What Shutdown? Bitcoin Bulls Head Toward $118,000

Key points:

  • Bitcoin is trying to break $118,000 for the first time since mid-August.

  • US labor market weakness drives crypto and risk assets higher despite the US government shutdown.

  • Any dips are โ€œbuy opportunities,โ€ BTC price analysis says.

Bitcoin (BTC) sought six-week highs after Wednesdayโ€™s Wall Street open as markets shrugged off the US government shutdown.

BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Bitcoin starts October with range breakout attempt

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed that BTC/USD reached $117,713 following weak US jobs data.

The pair came within $150 of beating its September maximum โ€” doing so would lead it to its highest levels since Aug. 17.

โ€œBitcoin is trying to breakout from its Monthly Range already on the first day of the new month of October,โ€ popular trader and analyst Rekt Capital summarized in his latest commentary on X.

BTC/USD one-month chart. Source: Rekt Capital/X

US private-sector employment numbers came in significantly below expectations, turning negative when estimates had projected a gain of 45,000 jobs for September.

Labor market weakness is considered a tailwind for crypto as it heightens the odds of interest-rate cuts and thus increased capital inflows.

The latest data from CME Groupโ€™s FedWatch Tool showed that markets were overwhelmingly betting on the Federal Reserve cutting rates by 0.25% at its October meeting.

Fed target rate probabilities for October FOMC meeting (screenshot). Source: CME Group

Continuing, fellow trader Jelle described BTC price action as โ€œpushing through the resistance like it isnโ€™t even there.โ€

โ€œOne last thing to ‘worry’ about: a sweep of the September highs. Clear those, and the bears will have very little leg to stand on. Higher,โ€ he told X followers.

BTC/USD chart. Source: Jelle/X

Others focused on potential support retests, with trading account Daan Crypto Trades flagging $112,000 as โ€œkey short-term support.โ€

โ€œIdeally donโ€™t want to see price re-visit that,โ€ he wrote alongside a chart showing a channel that price was attempting to break through.ย 

โ€œUp to the bulls to take it from here, a proper breakout & some daily closes above the channel would signal this is ready for a move to new highs to me.โ€

BTC/USD one-day chart. Source: Daan Crypto Trades/X

The new US government shutdown, meanwhile, failed to impact the buoyant mood across risk assets.

Related: BTC price due for $108K ping pong: 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week

Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Index opened modestly higher, while gold consolidated after hitting its latest new all-time highs earlier in the day.

Commenting, trading company QCP Capital stated that the shutdown should be of little importance.

โ€œOn fiscal theatre, a U.S. government shutdown should be a market non-event beyond data delays and headline noise,โ€ it argued in its latest โ€œAsia Colorโ€ research post.ย 

โ€œEssential services continue, back-pay limits income effects, and past episodes have not derailed risk assets.โ€

BTC/USD vs. S&P 500 one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

QCP noted that during the 2018 shutdown, the S&P 500 ended 10% higher.

โ€œGiven BTCโ€™s elevated beta to equities, we see shutdown-related dips as buy opportunities rather than chasing gap-ups,โ€ it concluded.

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.