Bitcoin price volatility increases as BTC halving countdown closes in

Source Fxstreet
  • Bitcoin "danger zone" has done its job with two 18% pullbacks.
  • Perhaps the bear cycle does not dip as hard with different types of buyers entering this cycle.
  • Historically, Bitcoin has peaked in its bull market 518 to 546 days after the halving.

Bitcoin (BTC) price upside momentum has slowed down, but volatility levels have increased. Traders have steadied their hands as the halving closes in to set the tone for the next market cycle.

Also Read: All eyes on Bitcoin price as CNN calls halving the ‘World Cup for BTC’

Daily digest market movers: BTC halving countdown arrives

Bitcoin halving is here, an event expected to raise the curtain on the next market cycle. There has been a lot of turbulence in the market of late. Events such as flows from exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and tensions in the Middle East between Iran and Israel have sent traders into their shells. However, there could be some relief in the market after Iranian officials indicated there are no plans to retaliate against an Israeli strike on Friday.

With markets recording a slowdown in BTC acquisitions, it is imperative to observe that Bitcoin has managed to successfully close above the $60,000 psychological level for 50 successive days. More closely, it has been able to protect the range low of its re-accumulation range for two consecutive weeks. 

Historically, Bitcoin price slows down in its upside momentum around the halving, often retracing, but momentum decisively picks back up in the months after the event. Analysts are saying the halving has already been priced in, an assumption that begs the question: When could Bitcoin peak in this bull market?

  • Historically, Bitcoin has peaked in its bull market 518 to 546 days after the halving, a pattern that typically shows how BTC halving cycles have progressed.
  • If history repeats or at best rhymes, the next bull market peak may occur around mid-September or mid-October 2025.

Bitcoin price reached a new all-time high of $73,777 approximately 260 days ahead of schedule compared to historical norms. The past few weeks, however, pre-halving retraces have dominated. Analysts from Rekt Capital speculate that BTC price could perform a bull market top 266-315 days after it reclaims its peak.

  

The opposite seems likely for altcoins, with analysts anticipating an explosive run in their market capitalization after the BTC halving.

Meanwhile, the "danger zone" for Bitcoin price, where pre-halving retraces tend to occur, appears to have completed successfully after two 18% pullbacks. 

Technical analysis: Danger zone officially over for Bitcoin price

The market remains predominantly bullish with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) holding above the ‘50’ mean level. Both the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) and Awesome Oscillator (AO) are in positive territory, tilting the odds to the upside.

If the RSI holds above 50, Bitcoin price could continue north. A candlestick close above $70,000 would set the tone for an extension to the $73,777 peak, or in a highly bullish case, offer BTC a chance for a new all-time high.

BTC/USDT 3-day chart

However, with the DXY compare indicator climbing, Bitcoin price could be primed for a correction, seeing as the two trajectories have maintained a countercurrent relationship. This thesis is supported by the MACD, which has crossed below the orange band of the signal line, a crossover interpreted as the beginning of a bearish cycle.

If the $59,530 support breaks, Bitcoin price could roll over to the $50,420 level before a possible inflection. 

Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins FAQs

Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, a virtual currency designed to serve as money. This form of payment cannot be controlled by any one person, group, or entity, which eliminates the need for third-party participation during financial transactions.

Altcoins are any cryptocurrency apart from Bitcoin, but some also regard Ethereum as a non-altcoin because it is from these two cryptocurrencies that forking happens. If this is true, then Litecoin is the first altcoin, forked from the Bitcoin protocol and, therefore, an “improved” version of it.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to have a stable price, with their value backed by a reserve of the asset it represents. To achieve this, the value of any one stablecoin is pegged to a commodity or financial instrument, such as the US Dollar (USD), with its supply regulated by an algorithm or demand. The main goal of stablecoins is to provide an on/off-ramp for investors willing to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins also allow investors to store value since cryptocurrencies, in general, are subject to volatility.

Bitcoin dominance is the ratio of Bitcoin's market capitalization to the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies combined. It provides a clear picture of Bitcoin’s interest among investors. A high BTC dominance typically happens before and during a bull run, in which investors resort to investing in relatively stable and high market capitalization cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. A drop in BTC dominance usually means that investors are moving their capital and/or profits to altcoins in a quest for higher returns, which usually triggers an explosion of altcoin rallies.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Gold ends three-week slide at the $4,400 line — eight straight days of ETF inflows vs a 5% 10-year and a 100 dollarSpot gold closed Friday at $4,378.39, up 0.84% on the day and about 0.8% for the week — its first weekly gain in four weeks — with the intraday high of $4,399.67 leaving it 33 cents shy of the $4,400 line. Gold ETFs have now logged eight straight sessions of inflows, but with the 10-year back above 5% and the dollar index near 100, here is what decides whether this is a reversal or a bounce.
Author  Suzie
Sep 20, Sun
Spot gold closed Friday at $4,378.39, up 0.84% on the day and about 0.8% for the week — its first weekly gain in four weeks — with the intraday high of $4,399.67 leaving it 33 cents shy of the $4,400 line. Gold ETFs have now logged eight straight sessions of inflows, but with the 10-year back above 5% and the dollar index near 100, here is what decides whether this is a reversal or a bounce.
placeholder
October hike odds climb toward 60% as Goldman and BofA both flip — what Warsh's "dose of accommodation" really changedRate futures now price roughly 55% to 62% for a 25bp hike at the October 27-28 FOMC, up from about 30% before Chair Warsh's post-meeting framing that the Fed is merely "removing some accommodation." Goldman Sachs has added an October hike to its forecast and Bank of America now sees moves in both October and December. Here is the repricing, the language behind it, and the two data points that decide it.
Author  Irene Q.
Sep 23, Wed
Rate futures now price roughly 55% to 62% for a 25bp hike at the October 27-28 FOMC, up from about 30% before Chair Warsh's post-meeting framing that the Fed is merely "removing some accommodation." Goldman Sachs has added an October hike to its forecast and Bank of America now sees moves in both October and December. Here is the repricing, the language behind it, and the two data points that decide it.
placeholder
Four jobs reports in five days: what JOLTS, ADP, claims and the September payrolls mean for the October Fed decisionThe US labour market faces its densest data week of the month. JOLTS job openings land Tuesday (7.2 million expected), ADP on Wednesday (70,000 expected), initial claims on Thursday and the September non-farm payrolls on Friday (100,000 expected, down from 162,000). Markets price a 64%-70% chance of another quarter-point Fed hike on October 28. The dollar index sits at 100.77 and the S&P 500 at 7,729.8.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 06: 33
The US labour market faces its densest data week of the month. JOLTS job openings land Tuesday (7.2 million expected), ADP on Wednesday (70,000 expected), initial claims on Thursday and the September non-farm payrolls on Friday (100,000 expected, down from 162,000). Markets price a 64%-70% chance of another quarter-point Fed hike on October 28. The dollar index sits at 100.77 and the S&P 500 at 7,729.8.
placeholder
RBA set to hike interest rate to 4.60% in September as inflation remains elevatedThe Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is widely expected to raise the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.60% from 4.35% on Tuesday, after keeping rates unchanged at its previous two meetings
Author  FXStreet
8 hours ago
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is widely expected to raise the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.60% from 4.35% on Tuesday, after keeping rates unchanged at its previous two meetings
placeholder
Nvidia's $150 billion buyback landed — and the AI sector fell anyway. That's the signal worth tradingNvidia closed up 1.68% at $228.86 on 28 September after announcing a $150 billion share repurchase authorisation, the largest single corporate buyback on record, while the rest of the AI complex sold off: AMD -3.6%, Micron -2.6%, Meta -4.8% and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index -1.61%. The divergence is not noise. Capital is rotating toward cash-flow certainty, not abandoning the AI theme. With Micron reporting after the close on 30 September, here is what the split means.
Author  Irene Q.
3 hours ago
Nvidia closed up 1.68% at $228.86 on 28 September after announcing a $150 billion share repurchase authorisation, the largest single corporate buyback on record, while the rest of the AI complex sold off: AMD -3.6%, Micron -2.6%, Meta -4.8% and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index -1.61%. The divergence is not noise. Capital is rotating toward cash-flow certainty, not abandoning the AI theme. With Micron reporting after the close on 30 September, here is what the split means.
Related Instrument
goTop
quote