Bitcoin Breaks $71,556 as Prediction Traders Stay Split

Bitcoin recently established key support at $75,600, coinciding with a record high for the U.S. S&P 500 and technology-sector earnings that lifted risk appetite. The $80,000 level is seen as the dividing line between bullish and bearish momentum. A decisive break above it would shift the market’s focus to a target of $85,000.

Market tracking on May 20 showed Bitcoin rebounding from a low of $75,600, first reclaiming $77,000 and then rising to about $77,700 intraday. Traders are watching whether it can retake $80,000. Meanwhile, inflows into DOGE and SHIB strengthened, signaling increased short-term speculative demand, though bearish positioning continued to weigh on the market.

Bitcoin has rebounded to $78,000, supported by continued accumulation among institutional investors and steady inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs. Whether the rally can continue will hinge on whether spot buying can further strengthen confidence in the near-term upside.

The latest market data show Bitcoin has retaken $78,000, but Deribit options pricing implies only about a 25% chance that BTC will top $84,000 by the end of May. Despite the stronger spot price, derivatives traders have yet to make substantial bets on further near-term gains, reflecting a relatively cautious market stance.

Bitcoin tumbled from about $98,000 to $60,000 in early 2026, losing nearly 40% in just two weeks and making $73,000 a key test of whether the rebound can develop into a sustained trend. A “bull trap” occurs when prices reverse sharply after a breakout, trapping buyers who chased the rally. The latest advance is therefore also seen as a test of whether the bear market has ended.

On March 16, Bitcoin gained more than 3% over 24 hours to $73,700 and rose above its 50-day moving average of $71,125 for the first time in two months. An FxPro analyst called it a sign of a medium-term reversal. CoinDesk, however, reported that market makers held billions of dollars in net short gamma exposure near $75,000, potentially amplifying volatility. Whether the breakout can hold remains uncertain.

Bitcoin reclaimed the $70,000 level as institutional buying through U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs picked up, bringing some ETF investors close to breakeven. The market views $68,000 as the key medium-term dividing line between bullish and bearish momentum. Whether Bitcoin can hold above it will help determine if the rebound extends into April.

Bitcoin recently traded above $70,000 at one point during the New York session, while U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded nearly $500 million in net inflows in a single day. Around March 11, analysts said that if the weekly close continued to hold above the $68,000 trendline, a break above $72,000 could quickly propel Bitcoin into the major short-liquidation zone at $80,000.

Bitcoin returned to $70,000 and US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded renewed inflows, but rising risks from the war in the Middle East and weaker US labor-market data fueled risk aversion and curbed the rally. The probability of a March interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve also fell below 1%, leaving traders cautious about a near-term break above the previous high.

The latest derivatives pricing showed that professional traders saw a less than 17% chance of Bitcoin breaking above $78,000 by the end of March. Even with the cryptocurrency holding near $70,000, ETF buying has yet to translate into clear breakout momentum. Markets remain focused on developments in the war, US employment data and the Fed's interest-rate path.