Bitcoin Price Forecast: Could BTC face deeper losses as pressure builds on the 200-day EMA?

  • Deeper losses remain a risk for Bitcoin as it hovers around the crucial 200-day EMA on Tuesday; a decisive close below could pave the way for further declines.
  • Institutional appetite appears to be weakening, with US-listed BTC spot ETFs posting net outflows of $398.62 million on Monday following last week’s withdrawals.
  • Downside risks are mounting as a decline in BTC’s price, coupled with rising Open Interest, points to an increase in bearish positions.

The risk of a sharper breakdown looms over Bitcoin (BTC) as it approaches crucial support around $76,455 on Tuesday, following a decline of nearly 2% the day before. For the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation, a daily close below $76,455 would signal a deeper breakdown at this pivotal level. Institutional appetite is also weakening: spot Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) registered outflows of over $398 million on Monday, extending last week’s withdrawals. 

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The cautious picture is reinforced by an increase in Open Interest (OI) even as prices decline. This combination points to more bearish positioning among BTC traders and a greater risk of a deeper correction.

Will weaker demand deepen BTC’s correction?

Investor appetite has continued to fade this week, as reflected in institutional flows. According to SoSoValue data, BTC spot ETFs saw outflows of $398.62 million on Monday, after net withdrawals of $202.59 million last week. A continuation and acceleration of these outflows through the week could leave BTC facing a deeper correction.

Daily chart of total net inflows into Bitcoin spot ETFs.

Are bearish positions building further?

A stronger bearish bias is evident in Bitcoin’s derivatives indicators. Across all exchanges, BTC OI has climbed sharply since mid-October, taking outstanding contracts to 701.44K BTC on Tuesday, their highest level since September 23. With prices falling as OI rises, the data suggests that fresh short positions are being opened. This signals a bearish outlook and increases the risk of further declines for the Crypto King.

Chart of BTC open interest. Source: Coinglass

At 0.91 on Tuesday, CoinGlass’ BTC long-to-short ratio is approaching its lowest reading in over a month. Readings below one reflect bearish sentiment, indicating that traders are positioning for a fall in BTC prices.

Chart of BTC’s long-to-short ratio. Source: Coinglass

A previous report highlighted historical data suggesting that US congressional elections have weighed on Bitcoin as well as the President’s party. 

Market sentiment also remains under pressure from the aftermath of last week’s Binance security breach, which continues to constrain BTC’s attempts to recover.

Bitcoin technical outlook: Can BTC hold its crucial support?

With Bitcoin trading at $76,553 at the time of writing, the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $76,455 provides support just below the price, while the 100-day EMA at $77,774 limits the upside. Trading beneath the shorter EMAs points to a bearish near-term bias. On the daily chart, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 34, close to oversold territory, and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram remains negative. Together, these indicators suggest that downside pressure persists even as BTC approaches long-term trend support.

Any move higher would first encounter resistance around $77,774 at the 100-day EMA, ahead of the 50-day EMA at $80,098. Beyond these levels, the horizontal resistance zone near $85,000 presents a stronger hurdle.

The first line of support on the downside lies at the 200-day EMA of $76,455. Holding above it would keep open the possibility of short-term recoveries towards the moving averages overhead. A sustained breach below it, however, would likely leave BTC vulnerable to a deeper corrective phase.

Daily chart for BTC/USDT

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

FAQs on Bitcoin, altcoins and stablecoins

Designed to function as money, Bitcoin is a virtual currency and the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation. No single individual, group or entity can control this means of payment, removing the need for a third party in financial transactions.

The term altcoin covers cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Some people also exclude Ethereum, however, on the grounds that forking originates from these two cryptocurrencies. On that basis, Litecoin would be the first altcoin: it was forked from the Bitcoin protocol and is therefore an “improved” version of it.

To maintain a stable price, stablecoins are backed by reserves of the assets they represent. Each stablecoin’s value is pegged to a commodity or financial instrument, such as the US Dollar (USD), while an algorithm or demand regulates its supply. Their primary purpose is to offer investors a route into and out of cryptocurrency trading and investment. Because cryptocurrencies are generally volatile, stablecoins also give investors a way to store value.

By comparing Bitcoin’s market capitalisation with the combined market capitalisation of all cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin dominance offers a clear measure of investor interest in Bitcoin. BTC dominance is typically high ahead of and during a bull run, when investors turn to relatively stable cryptocurrencies with large market capitalisations, such as Bitcoin. When BTC dominance falls, it generally signals that investors are shifting capital and/or profits into altcoins in search of better returns. Such shifts usually trigger sharp rallies across altcoins.