$107K fakeout or new all-time highs? 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week

6 hours ago

Bitcoin (BTC) starts a caller week with a long-awaited breakout from a constrictive trading scope astir $103,000. 

  • BTC terms enactment grabs liquidity earlier reversing to its starting position, liquidating galore an affectional trader connected the way. A fakeout oregon a sensation of things to come?

  • The May 18  regular and play adjacent nevertheless became Bitcoin’s highest ever.

  • US commercialized deals stay precocious connected the database of macro volatility triggers for hazard plus traders this week.

  • Crypto’s correlation with stocks paints a mixed picture, adding to uncertainty implicit however macro developments volition power Bitcoin and altcoins going forward.

  • Bitcoin speech measurement delta becomes a cardinal constituent successful assessing the staying powerfulness of BTC terms breakouts, per investigation from CryptoQuant.

A liquidity drawback for the ages

Bitcoin terms enactment delivered immoderate “classic” moves astir the May 18 play close.

A travel to caller multimonth highs adjacent $107,000 was followed by a 4% correction successful a substance of hours, information from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows.

BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The spike took retired a artifact of liquidity nestled adjacent to all-time highs, with BTC/USD performing a liquidity “grab” designed to archetypal compression retired shorts and past trap precocious longs.

“Classic liquidity trap supra the caller precocious and reversal downwards,” crypto trader, expert and entrepreneur Michaël van de Poppe responded connected X. 

“I deliberation we'll bash the aforesaid astatine $100K earlier we'll commencement breaking retired supra the ATHs. Those are the zones to accumulate your Bitcoin.”
BTC/USDT 4-hour illustration with RSI data. Source: Michaël van de Poppe/X

Data from monitoring assets CoinGlass showed inquire liquidity being replenished astatine $107,500, keeping the terms from heading higher. The marketplace past took retired bid liquidity to $102,000.

Total crypto liquidations successful the 24 hours to the clip of penning were $673 million.

BTC liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlass

Discussing the outlook for Bitcoin, trader CrypNuevo was among those arguing for caution alternatively of entering astatine immoderate level successful the existent scope supra $100,000.

“From a hazard absorption perspective, I don’t spot it worthy it to spell agelong close present astatine marketplace price,” helium wrote successful an X thread anterior to the play adjacent volatility. 

“Yes, terms could spell up arsenic the HTF inclination suggests but arsenic a trader I look for debased hazard entries. We're presently astatine resistance. Clearing it would marque a overmuch much charismatic entry.”
BTC/USDT 1-week illustration with 50EMA. Source: CrypNuevo/X

CrypNuevo acknowledged that bullish signals connected precocious timeframes stay and highlighted the retest of the 50-week exponential moving mean (EMA) successful April, which has historically led to caller all-time highs.

This weekend, different prediction called for $116,000 to get in the coming days.


Bitcoin scores highest play adjacent successful history

It whitethorn not person lasted long, but Bitcoin’s latest play adjacent has go the highest ever recorded.

Coming successful astatine astir $106,500, the play candle besides allowed for a caller all-time precocious regular close.

BTC/USD 1-week chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Despite the consequent correction of astir 4%, traders are keen to observe what they spot arsenic an underlying tendency for the marketplace to propulsion higher.

— CryptoGoos (@crypto_goos) May 19, 2025

“Highest play adjacent ever followed by a reddish commencement to the week? Yeah - get the debased successful early, this week apt ends successful the greenish large time,” trader Jelle argued successful an X analysis.

Fellow trader Chad noted that BTC/USD has besides managed to adjacent supra a cardinal Fibonacci hold level for 2 consecutive weeks — a archetypal of its kind.

BTC/USD 1-week illustration with Fibonacci levels. Source: Chad/X

Private wealthiness manager Swissblock Technologies saw 1 cardinal constituent to bullish continuation.

“Bitcoin flirted with $107K, grabbed liquidity supra $104K–$106K but failed to hold,” it summarized successful its latest X reaction.

“Back successful the range, enactment holding, for now. Bulls person 1 job: support this range.”
BTC terms data. Source: Swissblock Technologies/X

CoinGlass showed that May is simply a highly varied period for BTC terms action. Currently, its 10% gains beryllium successful the mediate of a wide scope of humanities outcomes, with nether 2 weeks near until the monthly close.

BTC/USD monthly returns (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass

US commercialized warfare rumbles connected arsenic Bitcoin ignores rate-cut odds

A deficiency of important macroeconomic information reports this week places the absorption connected the Federal Reserve and US commercialized deals.

In particular, markets volition beryllium looking for affirmative developments regarding commercialized ties betwixt the US and its partners. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised to enact caller tariffs connected those who bash not negociate successful “good faith.”

News of a woody with China caused a snap absorption for stocks earlier this month, with traders feeling a consciousness of relief.

This whitethorn not beryllium truthful evident arsenic the week begins, acknowledgment to the caller US recognition downgrade by Moody’s, wiping 1% disconnected stocks’ futures anterior to the archetypal Wall Street open.

With the dollar again nether pressure, trading assets The Kobeissi Letter suggested that Bitcoin and altcoins whitethorn inactive payment successful the existent climate.

“Crypto is loving the Moody’s downgrade: Bitcoin is present 4% distant from a caller each clip precocious and up implicit +40% since its April low,” it noted astir the play close. 

“As the US Dollar weakens and uncertainty rises, Bitcoin and Gold are thriving. Instability is Bitcoin’s champion friend.”
US dollar Index (DXY) 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Crypto is besides progressively resilient to hawkish cues from the Fed, which has fixed markets crushed to judge that involvement complaint cuts volition not travel earlier September. 

Data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool shows the likelihood of a chopped astatine the Fed’s upcoming June gathering astatine conscionable 12%. Jobless claims connected May 22 could displacement those expectations if the effect differs importantly from predictions.

Fed people complaint probabilities (screenshot). Source: CME Group

Fed Chair Jerome Powell volition present the yearly Georgetown University Law Center Commencement Address connected May 25, but it is improbable to supply overmuch argumentation insight.


Crypto stocks correlation successful flux

Diverging reactions to the Moody’s downgrade acceptable the signifier for a statement astir crypto’s correlation with US stocks.

In its latest analysis, probe steadfast Santiment could not gully a wide decision implicit the 2 plus classes’ relationship, calling them “somewhat correlated.”

“With the 90-day tariff intermission betwixt the US & China Monday, markets stay wrong striking region of all-time highs,” it summarized connected May 17, referring to the S&P 500, Bitcoin and gold.

Bitcoin vs. S&P 500 vs. gold. Source: Santiment/X

Separate findings from blockchain information supplier RedStone Oracles drew a favoritism betwixt long- and short-term correlation.

While antagonistic connected a rolling seven-day basis, it told Cointelegraph, a 30-day position delivers a “valuable correlation” betwixt Bitcoin and the S&P 500.

Bitcoin, S&P 500, 30-day rolling correlation, 1-year chart. Source: Redstone Oracles

Meanwhile, marketplace participants person aired vexation astatine crypto’s susceptibility to the aforesaid volatility triggers impacting stocks.

“It was a batch much enjoyable erstwhile $BTC traded independently of stocks,” commentator IncomeSharks told X followers connected May 19. 

“It seems present it's conscionable a mode for radical to commercialized banal futures during the play and reflector what the $SPY is doing during the week.”

Volume delta warns implicit “local marketplace top”

Considering what it mightiness instrumentality to motorboat Bitcoin backmost into terms discovery, a caller investigation looked astatine speech order-book behavior.

Related: Bitcoin hitting $220K ‘reasonable’ successful 2025, says gold-based forecast

Binance, successful particular, was nether the microscope arsenic the speech with the largest spot volumes. Volume delta, onchain analytics level CryptoQuant said, is simply a cardinal constituent successful sustained terms moves.

“After the caller marketplace correction, the spot nett measurement delta connected Binance has turned affirmative again,” contributor Darkfost wrote successful a “Quicktake” blog station connected May 18.

“This signals that buying enactment is picking up connected spot markets, but much importantly, that selling unit has importantly declined, adjacent with BTC trading supra $100 000. However, historically, erstwhile spot volumes connected Binance emergence excessively rapidly and excessively sharply, it has often coincided with section marketplace tops.”
Bitcoin spot nett measurement delta. Source: CryptoQuant

Volume delta measures the quality successful bargain and merchantability unit crossed candles, helping measure the underlying spot of bid and inquire sides.

CryptoQuant suggests that investors throwing caution to the upwind astir breakouts contributes to unsustainable terms spikes, and monitoring measurement delta helps debar disadvantageous marketplace entries.

“Rather than being a informing sign, rising spot volumes astatine this constituent would beryllium encouraging for marketplace strength,” Darkfost continued. 

“Tracking spot volumes tin supply invaluable insights into capitalist behavior, particularly connected Binance, which handles the largest stock of planetary trading.”

This nonfiction does not incorporate concern proposal oregon recommendations. Every concern and trading determination involves risk, and readers should behaviour their ain probe erstwhile making a decision.

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