Bitcoin Nears $90K as FTX-Era Bullish Divergence Reappears

Bitcoin is flashing a rare weekly bullish divergence that observers say could precede a meaningful rebound, even as the price continues to slide toward the mid-$60,000s. The momentum indicator is climbing while price remains under pressure, a pattern last seen around the FTX-era market bottom that preceded a sizable rally. As of this week, BTC traded near $63,000 after a dip from about $75,800, with the weekly RSI hovering above 34 after briefly slipping into oversold territory.

Key takeaways

• Bitcoin’s second weekly bullish divergence on record hints at a potential rebound, with upside attention centered on the 50-week moving average near $91,800.
• BTC is currently holding near the 200-week simple moving average around $62,000, a level historically associated with the market’s major bottom in prior bear markets (2015, 2018, 2020).
• A reclaim of the $64,000–$65,000 zone could open the door to higher targets, including $71,500–$73,000 and potentially toward the CME gap around $79,000.
• Despite the divergence, Bitcoin remains in the latter stages of a weekly bear flag, leaving downside risk in play if the pattern plays out toward its measured target below $50,000.
• Historical context matters: past bullish divergences on BTC’s weekly chart have preceded multi-hundred percent rallies, underscoring why traders are watching momentum as a lead indicator.

Divergence on the weekly chart and the FTX-era precedent

The weekly RSI for Bitcoin has rebounded from oversold levels, signaling a potential shift in momentum even as price continues to drift lower. In recent days, RSI climbed above 34 while BTC priced around $63,000, down from a high near $75,800 earlier in the week. This pattern — a rising or stabilizing momentum indicator while price makes new lows — is known in technical analysis as a bullish divergence and is often interpreted as a sign that selling pressure is waning before a price rebound.

Historically, a confirmed weekly bullish divergence on BTC has occurred only a handful of times in the post-2020 era. The most notable precedent cited by market observers was the divergence that appeared during the FTX-related capitulation in November 2022, which preceded a multi-fold rally from roughly $15,500 to just over $126,000. While past performance is not a guarantee of future results, the pattern remains a focal point for traders seeking to gauge whether downside momentum is ebbing ahead of a breakout.

Analyst commentary underscores the nuance: a single diverging signal is not a guarantee of a sustained upmove, but it adds to a broader deck of technical factors traders weigh as they assess risk and entry points in a choppy market.

What matters most, proponents note, is how Bitcoin behaves around critical levels and whether the divergence can be confirmed with a follow-through in price. If the weekly divergence strengthens into a confirmed signal this week, attention shifts to the next significant threshold and the potential path back toward higher horizons.

Key levels framing the near-term path

Moving-average dynamics are shaping the narrative. The first major upside target sits near the 50-week simple moving average, currently around $91,755. This level has historically acted as a dynamic resistance on the way up in recovery scenarios, so a sustained push above it could pave the way for more robust upside momentum.

Meanwhile, the 200-week moving average sits closer to support at roughly $62,000. This line has characterized a long-standing bottom in several bear-market cycles (2015, 2018, 2020), and traders view it as a defensible zone where accumulation interests can re-emerge. Notably, analyst Michael van de Poppe has highlighted the $62,000 area as a favorable accumulation zone, while noting that breaking above the $64,000–$65,000 band would be crucial for a more convincing bullish setup. He also outlined a potential trajectory higher if price gains steam, pointing to zones near $71,500–$73,000 and even a visit toward the CME-listed gap around $79,000 should momentum persist.

These levels dovetail with the broader narrative: a successful reclaim of the lower range could unlock a more constructive weather window, but only a break above key resistance would shift the odds decisively in bulls’ favor. In his assessment, the area above $90,000 is seen as the next major resistance zone, aligning with the 50-week SMA target and the structural improvement implied by a sustained weekly divergence.

Bear flag dynamics and downside risk

Despite the budding bullish momentum signal, Bitcoin is currently navigating the breakdown phase of a weekly bear flag. A bear flag forms when prices rebound within a rising channel after a sharp decline, followed by another leg lower. In Bitcoin’s case, the chart pattern has included a breach of the flag’s lower boundary, a move reminiscent of the 2022 breakdown from a symmetrical triangle consolidation.

Should the bear flag pattern play out as anticipated, the measured target lies below $50,000. That target remains in view unless Bitcoin can reclaim the flag’s lower trend line and turn the tide with sustained buying pressure. For the moment, the risk-reward profile remains delicate: a successful bounce would need to clear the invulnerable resistance around $64,000–$65,000 and extend beyond the $70,000–$75,000 zone to alter the intermediate-term trajectory.

Market observers also point to the broader macro and event-driven environment as a backdrop to these technicals. While bullish divergence signals can be enticing, they do not operate in a vacuum, and traders are mindful of the risk that a renewed bout of selling could resume if broader risk appetite wanes or macro catalysts reassert pressure on equity and crypto equities alike.

In the context of this narrative, recent commentary and charts also reference a prior divergence that foreshadowed a dramatic rally, suggesting that the divergence could herald a shift in sentiment if confirmed by price action. As always, investors should weigh multiple signals — momentum, structure, and volume — before anchoring a bet on direction.

Implications for traders and investors

What makes this development noteworthy is its potential to recalibrate near-term expectations for Bitcoin’s path out of the current consolidation. For traders, a confirmed weekly divergence paired with a reclaim of the $64k–$65k zone would be a practical cue to tighten risk controls and consider targeted exposure toward the next resistance layers around $90k and beyond.

For long-term holders, the proximity to the 200-week SMA near $62k adds a critical sentiment barometer. In past cycles, this level has functioned as a reliable anchor for subsequent macro-bull moves, especially when accompanied by stronger momentum signals. The dynamic between this support and nearby resistance around the 50-week SMA creates a frame for evaluating whether the market is entering a more durable upward phase or remains tethered to a bear-market bounce with a risk of renewed downside.

As with any chart-driven story, timing matters. The likelihood of a meaningful swing higher depends not only on momentum but on the ability to sustain gains beyond the 50-week SMA and to break decisively into higher price territory. The chart shows a plausible scenario where a sustained move above roughly $92,000 could unlock more expansive upside, but the path to such a move requires a convincing breakout and a follow-through that many traders are eagerly awaiting.

Market participants who pay attention to on-chain dynamics, macro indicators, and liquidity conditions will be watching how the price action plays out near the key levels described. For context and additional angles, readers can revisit coverage of BTC’s bottom formation and its implications for future price trajectories in related analyses, including discussion of the FTX-era bottom and subsequent rallies, as well as comparative references to other notable market events such as the 2022 crash.

Further reading and related analyses:

• Bitcoin’s FTX-era bottom and the resulting rally context
• Five things to know in Bitcoin this week
• Michael van de Poppe on BTC targets and the 200-week SMA

As the week unfolds, market watchers will be looking for a durable shift in momentum, a clear breakout above key resistance, or a reaffirmation of the bear-case path if price action backtests the lower boundary of the bear flag. The coming days could reveal whether Bitcoin is staging a true reversal or simply another data point in a volatile bear market cycle.

Readers should stay tuned for how BTC behaves around the $64k–$65k zone and whether the momentum signal strengthens with a sustained move above the 50-week SMA. Those are the levels that will likely shape the next leg of Bitcoin’s so-called macro dance, defining whether the path toward the next meaningful resistance is set or if the bear-flag scenario presses on toward more subdued price action.

This article was originally published as Bitcoin Nears $90K as FTX-Era Bullish Divergence Reappears on Crypto Breaking News – your trusted source for crypto news, Bitcoin news, and blockchain updates.