Bitcoin 'not likely' to make new all-time high in 2026, says new research

Bitcoin (BTC) faces a caller “battle” for power earlier bulls trigger the adjacent circular of BTC terms gains — but the semipermanent outlook is grim.

Key points:

• Bitcoin short-term and semipermanent perspectives opposition arsenic bears enactment successful power connected precocious timeframes.

• A aureate transverse connected the time illustration does not cancel retired abbreviated signals for the remainder of the year.

• A caller all-time precocious is “not likely” arsenic a result.

$87,500 retest adjacent halt for BTC price

In his latest X analysis connected Wednesday, Keith Alan, cofounder of trading assets Material Indicators, forecast a retest of the 2026 yearly open.

Bitcoin terms enactment is present caught successful a tussle betwixt buyers and sellers — but a instrumentality to $87,500 is “not a substance of if, but when,” Alan says.

BTC/USDT order-book information with whale activity. Source: Keith Alan/X

Pointing to Material Indicators’ proprietary trading tools, helium revealed that bulls are trying to sphere enactment astatine $92,000.

“FireCharts shows a realtime conflict unfolding successful the $BTC bid book,” helium commented.

“Bulls are trying to support enactment astatine the 2026-01-05 Timescape Level, but Whales look to beryllium looking for a enactment trial person to the Yearly Open earlier a Golden Cross forms connected the D illustration to trigger the adjacent rally.”

BTC/USD one-day chart. Source: Keith Alan/X

That transverse involves the 21-day and 50-day elemental moving averages (SMAs) — the erstwhile crossing supra the second would bespeak renewed spot connected little timeframes.

Before that, however, a enactment retest of the yearly unfastened is connected the wall.

“The conflict for it is happening close now,” Alan continued portion discussing the situation.  

“If it doesn't hap successful the adjacent 24 hours, I expect it volition hap aft the Death Cross forms connected the Weekly chart, astir the mediate of the month.”

BTC/USD one-day illustration with 21, 50-week SMA. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Bitcoin, Ether astatine “critical inflection points”

Zooming out, other findings had small inspiration for Bitcoin optimists connected multimonth timeframes and further out.

Related: Bitcoin buying metric with mean 109% gains flips affirmative astatine $88K

Multiple “short” signals, trading tools stated, mean that BTC/USD is improbable to marque caller all-time highs earlier 2027.

“A batch tin hap successful 6 months that could invalidate it, but astatine the moment, it’s casual to physique a lawsuit for terms to driblet aft this existent pump loses momentum,” Alan wrote astir the six-month chart.

The probe held akin conclusions astir largest altcoin Ether (ETH), describing some coins arsenic being “at captious inflection points.”

For a existent turnaround, one-week comparative spot scale (RSI) values supra 41/100, on with play closes supra the 50-week SMA astatine $101,500, are needed.

BTC/USD one-week illustration with 50SMA, RSI data. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

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