Bitcoin (BTC) faces a new “battle” for control before bulls trigger the next round of BTC price gains, but the long-term outlook is grim.
Key points:
Bitcoin short-term and long-term perspectives contrast as bears stay in control on high time frames.
A golden cross on the day chart does not cancel out short signals for the rest of the year.
A new all-time high is “not likely” as a result.
$87,500 retest next stop for BTC price
In his latest X analysis on Wednesday, Keith Alan, cofounder of trading resource Material Indicators, forecast a retest of the 2026 yearly open.
Bitcoin price action is now caught in a tussle between buyers and sellers, but a return to $87,500 is “not a matter of if, but when,” Alan said.
Pointing to Material Indicators’ proprietary trading tools, he showed that bulls are trying to preserve support at $92,000.
“FireCharts shows a realtime battle unfolding in the $BTC order book,” he said.
“Bulls are trying to defend support at the 2026-01-05 Timescape Level, but Whales appear to be looking for a support test closer to the Yearly Open before a Golden Cross forms on the D chart to trigger the next rally.”
That cross involves the 21-day and 50-day simple moving averages (SMAs). The former crossing above the latter would indicate renewed strength on lower timeframes.
Before that, however, a support retest of the yearly open is on the wall.
“The battle for it is happening right now,” Alan said, adding:
“If it doesn't happen in the next 24 hours, I expect it will happen after the Death Cross forms on the Weekly chart, around the middle of the month.”
Bitcoin, Ether at “critical inflection points”
Zooming out, other findings had little inspiration for Bitcoin optimists on multimonth timeframes and further out.
Related: Bitcoin buying metric with average 109% gains flips positive at $88K
Multiple “short” signals, trading tools showed, mean that BTC/USD is unlikely to make new all-time highs before 2027.
“A lot can happen in 6 months that could invalidate it, but at the moment, it’s easy to build a case for price to drop after this current pump loses momentum,” Alan wrote about the six-month chart.
The research held similar conclusions about largest altcoin, Ether (ETH), describing both coins as being “at critical inflection points.”
For a true turnaround, one-week relative strength index (RSI) values above 41/100, along with weekly closes above the 50-week SMA at $101,500, are needed.
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This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.
