Bitcoin Price Forecast: BTC steadies near $87,000 as strong ETF inflows offset bearish pressure

Institutional demand shows highest single-day in one month

Institutional demand shows early signs of recovery. SoSoValue data show that Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded inflows of $457.29 million on Wednesday, breaking the two-day outflow streak. Moreover, Wednesday’s inflow marked the largest single-day ETF inflow since November 11, providing a demand boost that helped counter near-term selling pressure. If these inflows continue and intensify, the Bitcoin price could see further recovery ahead.

BTC remains range-bound, reports Glassnode

Glassnode's weekly report on Tuesday highlighted that Bitcoin is stuck in a range, supported near $81,000, but capped by heavy selling above $95,000.

The report explains that as long as price remains below this ($93,000-$120,000) range and fails to reclaim key thresholds, most notably the Short-Term Holder Cost Basis at $101,500, the risk of further corrective downside continues to loom over the market.

Despite this ongoing pressure, patient demand has so far defended the True Market Mean near $81,300, preventing a deeper breakdown. Spot demand remains selective, corporate treasury flows are episodic, and futures positioning continues to de-risk rather than rebuild conviction.

“A real move higher will only happen if sellers run out above resistance or if fresh liquidity enters the market to absorb supply and push price back above key cost levels,” concludes Glassnode analyst.

Bitcoin Price Forecast: BTC trades sideways between $85,500 – $90,000

Bitcoin was rejected at the psychological $90,000 resistance on Monday but found support at the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement at $85,569, leading to consolidation between these levels so far this week. As of Thursday, BTC hovers around $87,000.

If BTC breaks and closes below $85,569 on a daily basis, it could extend the decline toward the psychological $80,000 level.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart is at 40, below its neutral level of 50, indicating bearish momentum gaining traction. Moreover, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) showed a bearish crossover on Wednesday, further supporting the bearish view.

Looking up, if BTC closes above the $90,000 resistance level, it could extend the recovery toward the next key resistance at $94,253.

Bitcoin, altcoins, stablecoins FAQs

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, a virtual currency designed to serve as money. This form of payment cannot be controlled by any one person, group, or entity, which eliminates the need for third-party participation during financial transactions.

What are altcoins?

Altcoins are any cryptocurrency apart from Bitcoin, but some also regard Ethereum as a non-altcoin because it is from these two cryptocurrencies that forking happens. If this is true, then Litecoin is the first altcoin, forked from the Bitcoin protocol and, therefore, an “improved” version of it.

What are stablecoins?

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to have a stable price, with their value backed by a reserve of the asset it represents. To achieve this, the value of any one stablecoin is pegged to a commodity or financial instrument, such as the US Dollar (USD), with its supply regulated by an algorithm or demand. The main goal of stablecoins is to provide an on/off-ramp for investors willing to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins also allow investors to store value since cryptocurrencies, in general, are subject to volatility.

What is Bitcoin Dominance?

Bitcoin dominance is the ratio of Bitcoin's market capitalization to the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies combined. It provides a clear picture of Bitcoin’s interest among investors. A high BTC dominance typically happens before and during a bull run, in which investors resort to investing in relatively stable and high market capitalization cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. A drop in BTC dominance usually means that investors are moving their capital and/or profits to altcoins in a quest for higher returns, which usually triggers an explosion of altcoin rallies.