Bitcoin’s (BTC) rally stalled above $76,000 on Tuesday after short-term profit-taking reached its highest level in 2026, even as long-term holders continued to accumulate. The tension between these two groups may keep BTC from quickly breaking into the $80,000 range.
Bitcoin profit-taking meets whale demand
Short-term holders moved coins as BTC in profit sent to exchanges hit 63,000 BTC on April 14, the largest single-day figure in 2026 and the biggest since the 44,800 spike on Jan. 14. One-day-to-one-week holders moved nearly 2,000 BTC back to Binance during the same period, suggesting new purchases were rotating into sell-side liquidity as BTC traded near $76,000.
CryptoQuant analyst Amr Taha flagged this as the first clear wave of profit-taking after a retest of the monthly highs, characterizing it as cautious distribution by newer participants securing gains at resistance. Taha said the activity signals a natural cooling in momentum.
At the same time, whale behavior contrasted with this selling. Market analyst CW noted a single-day inflow of over 71,000 BTC into accumulation addresses — the largest bullish inflow since early 2022 — indicating large holders were absorbing available supply from short-term sellers. This flow from weaker hands to stronger ones could stabilize price while capping an immediate breakout.
Bitcoin liquidity cluster may lead to a small dip
After forming equal highs near $76,000, BTC was rejected near the 100-day exponential moving average (EMA) — the first such test since Jan. 14 — and slipped to about $73,500. On lower time frames the bullish trend remained intact, but internal liquidity on the one-hour chart clusters around $73,000 and $72,000, zones likely to attract bids before any continuation.
The liquidation heatmap shows roughly $1.4 billion in cumulative long liquidations clustered near $73,000, rising to $3.5 billion in long positions at risk around $70,500. Conversely, a move toward $80,000 would threaten about $2 billion in leveraged short positions. The asymmetry between long and short liquidation zones suggests BTC may retest the $72,000–$70,000 range before mounting a sustained advance.
This price action coincides with steady ETF-related flows and broader market dynamics, underscoring the interplay between short-term profit-taking and long-term accumulation.
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