Bitcoin Price Stuck in a Tight Range as Accumulation Counters Exchange Selling Pressure

Jim Haastrup
6 Min Read

The Bitcoin holder accumulation behavior reveals wholecoiner inflows to Binance have collapsed to 2018 levels at 6,500 BTC yearly average, signalling large holders are keeping coins off exchanges despite short-term price volatility. While retail investors continue panic-selling during pullbacks with 1,208 BTC daily inflows, accumulation wallets absorbed over 6,400 BTC on December 10, and centralized exchange balances dropped from 3.44 million to 2.49 million BTC—indicating a fundamental shift toward long-term holding and self-custody.

Key Insights

  • According to analysts, Bitcoin’s price currently faces heavy order-book pressure near $87,000.
  • Large exchange inflows have raised short-term supply concerns.
  • Meanwhile, strong holder behaviour is keeping Bitcoin above major support.

Bitcoin remains locked in a tight range as traders watch its every move. Price action near $87,000 is showing strong resistance as buyers and sellers continue to fight for control.  So far, this Bitcoin liquidity battle has turned into the main story of the week.

Bitcoin currently trades above $85,000 after its most recent pullback as order-book data shows thick liquidity on both sides.

Bitcoin Liquidity Battle Forms Around $87,000

Bitcoin price met heavy sell orders as Wall Street opened earlier this week. Data from TradingView showed this struggle as buyers tried to push higher and sellers stacked orders above $87,000.

Material Indicators shared Binance order-book data on X. Based on this data, bid liquidity gathered near $85,000, while ask liquidity built up above $87,000. This setup created a narrow trading zone.

The 100-week simple moving average currently sits near $84,646 and traders are treating this level as strong support. 

Bitcoin Liquidity Battle and Short-Term Price Targets

Bitcoin dropped near $85,000 earlier in the week, and buyers stepped in quickly. However, traders feared another sharp sell-off during US hours.

Analyst Crypto Tony shared views on X, in which he said that he expected a stronger bounce closer to $84,000. 

Meanwhile, some market watchers are eyeing thin resistance above current levels, as others pointed to a possible run toward $95,000 if sellers lose control. However, that move would require clearing the already-stacked ask orders above $87,000.

Large Bitcoin Transfer Draws Market Attention

While all of this happened, a major Bitcoin transfer added tension to the mix. Whale Alert reported that 3,000 BTC moved into Binance this week, and this value was worth around $260 million.

Arkham data linked the wallets to Matrixport and noted that two connected wallets sent nearly 4,000 BTC into Binance the same day.

Bitcoin price hovered near $86,600 after the deposit, and the price has failed to hold above $90,000 for weeks. 

Holder Behavior Supports Bitcoin Price

Meanwhile, long-term holders continue to provide support. Data from Glassnode shows that Bitcoin treasury balances are growing and public companies keep adding BTC despite recent drawdowns.

Bitcoin currently trades below its October high near $125,000. Even so, corporate holders have avoided panic selling, despite many equities tied to Bitcoin trading below mNAV. 

In addition, the short-term holder to long-term holder supply ratio has reached 18.4%, and this level stands above historical bands.

Bitcoin Liquidity Battle Keeps Price Range Tight

Bitcoin currently trades near $86,500 at last check as support holds near $86,361 and resistance sits close to $90,401.

This being said, a move above resistance could restore confidence, but buyers would need sustained volume. 

Failure to hold support could open the door to a drop towards $84,698. A deeper drop could even cause a test of $82,503. 

Support and resistance levels to watch for Bitcoin | source: TradingView
Support and resistance levels to watch for Bitcoin | source: TradingView

Traders now seem to be on the lookout for fresh data from here. The Consumer Price Index release later in the week could be a great source of improved sentiment if it comes in as positive.

In all, Bitcoin’s liquidity battle zones are showing a stronger positioning as short-term traders react quickly and long-term holders stand their ground.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be construed as financial advice. Investing in cryptocurrencies involves substantial risk, including the possible loss of your capital. Readers are encouraged to perform their own research and seek guidance from a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Voice of Crypto does not endorse or promote any specific cryptocurrency, investment product, or trading strategy mentioned in this article.

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Jim Haastrup is a blockchain and technical writer at Voice of Crypto, where he covers cryptocurrency, NFTs, DeFi, GameFi, and the Metaverse. Before joining Voice of Crypto in 2022, he spent over three years as a senior technical writer across multiple blockchain projects, including Hashtoken, Naxar, and Bino, where he specialized in whitepapers, technical documentation, and content strategy for decentralized finance applications. Jim began his career as a junior technical writer at RM in Canada before advancing to lead technical writing roles at Bulltoken, a cryptocurrency crowdfunding platform in Norway. Throughout his career, he has authored more than 800 articles and collaborated with development teams to translate complex blockchain protocols into accessible content for diverse audiences including developers, investors, and crypto enthusiasts. His work spans ICO/STO/IDO research and analysis, cryptocurrency market trend forecasting, and social media management for crypto brands. Jim has helped numerous startups build their online presence through strategic content marketing, technical whitepapers, and pitch deck development. Jim graduated from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering in 2021. Disclosure: No significant crypto holdings.