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Historical Bitcoin price fractal hints at rally toward $50K

Bitcoin price in 2023 mirrors a 2015 fractal that saw BTC price doubling from $350 to $700 in seven months.

Bitcoin (BTC) could rally toward $50,000 in 2023, according to a historical price fractal highlighted by popular market analyst Mags.

Bitcoin price trend in 2015 vs. 2023

The chart fractal highlights the similarities between Bitcoin's ongoing price trends and those recorded after the completion of the 2013-2015 bear market.

That includes Bitcoin's consolidation inside the $200-300 range between January 2015 and August 2015, which appears identical to its consolidation between the $18,500-25,000 range after the supposed completion of its 2021-2022 bear market.

BTC/USD price performance comparison between 2015 and 2023. Source: TradingView/Mags

BTC's price broke above the $16,000-25,000 range in March 2023, prompting Mags to highlight its resemblance to the breakout above the $200-300 range in October 2015.

Since this resulted in a rally toward $700 in June 2016, the analyst sees the scenario potentially repeating in 2023, with the BTC price doubling to $50,000.

"Being bearish here [when Bitcoin's price is around $28,000] is like being bearish at $350," Mags added.

Liquidity crunch may spoil Bitcoin price rally

The bullish argument for Bitcoin comes amid anticipations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would slow the pace of its interest rate hikes.

Due to lower rate expectations, the yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note has declined. That, in turn, has boosted investors' appetite for zero-yielding assets like Bitcoin and gold.

US10Y weekly chart versus BTC/USD and XAU/USD. Source: TradingView

In addition, lower yields have also sapped U.S. dollar demand with the dollar losing 1.33% in 2023 versus a basket of top foreign currencies. Since Bitcoin's value is largely denominated in the dollar, it means higher prices for BTC/USD.

Related: Latest Bitcoin price data suggests double top above $200K in 2025

However, Bloomberg analyst Mike McGlone has cautioned about a potential bull trap in the Bitcoin market due to a mounting liquidity crunch.

He said:

"It may be illogical to expect the stock market, crude oil, copper, and the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index (BGCI) sustain the recent bounces with year-over-year measures of money supply and commercial bank deposits falling around 2%."

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Dollar’s sharp recovery puts Bitcoin’s $25K breakout prospects at risk

Persistent inflation and a strong labor market create conditions for more Fed rate hikes in 2023, which may push Bitcoin down against the U.S. dollar.

Bitcoin (BTC) investors reeling from the shock of recent cryptocurrency company failures and banking issues may face another potential problem: a recovering United States dollar.

US dollar strength reemerges

Notably, the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback’s performance against a basket of top foreign currencies, has risen 4% from its Feb. 3 low of 100.82, amid anticipations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will continue raising benchmark rates to cool inflation.

Inflation persists

An air of caution remains as fresh U.S. data shows a recession is not yet imminent.

That includes the latest jobless claims, which fell 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 190,000 in the week ending Feb. 25, and stronger consumer spending in January. 

Meanwhile, 90% of the U.S. manufacturers surveyed by Bloomberg complained about rising input prices despite the easing supply-chain problems.

ISM manufacturing prices paid. Source: Bloomberg

While the problem is not as severe as during the pandemic, the survey shows inflationary pressure has not gone away despite the Fed’s aggressive rate hikes.

“Recent data suggest that consumer spending isn’t slowing that much, that the labor market continues to run unsustainably hot, and that inflation is not coming down as fast as I thought,” noted Fed Governor Christopher Waller, adding:

“If those data reports continue to come in too hot, the policy target range will have to be raised this year even more.“

Bank of America Global Research anticipates the Fed to raise the interest rate to almost 6% from the current 4.5–4.75% range. Theoretically, it should renew investors’ demand for the dollar by putting downside pressure on “riskier” assets like Bitcoin.

DXY chart paints inverse head-and-shoulders

From a technical perspective, the U.S. Dollar Index looks poised to rise by more than 4.5% in the coming months due to the formation of a classic bullish reversal pattern.

Dubbed inverse-head-and-shoulders, the pattern develops when the price forms three troughs below a common resistance line (neckline), with the middle trough (head) deeper than the other two (left and right shoulders).

DXY daily price chart. Source: TradingView

An inverse-head-and-shoulders pattern resolves after the price breaks above the neckline and rises by as much as the maximum height between the pattern’s lowest level and the neckline.

If the DXY successfully breaks above its neckline of 105.25, the likelihood of an extended recovery toward 109.75 in 2023 will be higher.

Bitcoin price to retest $20K?

The stronger dollar prospects come as Bitcoin bulls fail to sustain the price rally in breaking the $25,000 technical resistance level. BTC’s price has tumbled by around 13% since, with macro headwinds being one of the primary reasons. 

What’s more, concerns over Silvergate and potential ramifications for the industry have also kept the price in check in the past few days.  

Related: Bitcoin price slides 5% in 60 minutes amid Silvergate uncertainty

“Any liquidity concerns will have a direct impact on market conditions and may affect the access and availability of some client funds,” warned John Toro, head of trading at digital-asset exchange Independent Reserve.

Technically, Bitcoin has maintained its short-term bullish bias by holding strongly above its two key exponential moving averages (EMA): the 50-day EMA (red) near $22,500, and the 200-day EMA (blue) near $21,770.

However, traders should watch for a potential break below the EMAs, which, coupled with rising rates and additional negative news, could see the BTC price retesting the key $20,000 support level in the coming weeks.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Bitcoin Difficulty Surges 4.68%, Taps New All-Time High; Metric Set to Surpass 40 Trillion

Bitcoin Difficulty Surges 4.68%, Taps New All-Time High; Metric Set to Surpass 40 TrillionThe Bitcoin blockchain recorded another difficulty increase on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, at block height 774,144. The network’s difficulty increased by 4.68%, from 37.59 trillion to an all-time high of 39.35 trillion. Bitcoin Difficulty Reaches New All-Time High as Mining Gets Tougher Bitcoin’s difficulty reached another all-time high, surpassing the record set two weeks ago, […]

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Bitcoin Difficulty Set to Rise 3.82% to All-Time High of 39 Trillion Following Recent Increase

Bitcoin Difficulty Set to Rise 3.82% to All-Time High of 39 Trillion Following Recent IncreaseThe Bitcoin network is set to record another meaningful difficulty increase on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, as current estimates expect it to rise 3.82% higher. The change follows the last difficulty retarget, which advanced by 10.26% to the current all-time high of 37.59 trillion. Block Time Breakdown: How Faster Discovery is Impacting Bitcoin Difficulty In […]

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Ethereum vs. Bitcoin: ETH price risks 20% drop if key support level breaks

ETH price has repeatedly failed to break above a key trendline resistance and now Ethereum risks losing a strong technical support as well.

Ether's (ETH) rally versus Bitcoin (BTC) is not only showing signs of exhaustion, but is also in danger of breaking below a key technical support level. 

ETH slides vs. BTC in second half of January

The ETH/BTC pair declined nearly 9.25% on Jan. 24 from its local top of 0.0779 BTC established on Jan. 11. Since the start of the year, Bitcoin is slightly outpacing Ether in USD terms, rising 38% versus 35%, respectively.

ETH/BTC daily candle price chart. Source: TradingView

Interestingly, Ether's pullback versus Bitcoin has landed its price at the bottom of its EMA ribbon range, as shown below.

ETH/BTC weekly candle price chart. Source: TradingView

The EMA ribbon indicator shows numerous exponential moving averages of increasing timeframe on the same price chart. Dropping below the ribbon range increases an asset's likelihood of seeing an extended down-move.

So in other words, breaking lower would increase its possibility of declining by more than 20% from its current price levels.

Conversely, rising above the ribbon range raises the asset's chances of a broader rally.

Ethereum price capped by key descending trendline

This week, ETH/BTC dropped to the 55-week exponential moving average (the red wave) — a bottom wave — of its EMA Ribbon indicator, as shown below. Buyers took control near the 55-week EMA, prompting Ether to recover a mere 0.35% versus Bitcoin to 0.0708 BTC on Jan. 24.

Related: This $25K BTC price target would spell misery for Bitcoin shorters

But now, the likelihood of retesting the EMA ribbon bottom is high due to a multi-month descending trendline resistance (black trendline in the chart below), where sellers have been more active as of late.

ETH/BTC weekly price chart focusing on descending trendline resistance. Source: TradingView

Therefore, one cannot rule out of the possibility of ETH/BTC breaking below the EMA Ribbon range, similar to how the pair did in May 2022 in the wake of the Terra collapse.

Back then, Ether fell by over 25% versus Bitcoin to 0.0490, a level coinciding with its 200-week EMA (the blue wave). 

Therefore, if a similar breakdown occurs in the coming weeks, the ETH/BTC pair may test the 200-week EMA near 0.0550 BTC as its primary downside target, or roughly a 20% price drop from current levels. 

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Cathie Wood: Ark dumps 500K GBTC shares, adds Coinbase stock as Bitcoin recovers 40%

Ark's GBTC weight in the portfolio actually increased despite the fund selling 500,000 shares in the past month.

Cathie Wood's Ark Invest offloaded a chunk of its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) shares since November's Bitcoin (BTC) price lows, the latest data shows.

Cathie Wood's Ark short-term cautious on GBTC

Ark Invest added 450,272 GBTC shares worth $4.5 million to its ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) in November 2022. At the time, GBTC was trading in the $7.46-$9.48 range versus $12.25 in January 2023.

GBTC price, of course, recovered alongside Bitcoin, rising roughly 40% from its November lows. The recovery in January also helped reduce the GBTC "discount" from nearly 50% to 40%, according to YCharts.

GBTC daily price chart. Source: TradingView

Interestingly, the share price rebound coincided with a reduction in ARKW's GBTC holdings by 500,000 shares, suggesting profit taking in the short ter.

GBTC shares (purple) in Ark's ETF versus its price (orange). Source: Cathiesark.com

Moreover, Ark's reduction in shares since November appears in line with its officially "bearish view" on the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, as mentioned in its December report, which stated that:

"The Digital Currency Group (DCG) appears to be one of the biggest questions marks in the crypto industry at this time."

The company also expressed concerns about Genesis Global, a cryptocurrency lender owned by DCG. Genesis filed for bankruptcy while claiming $1 billion to $10 billion in liabilities to over 100,000 creditors.

Meanwhile, Grayscale has been unable to convert its Bitcoin trust into an ETF following rejections from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As Cointelegraph reported, an approval from the SEC could reset GBTC's discount to zero.

Nonetheless, as of Jan. 23, GBTC's share weight in Ark's portfolio has actually increased to 0.52% compared to its November 2022 low of 0.35%. 

GBTC shares' weight (purple) across Ark ETFs. Source: Cathiesark.com

Ark adds $17.6M in Coinbase stock

Ark's selling of GBTC shares in the past weeks coincided with accumulation of Coinbase (COIN) shares. 

Cathie Wood's ARKW added 320,000 COIN shares (about $17.6 million) in 2023. As a result, the Coinbase stock's weight in Ark Invest's combined ETF portfolios has reached nearly 3.62% on Jan. 23 versus 2.73% at the start of this year.

COIN shares (purple) in Ark's ETF versus its price (orange). Source: Cathiesark.com

Overall, Ark appears to be only increasing its exposure to the Bitcoin market, particularly as Wood is well known for her consistent $1 million BTC price prediction by 2030. 

Can the GBTC price rally continue?

Similarly, Greenery Financial, an investment strategy firm, confirmed that it had shifted its GBTC exposure to ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) due to the above-mentioned risks around DCG.

"Any bad news, be it Cathie Wood selling out of GBTC or DCG going bankrupt, will spark the same fears and doubt - of uncertainty - and likely cause an expansion of the discount once again," the firm warned in its SeekingAlpha note, saying:

"With Bitcoin having no real catalyst in the short term and plenty of potential downside catalysts, there are plenty of risks here from the NAV side as well."

Nonetheless Bitcoin and GBTC prices may keep on rallying through Q1 from a technical perspective.

On the daily chart, GBTC has reclaimed its 50-day exponential moving average (50-day EMA; the red wave in the chart below) near $9.68 as support.

Related: Grayscale files brief in ETF suit against SEC, oral arguments may come within months

Upward momentum could see it test the 200-day EMA (the blue wave) near $15 if it continues to float above the 50-day EMA wave, similar to what happened in March-April 2022.

GBTC daily price chart. Source: TradingView

The technical upside target falls in line with what Pat Tschosik, senior portfolio strategist at Ned Davis Research, predicts about the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust.

He argues that GBTC price could not only double by mid-2023, but also narrow the extant discount gap with Bitcoin's spot price. 

“We recommend GBTC…as a way to play Bitcoin because it has a ‘potential NAV kicker rebate,’ which not only means it would go up if Bitcoin goes up, but also closing its current large 35% rebate on NAV,” Ned Davis Research said in a note to clients.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Ethereum price technicals hint at 35% gains versus Bitcoin in 2023

Ethereum market dominance has doubled since the lunch of its staking contract in December 2020 as ETH price eyes levels not seen in five years versus Bitcoin.

Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), could grow by 35% versus Bitcoin (BTC) this year to hit 0.1 BTC for the first time since 2018 as it forms a classic bullish continuation pattern.

Ethereum price must first break key resistance

Dubbed an ascending triangle, the pattern forms when the price fluctuates inside a range defined by rising trendline support and horizontal trendline resistance. It typically resolves after the price breaks out in the direction of its previous trend.

On a weekly chart, the ETH/BTC pair has been painting an ascending pattern since May 2021. The Ethereum token eyes a breakout above the pattern's horizontal trendline resistance near 0.0776 BTC. Breaking this level could then see the price rally by as much as the triangle's maximum height. 

In other words, the ETH/BTC pair could reach the next big resistance level at 0.1 BTC in 2023, or 35% from the current price levels.

ETH/BTC weekly price chart. Source: TradingView

Nonetheless, it is important to mention that ETH/BTC has attempted to break above the triangle's resistance trendline eight times since May 2021. The attempts included two major  breakouts in November 2021 and September 2022, which saw the pair rallying 14% and 9%, respectively.

Both rallies fizzled out inside the 0.082 to 0.085 BTC area, followed by extreme price corrections that took ETH/BTC back inside the triangle range. Given this multi-year hurdle, the pair could face stiff resistance inside the 0.082 to 0.085 BTC range, even if it breaks above the triangle. 

Such a move would risk crashing ETH toward the triangle support, which coincides with its 50-week exponential moving average (50-week EMA), represented by the red line in the chart above, near 0.070 BTC, down nearly 6% from the current price levels. 

ETH "deflation" narrative

Ether’s bullish setup versus Bitcoin appears as ETH dominance has doubled versus other crypto assets in the past few years. 

Notably, ETH’s market capitalization has risen to nearly 20.5% of the entire crypto market valuation in January 2023, from about 10% in December 2020, when the Ethereum network started its transition from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS) with the launch of a dedicated staking smart contract.

ETH.D weekly performance chart. Source: TradingView

Becoming a PoS blockchain has brought two key changes to Ethereum’s economy. First, users temporarily lock away a portion of their Ether holdings into Ethereum’s PoS smart contract to earn yield. And second, the Ethereum network has started burning some transaction fees.

Related: Ethereum ‘shark’ accumulation, Shanghai hard fork put $2K ETH price in play

Both changes have had a deflationary impact on overall supply. As a result, the Ethereum network now regularly produces fewer Ether tokens than are taken out of circulation, which theoretically makes ETH a “deflationary” asset.

ETH supply change since the Ethereum PoS upgrade in September 2022. Source: UltraSound.Money

The ETH/BTC price has grown nearly 250% since December 2020 despite still being down roughly 50% from its all-time highs witnessed in 2017. 

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Bitcoin could see $25K by March 2023 as U.S. dollar prints ‘death cross’ — analysis

Bitcoin's price recovery in 2023 has witnessed minimal institutional buying, casting doubt on whether BTC will rally beyond $25,000.

Bitcoin (BTC) shows the potential of stretching its ongoing price recovery to $25,000 by March, based on a mix of bullish technical and macro indicators.

Bitcoin price exits descending channel range

First, Bitcoin's potential to hit $25,000 comes from its exit from a prevailing descending channel range.

Notably, the BTC price broke out of the range late last week while accompanying a rise in its trading volumes. The cryptocurrency's move upside also pushed the price above its resistance confluence, comprising a psychological price ceiling of $20,000 and its 20-week exponential moving average (20-week EMA; the green wave) near $19,500, as shown below. 

BTC/USD 1-week candle chart (Coinbase). Source: TradingView.com

Breaking three resistance levels with strong volumes shows traders' conviction about an extended price rally. Should it happen, Bitcoin's next upside target appears at its 200-week EMA (the yellow wave) at around $25,000 — a 20% rise from current price levels.

Dollar forms a "death cross"

Bitcoin's bullish technical outlook appears against the backdrop of a relatively weaker U.S. dollar, down due to expectations that the Federal Reserve will stop raising interest rates over lowering inflation.

The two assets have moved inversely to each another mostly since March 2020. As of Jan. 16, the daily correlation coefficient between Bitcoin and the U.S. dollar index (DXY), a barometer to gauge the greenback's strength versus top rivaling currencies, was -0.83, according to TradingView.

BTC/USD and DXY correlation coefficient. Source: TradingView

A traditional technical setup sees more losses for the dollar ahead.

Dubbed the "death cross," the setup appears when an asset's 50-period moving average crosses below its 200-period moving average. For the dollar, the death cross shows its weakening momentum, meaning its short-term trend has been underperforming its long-term direction.

DXY daily price chart. Source: TradingView

"Expecting more downside in the mid to long term," independent market analyst Crypto Ed said about the dollar, adding:

"Risk on assets should bounce more on that. Or better said: I expect BTC to break its bearish cycle as the big run in DXY is finito."

Not a long-term Bitcoin price rally

Bitcoin has risen 30% above $20,000 in 2023 so far. But on-chain data shows that the buying trend lacks support from institutional investors.

Related: Bitcoin gained 300% in year before last halving — Is 2023 different?

For instance, the total amount of Bitcoin held by digital assets holdings such as trusts, ETFs, and funds has been declining during the coin's price increase in recent months, according to CryptoQuant's Fund Holdings index.

Bitcoin fund holdings. Source: CryptoQuant

In addition, no unusual transactions occurred on-chain but on crypto exchanges, per the comparisons made between CryptoQuant's Token Transferred and Fund Flow Ratio metrics.

BTC/USD versus Token Transferred (orange) and Fund Flow Ratio (blue). Source: CryptoQuant

The Token Transferred metric shows the number of coins transferred in a specific timeframe. While the Fund Flow Ratio represents the ratio of coin transfers involving the exchange to the overall coin transfers network-wide.

"Usually at the bottom, institutional investors want to buy quietly through OTC trading," noted market analyst MAC_D, adding:

"This trading was simply actively traded only on the exchange, and no unusual transactions occurred on the on-chain [...] The current institutional investors have remained calm and just watching. OTC trading will be brisk when they expect a full-fledged uptrend turn."

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Bitcoin price bottom takes shape as ‘old coins’ hit a record 78% of supply

Bitcoin’s long-term holders’ NUPL metric has dropped to levels that coincided with market bottoms thrice since November 2011.

Bitcoin (BTC) and the rest of the crypto market have been in a bear market for almost a year. The top cryptocurrency has seen its market valuation plummet by more than $900 billion in the said period, with macro fundamentals suggesting more pain ahead.

Another bear cycle produces more BTC hodlers

But the duration of Bitcoin’s bear market has coincided with a substantial rise in the percentage of BTC’s total supply held by investors for at least six months to one year.

Notably, the percentage of coins held for at least a year has risen from nearly 54% on Oct. 28, 2021, to a record high of 66% on Oct. 28, 2022, data shows.

Bitcoin hodl waves. Source: Glassnode 

This evidence suggests that long-term investors are increasingly looking at Bitcoin as a store of value, asserts Charles Edwards, founder of digital asset fund Capriole Investments.

“Despite the worst year in stocks and bonds in centuries, Bitcoiners have never held on to more Bitcoin,” the analyst noted while highlighting how the floor and ceiling in Bitcoin held for the long term have been increasing after each cycle.

Bitcoin hodl waves featuring long-term BTC holding highs and floors. Source: Glassnode/Capriole Investments

Hodler data hints at Bitcoin’s price bottom

Additionally, Glassnode’s research shows that the Bitcoin tokens held for at least five to six months are less likely to be sold. The number of these so-called “old coins” typically rises during bear markets, highlighting accumulation by the patient, long-term investors as short-term investors sell.

Related: Gold vs. BTC correlation signals Bitcoin becoming safe haven: BofA

The behavioral difference is visible in the chart below, where the downtrend in Bitcoin’s price coincides with a persistent decline in the number of “younger coins” and an increase in the number of coins inactive for at least six months, or “old coins.”

Bitcoin’s percent young (red) vs. old (blue) supply. Source: Glassnode

As of Oct. 31, the old coins comprise nearly 78% of the Bitcoin supply in circulation versus younger coins’ 22%, thus reducing the likelihood of intense sell-offs while forming a potential market bottom. 

Moreover, on-chain data tracking Bitcoin’s price and its long-term holders’ (LTH) net unrealized profits and losses (NUPL) hints at a similar scenario.

Bitcoin entry-adjusted LTH-NUPL. Source: Glassnode

Notably, Bitcoin’s entry-adjusted LTH-NUPL has entered the capitulation zone (red) that has coincided with the end of previous bear markets, as shown above. That includes the strong bullish reversals witnessed in November 2011, January 2015 and December 2018. 

As Cointelegraph reported, MicroStrategy, the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, has also reiterated its commitment to continue buying BTC for the long term.

“We have a long-term time horizon, and the core business is not impacted by the near-term Bitcoin price fluctuations,” explained MicroStrategy CEO Phong Le. 

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction

Ethereum flashes a classic bullish pattern in its Bitcoin pair, hinting at 50% upside

The formation of a bullish trading pattern suggests that the ETH/BTC pair could be on the verge of a trend reversal.

Ethereum’s native token, Ether (ETH), looks poised to log a major price rally versus its top rival, Bitcoin (BTC), in the days leading toward early 2023.

Ether has a 61% chance of breaking out versus Bitcoin

The bullish cues emerge primarily from a classic technical setup dubbed a “cup-and-handle” pattern. It forms when the price undergoes a U-shaped recovery (cup) followed by a slight downward shift (handle) — all while maintaining a common resistance level (neckline).

Traditional analysts perceive the cup and handle as a bullish setup, with veteran Tom Bulkowski noting that the pattern meets its profit target 61% of all time. Theoretically, a cup-and-handle pattern’s profit target is measured by adding the distance between its neckline and lowest point to the neckline level.

The Ether-to-Bitcoin ratio (or ETH/BTC), a widely tracked pairing, has halfway painted a similar setup. The pair now awaits a breakout above its neckline resistance level of around 0.079 BTC, as illustrated in the chart below. 

ETH/BTC weekly price chart featuring a cup and handle. Source: TradingView

As a result, a decisive breakout move above the cup-and-handle neckline of 0.079 BTC could push Ether’s price toward 0.123 BTC, or over 50%, by early 2023.

ETH/BTC weekly price chart featuring cup-and-handle breakout setup. Source: TradingView

Time to turn bullish on ETH?

Ether’s strong interim fundamentals compared with Bitcoin further improve its possibility of undergoing a 50% price rally in the future.

For starters, Ether’s annual supply rate fell drastically in October, partly due to a fee-burning mechanism called EIP-1559 that removes a certain amount of ETH from permanent circulation whenever an on-chain transaction occurs.

Ethereum supply rate post-Merge. Source: Ultra Sound Money

XEN Crypto, a social mining project, was mainly responsible for raising the number of on-chain Ethereum transactions in October, leading to a higher number of ETH burns, as Cointelegraph previously covered.

Over 2.69 million ETH (approximately $8.65 billion) has gone out of circulation since the EIP-1559 update went live on Ethereum in August 2021, according to data from EthBurned.info.

It shows that the more clogged the Ethereum network becomes, the higher Ether’s probability of entering a “deflationary” mode gets. So, a depleting ETH supply may prove bullish, if the coin’s demand rises simultaneously. 

In addition, Ethereum’s transition to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism via “the Merge” has acted as an Ether-supply sucker, given that each staker — whether an individual or a pool — is required to lock away 32 ETH in a smart contract to earn annual yields.

The total supply held by Ethereum’s PoS smart contract reached an all-time high of 14.61 million ETH on Oct. 31.

Ethereum 2.0 total value staked. Source: Glassnode

In contrast, Bitcoin, a proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain that requires miners to solve complex mathematical algorithms to earn rewards, faces persistent selling pressure.

Related: Public Bitcoin miners’ hash rate is booming — But is it actually bearish for BTC price?

In other words, there is a comparatively higher selling pressure for Bitcoin versus Ether.

ETH/BTC needs to break the range resistance

Ether’s road to a 50% price rally versus Bitcoin has one strong resistance area midway, acting as a potential joy killer for bulls.

In detail, the 0.07 BTC–0.08 BTC range has served as a strong resistance area since May 2021, as shown below. For instance, the December 2021 pullback that started after testing the said range as resistance resulted in a 45% price correction by mid-June 2022.

ETH/BTC weekly price chart. Source: TradingView

A similar pullback could have ETH test the 0.057–0.052 range as its primary support target by the end of this year or early 2023.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.

‘Pretty ordinary stuff’ — Traders seem unfazed by Bitcoin correction