Bitcoin Bulls Rest and Prepare for a Rally to $101.5K

The start of 2026 saw Bitcoin and select altcoins rally back toward their weekly range highs, and the current situation across markets highlights improving investor sentiment and trading volumes. Since Jan. 1, Bitcoin continued to show improvement with tightening range consolidation clearly seen in its daily higher lows and higher highs, leading to the weekly high at $94,800.

7-day liquidation heatmap data from Hyblock shows long liquidation clusters between $89,000 to $87,000 and short positions sitting at the weekly range high near $95,000. 

From a technical trader’s point of view, the start of year rally pulled the price above the 20-day moving average, which is currently converging with the 50-day moving average. After BTC failed to hold $95,000 and liquidate the short positions in that zone, it appears that some traders cut their positions to take profit in anticipation of a lower support retest of the 20-MA at $89,400.

If the current trend were to extend and volume permitting, over the coming days, another attack on the $95,000 level could occur. Such a move could lead to short covering and liquidations, allowing bulls to exploit a clear gap in the volume profile of the BTC/USDT (Binance) pair, setting Bitcoin up for a 13% rally to $101,500. 

As shown in the chart below, the bulk of this week’s intra-day Bitcoin price action was driven by traders using perpetual futures to trigger liquidations. Note how a near $1.1 billion surge in futures buy volume took place as BTC rallied to $94,800 on Jan. 5, and $100 million in shorts were liquidated in the BTC/USDT pair at Binance, according to data from TRDR.io. 

As detailed earlier, current liquidation heatmap data and orderbook structure suggest that a similar event could occur again if traders press BTC price to $94,000.