Is the crypto market "picking up passengers in reverse"? Is there still a chance to "get on board" and find bargains?

Author: BitpushNew Mary Liu

The cryptocurrency market started this week with a significant decline. In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin dropped by 5%, briefly falling below the $91,000 mark, reaching a new monthly low. Other major cryptocurrencies also saw declines: Solana (SOL) fell over 16%, Ethereum and XRP dropped by 12%, while BNB experienced a relatively "mild" decline of 6%. Over 90% of the tokens in the top 100 by market capitalization reported losses.

According to Coinglass data, as of the time of writing, the total liquidation amount across the crypto market in the past 24 hours reached $950 million, primarily from long positions, with a total of 314,902 people liquidated globally.

Bitcoin: 200-Day Moving Average Determines Future Direction

TradingView chart analyst Tomarket stated that the daily chart for Bitcoin (BTC/USD) shows that the price is currently in a consolidation phase, with the fluctuation range confined within a clear range (the blue rectangular area in the above chart). This pattern indicates that the market is in a stalemate between bulls and bears, with neither side holding a clear advantage.

From a technical perspective, the key resistance level is in the range of $100,000 to $103,787. A breakout above this level could initiate a new round of upward movement, targeting $108,734 to $110,266. On the other hand, the short-term support level is in the range of $96,484 to $97,065. A drop below this level could trigger further selling pressure. In the long term, the area between $89,533 and $84,773 (200-day moving average) is an important support level, historically a strong demand zone in trending markets.

The 200-day moving average ($84,773) is a key long-term support level, and if the price retraces to this area, it may attract buying interest.

In terms of potential market direction, if the price falls below $96,000, it may indicate increased selling pressure, further probing the $89,533 to $85,000 area, and even breaking below the 200-day moving average could trigger a deeper correction. Conversely, if it breaks above $103,787, it may trigger a continuation of the upward trend, targeting $108,734 and $110,266, with the possibility of breaking above $120,000 to set a new historical high.

In summary, Bitcoin is currently in a consolidation phase, with the 200-day moving average being a key long-term support level. Traders should closely monitor the price performance in these critical areas to assess the market's next direction.

Ethereum Faces Significant Decline, Market Sentiment Turns Cautious

One possible reason for ETH's poor performance is that some traders previously expected Bybit to purchase a large amount of ETH in the open market to cover losses, but this assumption proved incorrect, forcing traders to close their positions.

Data shows that on February 24, the open interest for Ethereum futures dropped from 8.82 million ETH to 8.52 million ETH, indicating that traders are closing leveraged positions. Well-known cryptocurrency analyst Crypto Rover warned on Twitter that if Ethereum (ETH) continues to decline significantly, it could raise concerns about whether the altcoin season can persist.

On-chain data shows that in the past 24 hours, the number of active Ethereum addresses decreased by 7% to 450,000, suggesting that network activity may be declining. From a technical analysis perspective, the ETH price has fallen below the 50-day moving average, indicating bearish momentum. @Manofbitcoin analyzed on the X platform that the support level for ETH is between $2,512 and $2,305. Only a sustained breakout above $2,919 would confirm an upward trend.

In summary, Ethereum currently faces significant downward pressure, and market sentiment is turning cautious. The impact of leveraged liquidations and the Bybit incident has intensified price volatility. The potential decline in ETH prices could have a ripple effect on the altcoin market, and investors need to closely monitor key support levels and changes in market sentiment.