Bitcoin Rally Pauses Before $100K—Here’s What Could Happen Next

Bitcoin recently came close to breaking the $100,000 price mark last week, reaching a high of $99,645 before encountering resistance. According to CryptoQuant analyst Percival, the psychological barrier of round numbers like $100,000 often serves as a point where traders exit positions for “relative safety.”

Since climbing from $73,000 to $99,800, Percival highlighted that Bitcoin has recorded a roughly 57% gain, ranking it among the ‘top six exit rallies from consolidation zones.’ Despite this, the CryptoQuant analyst suggests that Bitcoin may enter a consolidation phase.

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BTC Faces Resistance Below $100K: What Lies Ahead?

Percival emphasized the significance of the Choppiness Index, a metric that gauges market momentum. According to him, the index indicates that Bitcoin’s rally is losing strength weekly. This suggests the cryptocurrency could consolidate for several weeks before another rally begins.

Analyzing previous market cycles, particularly in 2020, Percival noted that Bitcoin’s first post-consolidation correction lasted approximately three weeks, with an 18% price drop. If history repeats, the next rally may occur in the latter half of December.

The analyst also pointed to Long-Term Holder (LTH) behavior as a critical factor in understanding Bitcoin’s current market dynamics. LTHs are currently seeing 350% in profit and are in a supply distribution phase, with approximately 575,000 Bitcoins (worth around $58 billion) re-entering the market.

Despite this, demand has remained strong, driven by inflows into Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and purchases from institutional players like MicroStrategy.

Using the STH Realized Profit and Loss metric, Percival further explored Short-Term Holder (STH) activity. He noted that short-term holders account for 30.2% of the profits recorded during this phase.

Additionally, Bitcoin’s Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio has exceeded 1.33σ, signaling that the average token is approaching the 1.4σ zone, corresponding to 40% unrealized profits. Historically, this zone aligns with the first correction following a significant rally, as observed in late 2020.

What to Expect Next for Bitcoin

Looking ahead, Bitcoin’s trajectory may depend on several factors, including the pace of its consolidation phase and the behavior of institutional and retail investors.

If the current consolidation period mirrors the patterns of previous cycles, Bitcoin could stabilize before attempting another push beyond $100,000. However, short-term corrections may still occur with LTHs continuing to take profits and STHs remaining active.

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The cryptocurrency market also sees strong demand from institutional players, as evidenced by significant ETF inflows. This suggests that, despite short-term volatility, Bitcoin’s long-term outlook remains promising.

When writing, BTC trades for $96,353, up slightly by 0.3% in the past day, with a current market capitalization of $1.9 trillion.

Featured image created with DALL-E, Chart From TradingView