Death Cross Strikes Bitcoin: What’s Next for the BTC Price?

Bitcoin forms a death cross and falls below $90,000. Analysts warn of a potential bear market with price targets of $75,000, $56,000 and $52,000.

Over the past year, similar patterns have marked local bottoms, but in 2022 a deathcross signaled the start of a bear market.

Bitcoin falls below $90,000 as trend shifts

Bitcoin is priced at around $90,500 at the time of writing, having fallen nearly 6% in the past 24 hours and 15% in the past week. This drop puts Bitcoin almost 30% below its all-time high above $126,000 recorded on October 6, 2025. The recent move below the 50-day and 200-day moving averages has completed a death cross pattern on the chart.

According to According to analyst Ali Martinez, every deathcross in the past year led to a recovery. But in 2022, a similar pattern led to a longer market decline. The current pattern and rate of decline resembles the 2022 setup.

The market will keep an eye on whether the current decline remains above the support level or continues. If it mirrors the 2022 structure, a prolonged downtrend could be possible.

Moreover, Bitcoin is now below the average MVRV price of $98,650. This model tracks the difference between market value and realized value to define valuation zones. When the price drops below the average, it often indicates movement into undervalued territory. On November 16, Bitcoin was trading at $94,390, below the model’s neutral zone.

Below $98,650, the next major Bitcoin $BTC levels are:

• $75,740
• $56,160
• $52,820 pic.twitter.com/gMmWIUZ0nY

— Ali (@ali_charts) November 17, 2025

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Martinez has indicated three lower price targets to watch if the decline continues, namely $75,740, $56,160 and $52,820. These levels correspond to the -0.5 deviation, the realized price and the -1.0 deviation of the model, respectively. Each level is linked to previous market bottoms. If Bitcoin cannot reclaim the $98,650 zone quickly, the danger will become even greater.

Previous cycles suggest the bottom could come in late 2026

In a recent video, Martinez explains referred to past Bitcoin cycles. In 2017 and 2021, assets peaked and then entered bear markets that lasted about 364 days each. The first ended with an 84% drop, while the second followed with a 77% drop. If the current cycle top were in October 2025, a similar pattern would point to a trough in October 2026.

The analyst said this is a “ideal purchasing opportunity“Based on the timing of past bear market lows. This is consistent with the structure seen in previous cycles where a long downturn was followed by accumulation before the next upward move.

Mixed opinions on Bitcoin’s next move

Some analysts believe that Bitcoin is now in a broader bearish trend. If CryptoPotato Previously reported data shows more Bitcoin being sent to exchanges, which could indicate plans to sell. Others noted that the market structure has changed in a more permanent way, which could mean longer periods of price weakness lie ahead.

However, analyst Egrag Crypto disagrees. He said, “Fitting graphs into a story is one of the biggest pitfalls in TA.” He believes that current market conditions are different than in 2021 and that moving averages no longer provide reliable signals. Instead, he points to the 21-week EMA and adds that the market is still maintaining its structure.

He argues that the bullish trend remains intact and views the current move as another test of long-term support. Moreover, Erag continues to believe that the market is heading towards the 1.618 Fibonacci extension near $175,000.