Bitcoin’s prolonged consolidation below $70,000 may be setting up a larger rally, according to crypto analyst Michael van de Poppe. “The longer it lasts, the heavier the breakout will be,” the MN Trading Capital founder said in an X post, noting Bitcoin’s stagnation in the current area and flagging a possible break above $71,000 — a level not seen since March 26.
Since hitting a yearly low of $60,000 on Feb. 6, Bitcoin has been confined to a narrow $60,000–$74,000 range. At the time of publication, BTC was trading around $66,890, down about 8.25% over the past 30 days, per CoinMarketCap. Market sentiment remains weak: the Crypto Fear & Greed Index recorded an “Extreme Fear” score of 11.
Not all analysts are optimistic. Crypto commentator Ted said $60,000 “wasn’t the bottom,” adding that while this doesn’t imply another 50% crash, “there’ll be one final capitulation before the bottom.” Willy Woo warned there’s a “very good chance we get a deeper bear due to a breakdown of the secular bull market in global macro.” Veteran trader Peter Brandt told Cointelegraph he doesn’t expect Bitcoin to hit a new all-time high in 2026 — perhaps not until the second quarter of 2027.
Van de Poppe’s view is that extended consolidation increases the potential energy for a strong breakout, but broader market signals and some analysts’ warnings suggest downside risk remains possible before any sustained reversal.
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