    The key takeaway seems to be that as Bitcoin’s market becomes increasingly defined by institutional demand and macroeconomic liquidity cycles, its price action is becoming less about knee-jerk reactions to headlines and more about long-term capital commitment.

    It is this structural shift that appears to be anchoring Bitcoin firmly above the $100,000 level, despite the surrounding noise.

    Tim Draper’s thesis

    Adding to this long-term bullish outlook, legendary venture capitalist Tim Draper has argued that the Bitcoin blockchain is becoming the new epicenter for crypto innovation.

    In a recent post on the social media platform X, Draper drew a compelling parallel, suggesting that Bitcoin is now absorbing ideas once exclusive to altcoins, much in the same way that Microsoft once consolidated the software revolution under its dominant operating system empire.

    Draper pointed to Bitcoin’s rising dominance – a metric equivalent to its “market share” in the crypto world – as evidence.

    This figure has risen to over 60%, up from 40% after the 2017 boom-bust cycle and 50% following the 2021 peak, signaling that Bitcoin is reasserting its control over the broader crypto ecosystem.

    Much like how Microsoft integrated or cloned early software success stories like Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, and PowerPoint to create its powerful software suite, Draper says Bitcoin is now systematically incorporating innovations that were once the exclusive domain of altcoins.

    These include functionalities like smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), ordinals (a form of on-chain digital artifacts), and low-cost layer 2 scaling solutions.

    “All the successful innovations on other platforms are now being ported to Bitcoin,” Draper wrote, describing it as an “acceleration” that mirrors the consolidation phases seen in Big Tech.

    He argued that developers are increasingly gravitating toward Bitcoin because it is the most secure and valuable blockchain.

    Draper, who runs a Bitcoin-focused accelerator with Boost VC, stated that the next generation of entrepreneurs is building on Bitcoin not just for ideological reasons, but because the infrastructure and surrounding ecosystem are now mature and ready for this new wave of development.

    “Smart entrepreneurs are always building on the platform with the strongest gravitational pull,” he wrote.

    “That platform is Bitcoin.”
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