Bitcoin slid sharply from above $73,000, dropping through $72,500, $72,000 and $71,500 before forming a low at $68,782. BTC has since stabilized and is consolidating below $72,000 and the 100-hour simple moving average, with nearby resistance levels cited at $71,500 and $72,400. Key supports highlighted include $69,650 and $69,000, while a move above $72,400 is framed as the next hurdle for an upside attempt.

On Wednesday, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index slipped back into "Extreme Fear" even as traders turned upbeat after the US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at 3.5–3.75%. Bitcoin was trading around $70,150 at the time of the decision, down more than 4% over the prior 24 hours. Social-media optimism jumped sharply, but the sentiment gauge continued to signal stress across the market.

Bitcoin (BTC) fell below $69,000 on Thursday, returning to a six-week range after recently trading above $76,000. Data cited in the report shows heavier selling in perpetual futures than spot, while funding turned positive at 0.05% and bids clustered near $70,000. Analysts outlined upside targets near $72,000–$76,000 if price reclaims $70,000, but warned a break under $68,300 could shift attention to $65,000 and $62,000.

Bitcoin's Coinbase Premium Gap has remained above zero for 25 consecutive days, which may indicate renewed buying pressure from U.S.-based institutional activity. The metric compares BTC prices on Coinbase (USD) versus Binance (USDT) and, according to the analyst, this is the longest positive streak since October 2025. BTC also briefly moved above $75,000 earlier in the week before pulling back to around $70,300.

The Bitcoin Policy Institute said Kentucky House Bill 380 contains language that would require hardware wallet makers to help users reset passwords, PINs or seed phrases, potentially undermining self-custody. The group said the requirement was inserted via a last-minute floor amendment and would also add identity checks for people requesting a reset.

Bitcoin's push to $76,000 has improved sentiment, but Glassnode says onchain signals still fit an early-stage recovery rather than a confirmed bull market. The firm points to an "open" $72,000–$82,000 zone and notes supply in profit is around 60%, below the 75% level it views as stronger confirmation.

Strive Asset Management has moved ahead of Tesla on the corporate Bitcoin holdings list, reporting 13,310.9 BTC valued at about $944 million. Alongside its Q4 results, the firm said it raised the SATA preferred dividend to 12.75% and invested $50 million into Strategy's STRC preferred stock.

Strive Inc. said it has increased its Bitcoin holdings to 13,628 BTC—about $950 million at current prices—after adding 317 BTC, moving ahead of Tesla’s 11,509 BTC. The update was included in disclosures tied to its fourth-quarter 2025 results, as Bitcoin traded under pressure and briefly slipped to around $68,700 after falling below $70,000.