Bitcoin Struggles Below $78K as Institutional Selling Weighs on Recovery

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Bybit


Bitcoin’s weekend rebound once again confirmed that buyers are still active at lower levels, but the market continues to struggle near the key $78K resistance zone. Bulls managed to regain momentum after US President Donald Trump stated that negotiations between the US and Iran were moving forward in a “constructive” manner, which helped improve short-term risk sentiment across the market. Buyers extended the recovery into Monday and attempted to stabilize price above $77.5K, but the broader structure still remains fragile. For Bitcoin to shift back into a stronger bullish trend, it needs to reclaim and hold above $78K consistently. If that happens, the path toward the major $84K resistance opens up again.

Despite the bounce, institutional flows continue to paint a cautious picture. US spot Bitcoin ETFs have now recorded roughly $1.55 billion in net outflows, showing that large investors are still reducing exposure amid ongoing uncertainty. According to Santiment, this type of heavy outflow activity often reflects retail capitulation, which historically tends to create better long-term accumulation opportunities for patient investors rather than signaling the start of panic selling. At the same time, CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost pointed out that Bitcoin’s apparent demand has dropped to deeply negative levels, marking the weakest demand conditions since late 2025. This suggests that without stronger spot buying, it will be difficult for BTC to sustain a major breakout in the near term.

Crypto analytics platform Swissblock also warned that Bitcoin is moving into a higher-risk environment as institutional selling pressure continues to rise. Their Bitcoin risk index has climbed sharply, signaling that selling pressure is now outweighing buying support structurally. After several months of strong accumulation earlier in the year, May has shifted back into distribution mode, with ETF demand no longer absorbing market selling effectively. Glassnode data further confirmed this weakness, showing that US Bitcoin ETFs have seen net outflows on almost every trading day since early May. This ongoing institutional distribution is becoming one of the biggest headwinds for Bitcoin’s short-term recovery attempts.

Binance

Outside of Bitcoin, selective strength is still emerging in parts of the market. HYPE and ZEC continue showing relative strength while many large-cap altcoins struggle below major resistance levels. This reflects a market environment where traders are becoming far more selective and are rotating into assets showing stronger momentum rather than broadly buying the entire altcoin sector.

In the institutional crypto space, Tom Lee suggested that Bitmine Immersion Technologies could soon receive a major boost through potential inclusion in the Russell index family. If Bitmine qualifies for the Russell 1000, it could attract additional flows from both passive and active institutional fund managers, which would further strengthen the growing narrative around Ether treasury companies and institutional crypto exposure.

The industry also received sad news this week with the unexpected passing of Nathan Allman, founder of Ondo Finance. Allman played a major role in helping bring tokenized real-world assets onto blockchain infrastructure and was considered one of the key pioneers in the tokenization movement. His work helped bridge traditional finance and blockchain technology, especially around tokenized Treasuries and financial products that attracted significant interest from major institutions like BlackRock.

Meanwhile, DeFi continues working through the fallout from recent security breaches. Kelp DAO announced that it has successfully completed the operational recovery of its rsETH token after suffering a major exploit linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group earlier this year. The exploit created significant stress across the DeFi lending ecosystem and highlighted once again how interconnected decentralized finance protocols have become. While operations have now normalized, the event remains another reminder that security risks continue to be one of the biggest challenges facing the sector.

The crypto market remains in a fragile recovery phase where buyers are still defending key support levels, but upside momentum remains limited without stronger institutional demand. Bitcoin holding above the mid-$70K region is constructive, but the market still needs a clean breakout above $78K to shift sentiment decisively bullish again. ETF outflows continue to weigh heavily on confidence, and institutional distribution remains one of the biggest risks for BTC in the near term. At the same time, retail fear and capitulation are increasing, which historically has often created better long-term accumulation zones. Altcoins continue to struggle overall, although selective strength in smaller sectors shows traders are still actively rotating capital. Macro headlines and geopolitical developments remain major drivers of volatility, especially around US-Iran negotiations and broader risk sentiment. Tokenization narratives continue gaining traction, supported by increasing institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure. Security concerns in DeFi are still impacting market confidence, but protocols are gradually improving recovery and risk management processes. The market currently feels more range-bound than trend-driven, which means traders should stay patient and focus on confirmation rather than chasing short-term pumps. Until Bitcoin reclaims higher resistance zones with strong spot demand, volatility and choppy price action are likely to remain the dominant theme.

Bitcoin briefly lost the key $76K support level on Friday, but buyers stepped in aggressively and pushed price back above it over the weekend. That reaction shows there is still strong demand at lower levels, with bulls unwilling to let the market break down easily. The current focus is now on the 20-day EMA near $77.9K, which is acting as immediate resistance during this relief rally. Sellers are trying to defend this zone, but buyers continue applying pressure. If Bitcoin manages to reclaim and hold above the 20-day EMA, it could trigger a stronger recovery move toward $80K and eventually the major $84K resistance area. On the downside, if BTC loses momentum again and falls below $74.2K, it would suggest bears are slowly regaining control of the market structure. In that scenario, price could slide toward the ascending channel support line, which is likely to become the next major demand zone for buyers.

Ethereum is attempting to recover after dropping below its ascending channel pattern, but the rebound is still facing strong resistance from sellers. The downtrend in the 20-day EMA around $2,184 and the RSI sitting in bearish territory both indicate that sellers still have a slight advantage in the short term. If ETH fails to reclaim the moving averages and starts moving lower again, the market could quickly revisit the important psychological support at $2,000 and potentially the $1,916 region after that. However, if buyers manage to push Ethereum back above the moving averages and sustain price there, it would signal that the breakdown below the channel may have been a fakeout. In that case, ETH could regain momentum and attempt another rally toward the $2,465 resistance zone.

XRP continues to trade below its moving averages, showing that sellers are still maintaining overall control of the trend. Bears are now attempting to break the critical $1.27 support level, which has become one of the most important price zones for XRP in the short term. If that level fails, the market could quickly slide toward $1.11 and possibly even retest the psychological $1 support level. On the bullish side, XRP needs a breakout above the descending channel trendline before any real recovery can begin. A successful move above that resistance could push price toward $1.61, and a confirmed close above $1.61 would signal a much stronger trend reversal with upside momentum returning to the market.

BNB continues to hold up relatively well compared to several other large-cap altcoins. The asset briefly dipped below the 20-day EMA near $652, but buyers quickly stepped in near the 50-day SMA around $635, showing that demand still exists at lower levels. The overall structure remains fairly neutral, with the moving averages flattening and RSI hovering near the midpoint. Bulls now need a breakout above the key $687 resistance level to confirm a stronger uptrend. If that happens, BNB could gain momentum toward $730 and eventually $790. However, if price gets rejected again and falls below the 50-day SMA, it would suggest the market is likely to remain stuck inside the broader $570 to $687 range for a longer period.

Solana bounced strongly from the $82.65 support zone, showing that buyers are still defending the lower end of the range aggressively. However, the recovery is currently struggling against resistance at the 20-day EMA near $87.1. If SOL gets rejected from this level again, bears will likely make another attempt to break below the $82.65 support. A confirmed breakdown there could accelerate downside momentum toward the critical $76 level. Buyers are expected to defend $76 heavily because losing that support could open the door for a deeper correction toward $67. On the upside, reclaiming the 20-day EMA would be the first sign that selling pressure is fading. If SOL then manages to break above $98, it would confirm a much stronger bullish reversal and put buyers firmly back in control.

The market is currently sitting in a very sensitive zone where both bulls and bears are fighting hard around major technical levels. Bitcoin reclaiming $76K is a positive short-term signal, but bulls still need to clear the 20-day EMA to build stronger momentum. A move above $80K would likely improve overall market sentiment quickly, while failure to hold support could bring another wave of selling pressure. Ethereum remains weaker than Bitcoin structurally, and traders will be watching closely to see whether ETH can reclaim the moving averages or continue drifting toward lower support levels. XRP is still trading inside a bearish structure, and the $1.27 support remains the most important level to watch in the near term. BNB is showing relative stability and may outperform if the broader market stabilizes, but it still needs a breakout above $687 to confirm strength. Solana continues to respect key support zones, but the asset must reclaim the 20-day EMA before buyers regain confidence. Across the market, dip buying is still visible, which shows that long-term participants have not fully stepped away yet. At the same time, sellers continue defending resistance aggressively, making breakout confirmation extremely important before entering trades. Volatility is expected to remain high as the market reacts to macro headlines, liquidity moves, and shifting sentiment. Traders should remain patient, focus on key levels, and avoid overleveraging in a market that is still highly reactive and uncertain.

Earnings Disclaimer: The information you’ll find in this article is for educational purpose only. We make no promise or guarantee of income or earnings. You have to do some work, use your best judgement and perform due diligence before using the information in this article. Your success is still up to you. Nothing in this article is intended to be professional, legal, financial and/or accounting advice. Always seek competent advice from professionals in these matters. If you break the city or other local laws, we will not be held liable for any damages you incur.



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