Bitcoin Needs to Surpass $97K to Regain Trust Among Young Long-Term Holders

Bitcoin is currently trading around $91,000 after experiencing a slight dip earlier today, with uncertainty continuing to loom over the market. Analysts are divided: some believe that the recent price correction serves as a healthy adjustment before a continuation of the upward trend, while most traders contend that the initial phase of a new bear market is already in play. As the price movement shows hesitation, the debate among market participants intensifies.

Key Takeaways

Bitcoin's current trading price is approximately $91,000, with market sentiment uncertain.
A key level to watch is the Realized Price of young Long-Term Holders (LTH) at $96,956.
If Bitcoin reclaims the $97K level, it could restore confidence among holders and stabilize the market.
A failure to exceed this threshold may lead to increased volatility and risk of further declines.

Bitcoin Must Break $97K To Restore Confidence Among Youngest Long-Term Holders – Details

Importance of the $97K Threshold for Bitcoin's Future Direction

Analyst Darkfost highlights the significance of the $96,956–$97,000 range as vital for predicting Bitcoin's upcoming movements. This area marks the Realized Price for the youngest Long-Term Holders, reflecting the average purchase price for those who recently shifted from short-term to long-term holding strategies. When Bitcoin's price stays below this level, these holders experience unrealized losses, which raises the potential for panic selling, thus pressuring the market.

Bitcoin Realized Price UTXO Age Bands

Breaking above the $97K range could drastically improve sentiment among young LTHs. According to Darkfost, if Bitcoin manages to reclaim this level, these investors will return to a profit margin, restoring their confidence in potential gains. Once this psychological pressure is relieved, it's typical for these holders to continue accumulating cryptocurrency rather than selling, providing more stability to the market.

However, Darkfost cautions that without a decisive close above $97,000, the risk remains tilted towards a downturn. As long as prices linger beneath this crucial band, market vulnerability and volatility are likely to persist.

Even if Bitcoin does reclaim the $97K mark, Darkfost notes that this will be just the initial step. The market would still require stronger structural confirmations—like regaining key moving averages and rebuilding demand—to establish a legitimate bullish reversal that could ultimately lead to a new all-time high.

Early Signs of Stabilization in BTC’s Weekly Structure

The weekly chart for Bitcoin indicates an attempt to stabilize following a sharp multi-week correction that saw prices drop from above $115,000 to the mid-$80,000s. The latest weekly candle reflects a strong rebound from the 100-week moving average (marked in green), which currently acts as crucial support in the $84,000–$86,000 range. Historically, this level has drawn interest from long-term buyers, and the strong wick rejection signifies renewed demand.

BTC consolidates around key level | Source: BTCUSDT chart on TradingView

At present, Bitcoin is trading near $91,300, slightly below the 50-week moving average (shown in blue), which poses resistance. A clear reclaim of this moving average—currently between $95K and $97K—would significantly enhance the technical outlook and suggest a potential recovery, in alignment with on-chain signals. Until such a move happens, the trend remains neutral-to-bearish on higher timeframes.

The recent bounce in volume is notable, showcasing one of the most robust buying responses since early 2025. This could indicate that long-term holders and institutional investors are beginning to engage as the market approaches crucial value zones.

Nevertheless, Bitcoin is not out of the woods yet. If it fails to break through the $97K mark, there may be a risk of another downturn, potentially retesting $86K or even probing deeper liquidity levels around $80K.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com