Bitcoin – Is Another Reversal on the Cards?

It’s slow and steady through the early hours, with Bitcoin needing to make a move to avoid a reversal later in the day…

Bitcoin fell by 2.53% on Tuesday, partially reversing a 4.41% gain on Monday, to end the day at $3,654.3.

An early morning intraday high $3,780.9 saw Bitcoin come up short of $3,800 levels and the day’s first major resistance level at $3,839.13, leading to a reversal through the day alongside the broader market.

Bitcoin fell to a late afternoon intraday low $3,623.1 to come within range of the first major support level at $3,619.73 before steadying, a return to $3,500 levels avoided on the day.

For the broader cryptomarket, it was red across the board through the day, with Ethereum amongst the biggest losers, falling by 6.5% to $120 to raise the prospects of a return to sub-$100 levels should markets not settle in the coming days.

Focus going into Wednesday had been on an Ethereum fork to which the recent cryptomarket volatility and slide in Ethereum had been attributed.

News of vulnerabilities being discovered in the Ethereum upgrade that could ultimately leave Ethereum exposed to a hack and theft weighed on sentiment. This was not the first time that the Ethereum network has experienced a hiccup. The DAO hack was the largest Ethereum attack and left developers with little choice but to create a whole new coin, Ethereum Classic.

Following the Bitcoin Cash debacle and increased volatility ahead of the Ethereum fork, news of an issue in the upgrade ultimately led to the late afternoon sell-off on Tuesday, with Bitcoin, Ethereum and the broader market only finding support following an announced delay to the planned Ethereum fork.

For the Bitcoin bulls, the good news will be that Monday’s rebound was less of a dead cat bounce, though for Bitcoin to avoid another sell-off, not only is a move back through to $3,800 levels needed going into the weekend, but the Ethereum team of developers will also need to restore some confidence .

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was up 0.49% to $3,672.3, with moves through the early morning seeing Tuesday’s late recovery continue into the early hours.

A move from a start of a day morning low $3,642.4 to a morning high $3,685.2 left the day’s major support and resistance levels untested, with Bitcoin continuing to face stern resistance on any attempted moves through to $3,800 levels.

For the day ahead, a move through the morning high $3,685.2 would support a run at $3,700 levels to bring the first major resistance level at $3,749.1 into play before any pullback. It’s been 5 consecutive days in which Bitcoin has stalled on a run at $3,800 levels, Monday’s high $3,999.4 as close as it’s got, following last Thursday’s sell-off. Investors will likely show some caution should Bitcoin fail to make up lost ground, range bound moves tending to end in tears for the cryptomarket.

Failure to move back through the morning high $3,685.2 could ultimately see Bitcoin slide back through the morning low $3,642.4 to bring sub-$3,600 levels and the first major support level at $3,591.3 into play.

 

Heavier losses could be on the cards should the broader market be deep in the red, with any hint of a possible fall to $3,400 levels likely to lead to some Bitcoin panic through the 2nd half of the week.

 

Bob Mason

37 minutes ago (Jan 16, 2019 5:10 AM G

David