Bitcoin price loses $20K as trader warns US dollar 'not quite topped out'

cointelegraph.com:

Bitcoin (BTC) crossed under $20,000 after the Sept. 27 Wall Street open as United States equities inched higher.

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView confirmed the $20,000 mark barely remaining as tentative support on the day.

BTC/USD had managed local highs of $20,344 on Bitstamp overnight, while retracing U.S. dollar strength gave modest relief to risk assets across the board.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index had been up 0.4% and 0.65%, respectively, after two hours’ trading, but subsequently reversed.

At the same time, the U.S. dollar index (DXY) was down 0.15% on the day, back below the 114 mark but still near its highest since mid-2002.

“U.S. open coming up. Green numbers, while Yields & $DXY are correcting,” Michaël van de Poppe, founder and CEO of trading firm Eight, commented.

Popular trader Crypto Tony nonetheless cautioned on assuming that DXY had put in a major top.

“Bad news for the Bitcoin pump, the Dollar has not quite topped out yet, so we are looking for more pumps on the dollar and setbacks on $BTC,” he decided.

With days to go before the monthly close, further BTC price volatility was expected, while traders demanded that October — traditionally a better month than September for crypto return — deliver the goods in 2022.

Related: More ancient Bitcoin leaves its wallet after 10-year hibernation

“Tracking price action over the past decade, Sept. has far and away been the worst performing month for BTC — closing positive only 20% of the time,” popular trading account Crypto Kaleo observed in a thread on Sept. 26.

A close above $20,000 would be just enough for Bitcoin’s first “green” September since 2016.

In a sign of what the monthly close might have in store, meanwhile, major exchange