• Bitcoin price shows a fractal formation on a lower timeframe chart, suggesting a potential reversal in the trend.
  • This development hints at a revisit of the four-hour price inefficiency at $21,440, which could extend to $21,115.
  • A successful flip of the $24,565 resistance level into a support floor will invalidate the bearish thesis.

Bitcoin price shows an interesting setup that could reveal its next move. On closer inspection,  its technicals support a bearish outlook for the leading crypto.  

Crypto’s major fundamental developments 

Not everything is negative for Bitcoin price, however, when investors take into account the fundamental developments that have occurred over the last week. Perhaps, the most important is the entry of BlackRock, the largest asset manager in the world, into the cryptocurrency space via a partnership with a US-based digital asset exchange, Coinbase.

The news of this update caused the Coinbase stock to soar by more than 10%. 

Another noteworthy update is the announcement from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s (CME) launch of Bitcoin and Ether Euro futures on Aug. 29. 

Despite these fundamental developments, Bitcoin price stayed relatively stable for a few hours but eventually dropped below the 200-week Simple Moving Average (SMA) at $22,794 and retested the 30-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $22,499.

Now things look relatively grim, however, as this newly developed BTC fractal forecasts a bearish outlook.

Bitcoin price ready for more pain

Bitcoin price fractal revolves around the 30-day EMA, and the last time BTC pushed above this fractal, it rallied roughly 13% and set a local top at $24,296. This move was undone in the next five days as the big crypto tried to use the recently flipped 30-day EMA as a support floor. 

However, what’s interesting is the Bitcoin price action that resulted in a downtrend: it formed a double top pattern as BTC tried using the 30-day EMA as a crutch to prevent its downtrend.

After a few days of trending below the aforementioned EMA, the Bitcoin price has once again shattered through the 30-day EMA and rallied 8%, only to get rejected at the 50% retracement level at $24,565. This barrier is the midpoint of the 42% crash between April and June 2022.

Adding credence to this bearish outlook is the four-hour supply zone, extending from $23,383 to $24,194. So far, the Bitcoin price has already pierced this level, triggering a potential short setup. However, investors can choose to be patient and wait for a retest of the $23,666 swing high for a double top formation.

BTC/USDT 4-hour chart

BTC/USDT 4-hour chart

Going forward, if BTC formed another double top at $23,666, it would recreate the fractal and forecast an incoming crash. 

The targets for this setup include the 200-week SMA at $22,749, followed by the price inefficiency, aka the fair value gap at $21,440 and the volume at $21,115.

This barrier is the highest traded level for BTC volume since April 2022. More details can be found in the chart attached below. At POC, market participants can expect a massive surge in buying pressure and a struggle between the buyers and sellers.

This fight is a common theme across all the ascending parallel channel fractals seen since the start of 2022. Hence, if investors are looking to short the double-top formation at $23,66, they should consider booking profits at $21,115.

BTC/USD 1 -day chart

BTC/USD 1 -day chart

Invalidation Scenarios for BTC

If investors are on board with the idea of shorting the Bitcoin price, they should also consider scenarios in which this thesis explained above will be invalidated. 

The first invalidation scenario is for investors with tight stop-losses, ie., above the four-hour supply zone’s upper limit at $23,666. In such cases, if Bitcoin price decides to retest the one-hour FVG at $24,362, the aforementioned stop losses will be hit.

While this might seem bearish, market participants can either set a wider stop-loss or reenter short at $23,666.

The second invalidation scenario is much grimmer for bears than it is for bulls as it involves a flip of the $24,565 resistance level into a support floor. This development will indicate the resurgence of bullish momentum and invalidate the fractal formation.

In such a case, market participants need to heed the market signals and position themselves accordingly, aka long. This development could see BTC retest the $28,000 to $29,000 levels to form a local top.

 


Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

Ripple update: XRP shows resilience in recent crypto market sell-off

Ripple update: XRP shows resilience in recent crypto market sell-off

Ripple's XRP is up 6% on Tuesday following a series of on-chain metrics, which reveals investors in the remittance-based token held onto their assets despite the wider crypto market sell-off last week.

More Ripple News
Floki DAO floats liquidity provisioning for a Floki ETP in Europe

Floki DAO floats liquidity provisioning for a Floki ETP in Europe

Floki DAO — the organization that manages the memecoin Floki — has proposed allocating a portion of its treasury to an asset manager in a bid to launch an exchange-traded product (ETP) in Europe, allowing institutional investors to gain exposure to the memecoin.

More Crypto News
Six Bitcoin mutual funds to debut in Israel next week: Report

Six Bitcoin mutual funds to debut in Israel next week: Report

Six mutual funds tracking the price of bitcoin (BTC) will debut in Israel next week after the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) granted permission for the products, Calcalist reported on Wednesday.

More Crypto News
Crypto Today: BTC hits new Trump-era low as Chainlink, HBAR and AAVE lead market recovery

Crypto Today: BTC hits new Trump-era low as Chainlink, HBAR and AAVE lead market recovery

The global cryptocurrency market cap shrank by $500 billion after the Federal Reserve's hawkish statements on December 17. Amid the market crash, Bitcoin price declined 7.2% last week, recording its first weekly timeframe loss since Donald Trump’s re-election. 

More Cryptocurrencies News
Bitcoin: 2025 outlook brightens on expectations of US pro-crypto policy

Bitcoin: 2025 outlook brightens on expectations of US pro-crypto policy

Bitcoin price has surged more than 140% in 2024, reaching the $100K milestone in early December. The rally was driven by the launch of Bitcoin Spot ETFs in January and the reduced supply following the fourth halving event in April.

Read full analysis
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.

Read More

BTC

ETH

XRP