Bitcoin traders torn between breakout and $28K dip as BTC price stalls

Bitcoin (BTC) lingered below $31,000 at the July 3 Wall Street open with bulls still in need of a catalyst.

BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: TradingView

Bitcoin price: Sink or swim at $30,000

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD acting in a tight range following the weekly close.

BTC price performance remained firmly sideways into the new week, punctuated only by modest attempts at attacking the $31,000 mark.

More optimistic market participants hoped that nearby resistance levels โ€” and not only for Bitcoin โ€” would soon fall.

โ€œThe more frequently a resistance line is tested, the weaker it becomes,โ€ trading team Stockmoney Lizards argued.

โ€œThe day will come when ALL $31k sell orders have been filled.โ€

An accompanying chart uploaded to Twitter compared BTC price action this year with its pre-bull market behavior in 2016, in the run-up to previous all-time highs in December 2017.

BTC/USD comparative chart. Source: Stockmoney Lizards/Twitter

Continuing, popular trader and analyst Rekt Capital suggested that the overall crypto market cap was also poised for a breakout.

Others eyed downside potential in the face of stubborn resistance. Among them, trader Crypto Tony repeated calls for a trip to $28,000.

โ€œThis really is as simple as it gets for Bitcoin this week,โ€ he told Twitter followers on the day.

โ€œWe are against the $31,000 resistance zone, so unless we take it out i expect us to draw down to $28,000 for a reload option from the bears. Much prefer if we just pump though this week.โ€

As Cointelegraph reported, consensus was also building around BTC/USD soon topping out, possibly in the mid-$30,000 range, after a final leg higher.

A 2021 repeat in the making?

Meanwhile, the June monthly close had produced a significant move for Bitcoin on monthly timeframes.

Related:ย Miners send millions to exchanges โ€” 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week

As noted by technical analyst Michael Nauss, BTC/USD, for the first time since the 2021 all-time highs, had closed above an adjusted volume-weighted average price (AVWAP).

AVWAP looks at important support and resistance levels based on trader behavior, and the close above $30,000 marked a resurgence not seen in two years.

Retweeting Nauss, Caleb Franzen, CEO of Cubic Analytics, called on market observers to lengthen their time preference.

โ€œWhen the BlackRock ETF application was announced, the price of Bitcoin was roughly $26k and it rose to new YTD highs above $31k,โ€ part of commentary stated last week, referencing ongoing attempts to launch the first Bitcoin spot price exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the U.S.

โ€œWe’re still trading above $30k and people are losing their minds? Couldn’t be me. Higher highs and higher lows.โ€

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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.