Bitcoin’s $125k Record Fueled By US Gov’t Shutdown, Macro Factors: Analysts

Bitcoin breached a new all-time high over the weekend, prompting analysts to call for a renewed accumulation phase that could fuel a rally to $150,000 before the end of the year.

Bitcoin (BTC) set a new all-time high above $125,700, and its market capitalization briefly crossed the $2.5 trillion milestone for the first time in crypto history, Cointelegraph reported earlier on Sunday.

The rally was supported by multiple macroeconomic factors, including the recent US government shutdown โ€” the first since 2018 โ€” which some analysts say has renewed interest in Bitcoinโ€™s store-of-value role.

In the past, similar conditions have led to โ€œmajor price milestones,โ€ according to Fabian Dori, chief investment officer at digital asset banking group Sygnum Bank.

The US government shutdown has โ€œrenewed discussion around Bitcoinโ€™s store-of-value role, as political dysfunction underscores interest in decentralised assets,โ€ Dori told Cointelegraph. โ€œAt the same time, the broader environment โ€” characterised by loose liquidity conditions, a service-led acceleration in the business cycle, and narrowing underperformance relative to equities and gold โ€” has drawn attention to digital assets,โ€ he added.

BTC/USD, year-to-date chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

However, the extent of the government shutdownโ€™s tailwind effect on the crypto market will ultimately depend on how it influences the US Federal Reserveโ€™s perspective on interest rate decisions, Jake Kennis, senior research analyst at Nansen, told Cointelegraph.

โ€œCrypto markets could benefit from a shutdown resolution if it reduces uncertainty and pushes the Fed toward a more dovish stance,โ€ Kennis added.

While some analysts saw the government shutdown as a signal of a potential crypto market bottom, Kennis said itโ€™s โ€œpremature to call this a local market bottom,โ€ as confirmation would require โ€œmulti-week stability above key support levels.โ€

Related: Bitcoin ETFs kickstart โ€˜Uptoberโ€™ with $3.2B in second-best week on record

Bitcoin enters new accumulation phase

Some analysts view Bitcoinโ€™s recent growth as a sign of a new accumulation phase by large entities, as onchain data suggests a decline in selling pressure from whales.

โ€œMarket data indicates the current price action may be linked to an accumulation phase,โ€ said Sygnym Bankโ€™s Dori.

โ€œSelling pressure from long-term holders appears to be easing, while short-term investors show signs of stabilisation after a period of realised losses.โ€

Periods of โ€œcooling speculative activity and steadier positioningโ€ have historically preceded significant Bitcoin rallies, he added.

Related: Crypto trader turns $3K into $2M after CZ post sends memecoin soaring

Meanwhile, Bitcoinโ€™s open interest โ€œreset sharplyโ€ after last weekโ€™s options expiry, which may โ€œset the stageโ€ for the fourth quarter, according to blockchain data platform Glassnode.

Source: Glassnode

Slowing speculative activity may attract more attention to Bitcoin, reinforcing analyst predictions of a breakout to $150,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025 if BTC can sustain its momentum above the key $120,000 psychological level, Charles Edwards told Cointelegraph at Token2049.

Magazine: Bitcoin to see โ€˜one more big thrustโ€™ to $150K, ETH pressure builds