Bitcoin’s (BTC) upcoming supply halving and its historical price action, increasing inflows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and bullish technical setup suggest that BTC is on the path to a new all-time high.
After a fairly bullish year in 2023, 2024 provided approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a surge in the price of Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL) and other cryptocurrencies.
As Bitcoin rallied above $50,000, its market capitalization crossed $1 trillion, rising to $1.02 trillion on Feb. 16, reflecting a 118% increase over the last 12 months.
The growth has been accompanied by a 110% leap in the price of Bitcoin over the same period.
Halving and historical data back Bitcoin’s potential
Many traders believe that a key factor in BTC’s price action is the upcoming halving event which is less than 70 days away.
Bitcoin’s price action tends to follow a certain cyclical pattern with analysts painting parallels between historical patterns and the current price trajectory. This points to a possible bull cycle similar to those witnessed in the past.
Likewise, BTC’s historical bull runs appear to follow four-year cycles, often triggered by events like Bitcoin halving, which reduces the rate of BTC issuance.
The next halving event is set to happen in mid-April 2024 when the number of BTC rewards issued to miners per block will be reduced from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC.
Data shows the halving has been a positive factor for the price of BTC, and bull runs can begin months before the event – as is being witnessed — and continue until BTC price hits a new all-time high.
Crypto trader and analyst Rekt Capital explains the “5 Phases of The Bitcoin Halving” with the “Parabolic Uptrend” as the final phase where BTC price grows exponentially reaching new all-time highs.
Similar sentiment was shared by independent investor Lady of Crypto who projects that Bitcoin’s parabolic uptrend will take 7 to 8 months after halving with BTC breaking all-time highs in November 2024.
All Time High
— Lady of Crypto (@LadyofCrypto1) January 17, 2024
In the last two cycles, Bitcoin broke its all-time high 7 and then 8 months after the halving.
The ETF has so far not propelled BTC to 100k overnight as many assumed. I think that like the last two time, it will be 7-8 months, so, November 2024!
6/12 pic.twitter.com/9Lo3E1Ur3N
Investment manager at Cane Island Alternative Advisors Timothy Peterson agrees, saying,
“Bitcoin will hit $100K by August.”
Yesterday #Bitcoin hit (almost exactly) a 100% gain in 180 days. That has happened 41 times since 2015. Bitcoin went higher 78% of the time. The average return for the next 180 days was also 100%. As of today and based on historical data, there is a 50% chance that Bitcoin… pic.twitter.com/KvXHYWdIUY
— Timothy Peterson, CFA CAIA (@nsquaredcrypto) February 15, 2024
While some traders believe the 2024 halving will be the most important ever, others believe it may be different this time.
Capital continues to flow into the spot Bitcoin ETFs
Capital inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to gain momentum. Data from Farside Investors shows that a total of $4.5 billion have come into Bitcoin ETFs just a little over a month since they began trading on Jan. 11.
While outflows from GBTC were larger than total inflows into the new ETFs at the beginning, this situation has changed, with BlackRock's IBIT recording one of the most successful ETF launches in history surpassing 100,000 BTC assets under management (AuM) on Feb. 13.
Demand for Bitcoin ETFs accelerated this week, recording an average of $450 million in inflows per day. Feb. 16 saw all spot Bitcoin ETF AuM come to 258,770 BTC – worth about $13.4 billion at current rates.
JUST IN: The 9 new Bitcoin ETFs now hold 258,770 $BTC in total, buying an average of ~10,000 #Bitcoin a day.
— Bitcoin Archive (@BTC_Archive) February 16, 2024
This is about 11x the daily issuance from the block reward.
CHART: Daily number of Bitcoin acquired by ETFs net of GBTC outflows. pic.twitter.com/65i0CztzjE
In comments to Cointelegraph, Head of Marketing and Communications at dYdX Foundation Tristan Dickinson said that “the rapid adoption of Bitcoin ETF” contributed to BTC’s push above $50,000.
Dickinson added,
“This adoption signals the maturity of the sector, solidifying BTC as an asset class similar to gold. With the halving coming up in April it's increasingly likely that we are starting to see signs of a bullish market.”
Bitcoin’s technical set-up reflects BTC’s bullish potential
Bitcoin’s price chart has formed a rounded bottom chart pattern on the weekly chart. Buyers have possibly set their target on the neckline of the governing chart pattern at $69,220, which coincides with the all-time highs reached in November 2021.
A weekly candlestick close above this level would confirm a bullish breakout from the rounded bottom formation ushering BTC into price discovery.
The relative strength indicator (RSI) for Bitcoin has moved into the overbought zone, edging close to the 80-point mark and reinforcing the bulls’ dominance in the market.
The Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) also produced a bullish cross on the weekly chart. This happened in early January when the 100-week EMA crossed above the 200-week EMA.
Trader Aksel Kibar spotted BTC trading in an ascending parallel channel on the weekly chart forecasting a rally to $65,000 and beyond if the price breaks above the channel.
The upper boundary of the trend channel. $BTCUSD Break that and we rally to 65K. pic.twitter.com/mliG09Sevt
— Aksel Kibar, CMT (@TechCharts) February 15, 2024
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.