Bitcoin price taps $17.5K as traders in ‘disbelief’ doubt crypto rally
Bitcoin (BTC) staged a brief but promising return to $17,500 overnight on Jan. 11 as newfound strength lingered.
Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD hitting new local highs of $17,504 on Bitstamp.
Almost tying with the peak from Dec. 16, the pair displayed rare upside momentum against a backdrop of some of the lowest volatility ever seen over the holiday season.
Traders and analysts anticipate an erratic reaction to upcoming macroeconomic data from the United States. Due on Jan. 12, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) print is expected to bolster the narrative that inflation is waning, offering a potential window of opportunity for risk assets.
Nonetheless, many voices urged caution, with signs of fundamental price support still lacking.
Comments from Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, had disappointed markets the day prior, avoiding mention of future policy or the state of the economy itself.
“The real break out or dump will come on Thursday when CPI data is released,” popular trader Johnny summarized on Twitter.
A subsequent post cautioned on “bull tweeting as $BTC sits under higher time frame resistance at $17,600,” with Johnny previously urging followers not to “feel the urge to FOMO especially this week.”
“CPI this week could whip saw the prices back to the where they were last week,” he argued.
The conservative approach appeared symptomatic of the broader sense of apathy among market participants on the day, with little belief that BTC could put in a sustained rally.
The past weeks have seen continued low price predictions, with some of the best-known traders focusing on $12,000, $10,000 or even lower.
“Are we heading into 'disbelief'?”, queried Philip Swift, co-founder of trading platform
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