Share this article

Bitcoin, Around $51K, Nears Upper Bound of 3-Year Price Trend

Upward-sloping price channel starting in late 2017 on weekly chart shows near-term resistance around $60,000.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 12:22 p.m. Published Mar 8, 2021, 5:37 p.m.
Weekly price chart shows long-term channel resistance, with 50-week volume weighted moving average shown in the blue line. (It flattened around 2018, preceding a downtrend).
Weekly price chart shows long-term channel resistance, with 50-week volume weighted moving average shown in the blue line. (It flattened around 2018, preceding a downtrend).

Bitcoin's bull run over the past year may be showing signs of exhaustion as it pushes toward the upper bound of a three-year price channel, an analysis of chart patterns shows.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

The largest cryptocurrency by market value was changing hands around $51,000 as of 16:41 coordinated universal time (11:41 a.m. ET). Bitcoin (BTC) is up 75% for the year to date.

  • Upward price channel from 2017's high shows possible resistance for BTC around $60,000, which could cap upside.
  • A flattening of the 50-week volume weighted moving average (VWMA) would indicate a slowing long-term uptrend, similar to 2018. For now, that 50-week VWMA is climbing, currently around $22,000.
  • Traders should watch for a break below the 50-day volume weighted moving average to confirm a shift in trend.

More For You

Exchange Review - March 2025

Exchange Review March 2025

CoinDesk Data's monthly Exchange Review captures the key developments within the cryptocurrency exchange market. The report includes analyses that relate to exchange volumes, crypto derivatives trading, market segmentation by fees, fiat trading, and more.

What to know:

Trading activity softened in March as market uncertainty grew amid escalating tariff tensions between the U.S. and global trading partners. Centralized exchanges recorded their lowest combined trading volume since October, declining 6.24% to $6.79tn. This marked the third consecutive monthly decline across both market segments, with spot trading volume falling 14.1% to $1.98tn and derivatives trading slipping 2.56% to $4.81tn.

  • Trading Volumes Decline for Third Consecutive Month: Combined spot and derivatives trading volume on centralized exchanges fell by 6.24% to $6.79tn in March 2025, reaching the lowest level since October. Both spot and derivatives markets recorded their third consecutive monthly decline, falling 14.1% and 2.56% to $1.98tn and $4.81tn respectively.
  • Institutional Crypto Trading Volume on CME Falls 23.5%: In March, total derivatives trading volume on the CME exchange fell by 23.5% to $175bn, the lowest monthly volume since October 2024. CME's market share among derivatives exchanges dropped from 4.63% to 3.64%, suggesting declining institutional interest amid current macroeconomic conditions. 
  • Bybit Spot Market Share Slides in March: Spot trading volume on Bybit fell by 52.1% to $81.1bn in March, coinciding with decreased trading activity following the hack of the exchange's cold wallets in February. Bybit's spot market share dropped from 7.35% to 4.10%, its lowest since July 2023.

More For You

Solana CME Futures Fell Short of BTC and ETH Debuts, but There's a Catch

Solana CME futures first-day activity compared to BTC and ETH debuts. (CME/K33 Research)

When adjusted for asset market capitalization SOL's relative futures volume looks better, K33 Research noted.

What to know:

  • Solana's SOL futures began trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Monday, with a notional daily volume of $12.3 million and $7.8 million in open interest, significantly lower than the debuts of bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) futures.
  • Despite the seemingly lackluster debut, when adjusted to market value, SOL's first-day figures are more in line with BTC's and ETH's, according to K33 Research.
  • Despite the bearish market conditions, the launch of CME SOL futures offers new ways for institutions to manage their exposure to the token, said Joshua Lim of FalconX.