|

Explosive move in BTC/USD could be close at hand

After almost three months of choppy price action bitcoin is much closer to breaking out to the upside than the downside. 

Price contraction is followed by expansion

So far, February is an inside month and March is a potential inside month. An inside month is where the high-to-low price range of each month is contained within the range of the prior month of January. If March closes inside the price range of February, we’ll have a double inside month setup, preparing the way for possibly an even more explosive move. 

Watch for decisive breakout

A decisive break out of the inside month can be used as a trigger for entry as it is indicating that a continuation of the larger uptrend is likely. February’s high was approximately $45,862 (specific price may vary slightly depending on data source). A daily close above February’s high will confirm a breakout.

Subsequently, Bitcoin has a shot at an eventual new high and certainly a test of prior highs.

Supporting evidence:

  • Past three months held support around the 21-month exponential moving average (ema).
  • Each month closed above the lower quarter of the range, assuming March does same.
  • Bitcoin is in a clear long-term uptrend.
  • Most recent swing low of January bottom is above the prior swing lows. 
  • Retracement off the April ’21 swing high found support quite a bit above the prior high around $19,999 from Dec. ’17. It would be perfectly normal for price to have tested that price area yet buying was strong enough to hold it at a higher price ($28,700).
  • Currently, on the weekly chart, both the 21 and 55-week ema’s have converged, reflecting price compression. 
  • Recent lows found support around the 50% retracement of the fully rally from the Dec. ’18 low.

Author

Bruce Powers, CMT

Bruce Powers, CMT

Markets Today

Bruce Powers, CMT, is a global markets technical analyst covering stocks, market indices, and ETFs, cryptocurrencies, Forex, oil and metals.

More from Bruce Powers, CMT
Share:

Editor's Picks

Ripple and Stellar outlook: XRP and XLM await direction amid cautious sentiment

Ripple and Stellar trade cautiously as both tokens hover around key technical levels. XRP is testing resistance at its 50-day EMA, while XLM continues to consolidate around the $0.187 support zone. Meanwhile, mixed derivatives data with a slight bearish tilt suggests traders remain cautious, keeping the next directional move uncertain.

Crypto Market Overview: Bitcoin recovery eases – HBAR and LDO test key resistance zones

Bitcoin edges below $66,000 extending the previous day's losses. Hedera and Lido DAO sustain bullish momentum, testing the breakout of a crucial resistance zone to extend their rally. CoinMarketCap’s Fear and Greed Index at 39 stalls below the neutral territory, indicating that sellers remain dominant.

Senate Republicans release updated CLARITY Act with new crypto ethics restrictions

Senate Republicans released an updated version of the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act on Wednesday following briefing calls with stakeholders. The update adds a package of ethics restrictions targeting digital asset activities by public officials and their spouses.

Hyperliquid, Robinhood could lead crypto’s next bull market as DeFi and TradFi converge
The next crypto bull market could be driven by the growing convergence between blockchain-based financial infrastructure (on-chain) and traditional finance (TradFi), according to Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan. In a report published late Tuesday, Hougan argued that crypto may be showing early signs of a market bottom, with Bitcoin gaining 9% since July 1 even as the NASDAQ 100 declined 6%.
Bitcoin’s potential recovery in the second half hinges on these 4 catalysts
Bitcoin (BTC) has fallen over 34% in the first half of this year as the King Crypto failed to capitalize on a good semester for risk assets despite the woes from the Iran war.