Bitcoin (BTC) is trapped in a no man's land between $6,200 and $6,600, technical charts indicate.
The bear flag breakdown witnessed on Monday was supposed to yield a drop to $6,000 (February low). However, the trendline connecting the June low and Aug. 11 low spoiled the bear party.
The leading cryptocurrency bounced off the trendline support of $6,202 on Monday and rose back above $6,350 in the last 24 hours, neutralizing the immediate bearish outlook.
At press time, BTC is changing hands at $6,320 on Bitfinex – up 1.23 percent on the day.
While BTC's defense of the trendline support is encouraging, a bearish-to-bullish trend change would be confirmed only after BTC has moved above the Sept. 14 high of $6,600.
Daily chart
As can be seen, the trendline from June lows or the lower end of the pennant pattern has worked as a strong support this month and is the level to beat for the bears.
As of writing, the pennant support is located at $6,225. A UTC close below that level would confirm a pennant breakdown – a bearish continuation pattern – which would signal a revival of the sell-off from the May highs near $10,000.
Further, the breakdown could prove costly, as the relative strength index (RSI) of 41.00 (bearish and well above oversold levels) shows plenty of scope for a price drop.
Meanwhile, on the higher side, a move above $6,600 (Sept. 14 high) would negate Monday's big bearish outside-day candle and confirm a short-term bullish reversal.
4-Hour chart
The bear flag breakdown on the 4-hour chart failed to produce a bearish move toward $6,000. More importantly, BTC has re-entered the flag pattern, weakening the bearish case.
That said, the stacking order of the 50-candle moving average (MA), below the 100-candle MA, below the 200-candle MA, indicates the path of least resistance is to the downside.
Further, the RSI is beginning to roll over in favor of the bears. So, it seems safe to say that prospects of a bull breakout above $6,600 are low.
View
BTC lacks a clear bias, having defended the pennant support in the last two days. Pennant breakdown will likely yield a drop to crucial supports of $5,859 (August low) and $5,755 (June low). BTC bulls may feel emboldened if the rebound from the pennant support seen on Monday is followed by a convincing move past $6,600 (Sept. 14 high) in the next few days. In this case, BTC could attack the psychological hurdle of $7,000.Disclosure: The author holds no cryptocurrency assets at the time of writing.
Bitcoin image via Shutterstock; Charts by Trading View
Join 10,000+ traders who come to us to be their eyes on the charts and sign up for Markets Daily, sent Monday-Friday. By signing up, you agree to our terms & conditions and privacy policy
The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.
