Bitcoin price builds best weekly candle since March despite new DXY peak

Bitcoin (BTC) is on track for its biggest weekly gains since March, but not everyone is convinced that good times will last.

BTC/USD 1-hour candle chart (Bitstamp). Source: TradingView

Crypto sentiment highest since early May

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that at the time of writing, BTC/USD is up over $2,000 this week โ€” nearly 12%.

After spending several days trapped in a narrow range, the pair managed to exit to the upside, the gains accelerating overnight into July 8 to see highs of $22,401 on Bitstamp.

Those highs alone are noteworthy, coinciding with Bitcoinโ€™s 200-week moving average (MA), an essential level in bear markets that has acted as resistance since last month.

While consolidating around $1,000 lower, Bitcoin nonetheless is showing the potential for a trend turnaround. Beating out the 200-week MA, however, will be no easy task.

โ€œWell, Bitcoin, $22.3K was reached and all the highs have been taken for now,โ€ Cointelegraph contributor Michaรซl van de Poppe summarized in a Twitter update.

โ€œSome consolidation and build-up is required (might retest $20.7Kish) before markets are ready to break above 200-Week MA, which will be a heavy one.โ€

BTC/USD 1-week candle chart (Bitstamp) with 200-week MA. Source: TradingView

Van de Poppe previously suggested that there is โ€œprobably an insane amount of liquidity above the 200-Week MA,โ€ and that breaking through could see a run as high as $30,000.

โ€œAnd then the sentiment will flip too,โ€ he added.

Signs of change in the overall market mood were already visible on the day, however, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index hitting its highest levels since May 7. At 20/100, the Index remains in its โ€œextreme fearโ€ zone.

Crypto Fear & Greed Index (screenshot). Source: Alternative.me

Another day, another two-decade DXY high

The latest price action is meanwhile not without its naysayers, some of whom expect deeper macro lows to enter before any significant recovery.

Related:ย Bitcoin faces Mt. Gox ‘black swan’ as trustee prepares to unlock 150K BTC

โ€œLot of people expecting 22kโ€“23k. It’s the new 52k when price was at 47kโ€“48k or the new 35k when price was at 31kโ€“32k. 16k comes first imo,โ€ popular trader Il Capo of Crypto argued on July 7.

Later, he noted that Bitcoin was increasing despite renewed strength in the U.S. dollar index (DXY), and that โ€œspoofingโ€ on major exchanges was adding to the chances of the latest move being a fakeout.

โ€œDXY going parabolic. Bitcoin going up a bit and people getting euphoric and calling for 40k. Not a single bullish sign to support this move up and price is still at 21kโ€“22k (resistance),โ€ he warned Twitter followers.

โ€œRejection will be strong. Altcoins could drop 45%โ€“50%. There will be no mercy.โ€

DXY stood at 107.3 at the time of writing, marking new twenty-year highs. U.S. dollar strength is traditionally inversely correlated with crypto-asset performance.

U.S. dollar index (DXY) 1-month candle chart. Source: TradingView

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