Bitcoin stays calm above $10,000, struggles to turn bullish

After slumping to its lowest level of August at $9,467 on Thursday, Bitcoin (BTC/USD) staged modest recovery and advanced above the critical $10,000 mark. Although Bakkt's announcement of the launch date of its highly anticipated crypto futures platform allowed the sentiment surrounding major cryptocurrencies turn positive on Friday, Bitcoin's rally remained short-lived. As of writing, the BTC/USD pair is posting modest daily losses at $10,300. For the week, the pair is still down more than 10% despite this latest rebound. 

Bakkt cleared to launch Bitcoin futures

Owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Intercontinental Exchange Inc, said on Friday that it won the approval for its Bakkt unit to introduce futures that will pay out in Bitcoin starting September 23rd. Commenting on this development, “We believe that the availability of a benchmark that can be referenced globally will create confidence in the true price of Bitcoin,” Kelly Loeffler, Bakkt’s chief executive officer, told Bloomberg in an interview. “It’s an important step in creating more trust.”

Technical outlook

Looking at the technical picture, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart continues to move below the 50 mark, suggesting that buyers are struggling to take control of the price action. Additionally, both the 20-day Moving Average and the 50-day Moving Average stay above the price, confirming the near-term bearish outlook.

On the downside, $10,000 (psychological level/Fibonacci 61.8% retracement of June rally) remains as tough support. With a weekly close below that level, the sell-off could drag Bitcoin to $9,500 (Aug. 15 low) and $9,000 (psychological level/Jul. 17 low/Fibonacci 78.6% retracement of June rally).

On the other hand, a strong dynamic resistance seems to have formed at $10,800 (20-DMA/50-DMA/Fibonacci 50% retracement of June rally) ahead of $11,500 (Fibonacci 38.2% retracement of June rally).