Bitcoin (BTC) begins a brand new week with a long-awaited breakout from a slim buying and selling vary round $103,000.
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BTC worth motion grabs liquidity earlier than reversing to its beginning place, liquidating many an emotional dealer on the best way. A fakeout or a style of issues to come back?
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The Could 18 day by day and weekly shut nonetheless turned Bitcoin’s highest ever.
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US commerce offers stay excessive on the record of macro volatility triggers for danger asset merchants this week.
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Crypto’s correlation with shares paints a blended image, including to uncertainty over how macro developments will affect Bitcoin and altcoins going ahead.
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Bitcoin change quantity delta turns into a key ingredient in assessing the endurance of BTC worth breakouts, per evaluation from CryptoQuant.
A liquidity seize for the ages
Bitcoin worth motion delivered some “traditional” strikes across the Could 18 weekly shut.
A visit to new multimonth highs close to $107,000 was adopted by a 4% correction in a matter of hours, information from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView reveals.
The spike took out a block of liquidity nestled near all-time highs, with BTC/USD performing a liquidity “seize” designed to first squeeze out shorts after which lure late longs.
“Basic liquidity lure above the latest excessive and reversal downwards,” crypto dealer, analyst and entrepreneur Michaël van de Poppe responded on X.
“I believe we’ll do the identical at $100K earlier than we’ll begin breaking out above the ATHs. These are the zones to build up your Bitcoin.”
Knowledge from monitoring useful resource CoinGlass confirmed ask liquidity being replenished at $107,500, protecting the value from heading increased. The market then took out bid liquidity to $102,000.
Complete crypto liquidations within the 24 hours to the time of writing had been $673 million.
Discussing the outlook for Bitcoin, dealer CrypNuevo was amongst these arguing for warning as an alternative of coming into at any degree within the present vary above $100,000.
“From a danger administration perspective, I don’t see it value it to go lengthy proper now at market worth,” he wrote in an X thread previous to the weekly shut volatility.
“Sure, worth may go up because the HTF pattern suggests however as a dealer I search for low danger entries. We’re at present at resistance. Clearing it might make a way more engaging entry.”
CrypNuevo acknowledged that bullish indicators on excessive timeframes stay and highlighted the retest of the 50-week exponential shifting common (EMA) in April, which has traditionally led to new all-time highs.
This weekend, one other prediction known as for $116,000 to reach in the coming days.
Bitcoin scores highest weekly shut in historical past
It might not have lasted lengthy, however Bitcoin’s newest weekly shut has develop into the highest ever recorded.
Coming in at round $106,500, the weekly candle additionally allowed for a brand new all-time excessive day by day shut.
Regardless of the following correction of almost 4%, merchants are eager to rejoice what they see as an underlying need for the market to push increased.
Highest weekly shut ever for Bitcoin.
The pattern is your pal! pic.twitter.com/p4td9Ab4R8
— CryptoGoos (@crypto_goos) May 19, 2025
“Highest weekly shut ever adopted by a pink begin to the week? Yeah – get the low in early, this week probably ends within the inexperienced huge time,” dealer Jelle argued in an X evaluation.
Fellow dealer Chad noted that BTC/USD has additionally managed to shut above a key Fibonacci extension degree for 2 consecutive weeks — a primary of its form.
Personal wealth supervisor Swissblock Applied sciences noticed one key ingredient to bullish continuation.
“Bitcoin flirted with $107K, grabbed liquidity above $104K–$106K however failed to carry,” it summarized in its newest X response.
“Again within the vary, help holding, for now. Bulls have one job: defend this vary.”
CoinGlass confirmed that Could is a extremely different month for BTC worth motion. At the moment, its 10% positive aspects sit in the midst of a variety of historic outcomes, with below two weeks left till the month-to-month shut.
US commerce warfare rumbles on as Bitcoin ignores rate-cut odds
A scarcity of essential macroeconomic information reviews this week locations the give attention to the Federal Reserve and US commerce offers.
Particularly, markets will probably be in search of constructive developments relating to commerce ties between the US and its companions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised to enact new tariffs on those that don’t negotiate in “good religion.”
Information of a cope with China precipitated a snap reaction for stocks earlier this month, with merchants feeling a way of reduction.
This might not be so evident because the week begins, because of the latest US credit downgrade by Moody’s, wiping 1% off shares’ futures previous to the primary Wall Road open.
With the greenback once more below stress, buying and selling useful resource The Kobeissi Letter advised that Bitcoin and altcoins should profit within the present local weather.
“Crypto is loving the Moody’s downgrade: Bitcoin is now 4% away from a brand new all time excessive and up over +40% since its April low,” it noted across the weekly shut.
“Because the US Greenback weakens and uncertainty rises, Bitcoin and Gold are thriving. Instability is Bitcoin’s finest pal.”
Crypto can be more and more resilient to hawkish cues from the Fed, which has given markets motive to imagine that rate of interest cuts is not going to come earlier than September.
Knowledge from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool reveals the chances of a minimize on the Fed’s upcoming June assembly at simply 12%. Jobless claims on Could 22 may shift these expectations if the consequence differs considerably from predictions.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell will ship the annual Georgetown College Regulation Heart Graduation Deal with on Could 25, however it’s unlikely to offer a lot coverage perception.
Crypto shares correlation in flux
Diverging reactions to the Moody’s downgrade set the stage for a debate round crypto’s correlation with US shares.
In its newest evaluation, analysis agency Santiment couldn’t draw a transparent conclusion over the 2 asset courses’ relationship, calling them “considerably correlated.”
“With the 90-day tariff pause between the US & China Monday, markets stay inside placing distance of all-time highs,” it summarized on Could 17, referring to the S&P 500, Bitcoin and gold.
Separate findings from blockchain information supplier RedStone Oracles drew a distinction between long- and short-term correlation.
Whereas detrimental on a rolling seven-day foundation, it told Cointelegraph, a 30-day perspective delivers a “helpful correlation” between Bitcoin and the S&P 500.
In the meantime, market individuals have aired frustration at crypto’s susceptibility to the identical volatility triggers impacting shares.
“It was much more pleasant when $BTC traded independently of shares,” commentator IncomeSharks told X followers on Could 19.
“It appears now it is only a approach for individuals to commerce inventory futures in the course of the weekend and mirror what the $SPY is doing in the course of the week.”
Quantity delta warns over “native market prime”
Contemplating what it’d take to launch Bitcoin again into worth discovery, a brand new evaluation checked out change order-book habits.
Associated: Bitcoin hitting $220K ‘reasonable’ in 2025, says gold-based forecast
Binance, particularly, was below the microscope because the change with the biggest spot volumes. Quantity delta, onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant mentioned, is a key ingredient in sustained worth strikes.
“After the latest market correction, the spot web quantity delta on Binance has turned constructive once more,” contributor Darkfost wrote in a “Quicktake” weblog submit on Could 18.
“This indicators that purchasing exercise is choosing up on spot markets, however extra importantly, that promoting stress has considerably declined, even with BTC buying and selling above $100 000. Nonetheless, traditionally, when spot volumes on Binance rise too shortly and too sharply, it has usually coincided with native market tops.”
Quantity delta measures the distinction in purchase and promote stress throughout candles, serving to assess the underlying energy of bid and ask sides.
CryptoQuant means that traders throwing warning to the wind round breakouts contributes to unsustainable worth spikes, and monitoring quantity delta helps keep away from disadvantageous market entries.
“Quite than being a warning signal, rising spot volumes at this level could be encouraging for market energy,” Darkfost continued.
“Monitoring spot volumes can present helpful insights into investor habits, particularly on Binance, which handles the biggest share of world buying and selling.”
This text doesn’t include funding recommendation or suggestions. Each funding and buying and selling transfer includes danger, and readers ought to conduct their very own analysis when making a choice.