Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction: BTC Fights to Maintain Its Hold Above $100,000 Despite Growing Sell Pressure

Following the return above $100,00 in the previous week, Bitcoin has fought well to maintain its hold above the six-figure mark in recent days. While the flagship cryptocurrency retains its six-figure valuation, there’s still some momentum lacking in its price action, as spotlighted by last week’s performance.

Bitcoin (BTC) price has struggled to gain momentum above the $100,000 level in recent days, though it’s still holding up well above the six-figure mark. After returning above $100,000 in the previous week, the flagship cryptocurrency has fought well to maintain its hold above the critical psychological barrier.

However, despite this valiant effort, Bitcoin’s price has yet to show any signs of breaking out to fresh highs, which could be attributed to the sluggishness and apparent indecision in the BTC market, as highlighted by last week’s performance.

According to recent analysis by blockchain analytics firm Glassnode, the apparent sluggishness in the Bitcoin market can be attributed to significant selling pressure in the derivatives market. Interestingly, the latest on-chain data shows that the Bitcoin price still has room for additional growth.

Options Market Data Shows Shift In Trader Sentiment

In a May 16 post on the X platform, Glassnode shared fresh on-chain insights suggesting a rise in bullish sentiment amongst Bitcoin options traders. The relevant indicator here is the 1-month 25 Delta Skew, which compares the implied volatility of bullish bets (call options) to the bearish bets (put options).

Generally, a positive value for the 1-month 25 Delta Skew indicator signals that put options are more expensive than calls. This suggests that traders are more interested in hedging against downside risk than for betting on the price of Bitcoin moving higher.

On the other hand, a negative value for the 1-month 25 Delta Skew indicator signals that calls are more expensive than puts. This suggests that traders are more willing to bet on the price of Bitcoin moving higher than for protection against downside exposure.

According to data from Glassnode, the 1-month 25 Delta Skew metric recently witnessed a drop to around -6.1%. This decline, the analytics platform noted, signifies that call options now carry higher implied volatility compared to put options.

This options market trend means that there is now increasing bullish sentiment amongst Bitcoin traders, as they lean more into betting on the BTC price rising. Glassnode also pointed out that this increasing bullish sentiment reflects a risk-on environment, where traders and investors are more willing to risk their funds.

Historically, a negative 25 Delta Skew is a strong bullish sentiment indicator, as it usually precedes further appreciation of the Bitcoin price. Moreover, current options data not only supports BTC’s upward movement, but could also serve as a positive catalyst for more growth as additional long positions enter the market.

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC stands at around $102,800, reflecting an over 1% decline in the past 24 hours. However, the world’s largest cryptocurrency is still up by more than 70% since the start of the year.