Bitcoin Stalls at $65,000 for Fourth Day, Traders Eye $70,000 Before CPI

Bitcoin failed for a fourth straight day to hold above $65,000, slipping to near $64,000 on Tuesday — down more than 1% on the day though still marginally higher on the week. XRP and ether led the broader pullback, falling nearly 2% each, as an oil-price rally revived inflation fears ahead of Wednesday’s U.S. CPI release.

Bitcoin touched a 24-hour high just above $65,300 before fading through the Asian afternoon session. Analysts now point to $70,000 — a round number that also sits near bitcoin’s 200-day moving average — as the level that could shift market sentiment if cleared.

Ether and XRP Lag as Solana, BNB Hold Weekly Gains

Ether was the weakest major, dropping over 2% to $1,878, though it remains slightly positive over the past seven days. XRP fell almost 2% to $1.01 and is down nearly 6% on the week, the worst performer among major tokens by a wide margin.

Solana eased under 1% to $76 but still leads the weekly leaderboard with a 3% gain, while BNB slipped to $600 while holding a 2% weekly advance. Three tokens moved against the tide: Hyperliquid’s HYPE rose almost 2% to $55, tron ticked up to 33 cents, and dogecoin edged higher to 7 cents.

Read more: Solana Needs to Clear $78.70 to Confirm a Run Toward $100

Why $70,000 Is the Number That Matters

Alex Kuptsikevich, chief market analyst at FxPro, said bitcoin has spent four consecutive days testing $65,000 without any surge in buying interest. More notable, he argued, is the absence of aggressive selling into that level — which he read as “a build-up of short positions well above this level” rather than holders taking profit.

That dynamic makes $70,000 the next zone to watch, both as a psychological round number and because it coincides with bitcoin’s 200-day moving average. Clearing it would push price above the range where buyers and sellers battled through March and April — a move Kuptsikevich said would “shift sentiment meaningfully.”

Sentiment Still Stuck in “Fear” Territory

The crypto sentiment index has sat at 30 since mid-July, firmly in the “fear” zone, with occasional dips toward extreme fear. Traders are also weighing a broader macro backdrop of rising bond yields and higher oil prices, both of which have reignited inflation concerns ahead of Wednesday’s U.S. price data.

For holders, the setup is straightforward: bitcoin needs a decisive break above $65,000 and eventually $70,000 to change the current risk-off tone, while a soft CPI print could be the catalyst that finally lets it stick. Until then, the repeated failed attempts near $65,000 suggest short positioning — not fresh selling — is capping the upside.

Sources

• coindesk.com
• cryptonews.com