Bitcoin’s attempt to reclaim $82,000 stalled on Sunday as renewed Middle East tensions and a short-term technical sell signal interrupted an otherwise resilient rebound from last week’s macro shocks.
The leading cryptocurrency had climbed from $75,000 to nearly $82,000 within days, hitting its highest level since the start of the month. The rally followed a sequence of apparently negative developments: the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the US Senate, the Federal Reserve raised its target range by 25 basis points to 3.75%–4% — its first rate increase since July 2023 — and the Bank of Japan lifted rates to 1.25%, the highest level in 31 years. More than 23,000 BTC were sent to exchanges at a loss following the Senate vote, but BTC subsequently rebounded, crossing $81,000 by Friday.
However, the breakout lost momentum near $82,000. Reports on Sunday indicated the United States had warned of escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis, with drone and ballistic missile attacks reported in the Houthi capital and energy sites on the Red Sea coast. Saudi authorities said they intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh on Saturday evening. The US State Department said: “Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports. This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly.” The statement warned Americans to reconsider travel to the region. Meanwhile, the X account Daily Iran News claimed Iran issued “Code 100,” its highest alert level, for all armed forces. Reports also said President Trump cut short his Camp David weekend and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu returned from a shortened US trip.
Technically, analyst Ali Martinez noted the TD Sequential indicator flipped to a sell signal on Saturday evening near $81,500 after previously flashing a buy signal at $75,000. “That suggests short-term momentum may be getting stretched, and I’m watching closely for signs that it’s time to lock in some profits,” he said. Some analysts argued the week’s macro shocks were largely priced in, with Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan noting bitcoin had already gained while prediction markets cut odds of CLARITY advancing. Crypto Dan said on-chain data increasingly resembles previous transitions out of bear markets. The immediate focus for bulls is defending $80,000 and reclaiming $81,700.
