Bitcoin Drops 3.62% to $102,666 After Moody's Downgrade

With Moody's downgrade of the US credit rating from AAA to AA1, there has been a major pullback in both the US and crypto markets.

Bitcoin price dropped 3.62% in the 24 hours to $102,666 after Moody’s downgraded the US credit rating. The cryptocurrency faced bearish signals that could lead to a test of $95K to $91K support.

Bitcoin faced a major pullback in the 24 hours to Sunday after the news that Moody’s had downgraded the US credit rating. The agency, in a statement, attributed the decision to the ballooning $36 trillion national debt and rising interest costs.

The downgrade, which reduces the U.S.'s rating from AAA to AA1, comes after a period of deliberation among economists and market participants. Moody’s assigned the U.S. a top-tier “Aaa” rating back in 1919, and its decision to lower it marks a significant development in the financial domain.

As a result, both the U.S. and crypto markets experienced a substantial downturn.

Bitcoin price today dropped 3.62% to $102,666. Could this intraday pullback lead to a breakdown of the $100,000 milestone?

Bitcoin price action

The daily chart of Bitcoin price shows a strong price reversal from the 50% Fibonacci level at the $75,500 supply zone. This reversal led to a nearly 40% increase in BTC price, with the recent 24-hour high reached at $107,115.

However, the intraday pullback negated Sunday’s 3% gain, forming a bearish engulfing candle. This type of candle occurs when the real body of an candle is completely absorbed by the following candle's price action.

The increased supply pressure, attributed to broader market fears, uncertainty, and doubt, induced short-term panic among traders. The bearish engulfing candle is positioned close to the strong overhead supply zone around the $106,000 level, which threatens a potential bearish trend reversal.

Furthermore, the MACD and signal lines have crossed bearishly. According to the price action, the immediate support lies at $98,349 if the $100,000 psychological support level is breached.

Nevertheless, the Fibonacci levels indicate stronger support at $91,780, corresponding to the 78.60% level. This potential downside risk represents a nearly 10% decrease from the recent highs. Additionally, a crucial support level exists at $95,269, denoted by the 50-day exponential moving average. This dynamic average support is recognized for providing robust support and aiding in the maintenance of the uptrend.

Conversely, a potential reversal in the short-term price trend could propel Bitcoin to a new all-time high, exceeding the $109,356 level. The Fibonacci levels suggest an upside potential to reach $127,800 at the 1.272 level.

Liquidations spike as Bitcoin futures open interest pulls back from $70B

Following the intraday pullback, the derivatives market saw a sharp shift in trading activity. Earlier today, Bitcoin open interest reached a new all-time high of $70.03 billion before pulling back to $67.54 billion. This shift in market sentiment may be due to the fact that traders liquidated their futures positions in droves after the cryptocurrency’s price pulled back sharply.

Over the last 24 hours, short liquidations in Bitcoin rose to $93.81 million while long liquidations totaled $81.97 million. The intraday pullback led to a steep decline in bullish sentiment in the derivatives market.