Bitcoin Nears $94K Resistance: Experts Debate $100K Potential

Bitcoin’s price action this week centered on a crucial technical barrier between $94,555 and $94,700. As highlighted by market analyst Ali Martinez on social media platform X, the $94,555 level represents a “bullish trigger” for BTC. A confirmed break above this zone, according to Martinez, could propel the cryptocurrency toward a target of $105,291—a move that would constitute a 12% increase from current levels and significantly narrow the gap to its all-time high of over $126,000 reached in October of last year.

However, the asset has thus far struggled to maintain momentum after rejecting the $94,700 resistance level. Nic Puckrin, digital asset analyst and co-founder of Coin Bureau, interprets the recent uptick not as a fundamental trend shift but as a “reflexive move” by investors rebalancing portfolios after last year’s heavy sell-off. Puckrin warns that failure to breach this resistance could lead to another decline in value, setting a tense technical battleground for Bitcoin in the short term.

The technical standoff is mirrored by a stark divergence in expert sentiment. On one side, figures like Nic Puckrin maintain a cautiously optimistic longer-term view. Puckrin anticipates another all-time high for Bitcoin in 2026, though he tempers expectations by noting it “won’t be as dramatic as some are predicting” and emphasizes that “the possibility of a reversal into bear territory remains very real.” His conditional optimism hinges on a successful breakout, believing that if BTC breaches the $94,700 resistance, a return to the $100,000 level may be achievable.

In direct contrast, Vince Stanzione, CEO and founder of First Information, maintains a firmly bearish outlook. Stanzione, who was negative on Bitcoin throughout 2025, is “sticking with that view in 2026.” He bases his skepticism on a risk-reward assessment he finds unappealing at current prices near $92,000. Crucially, Stanzione evaluates Bitcoin not against the dollar but against gold, a comparison that currently places the digital asset at a significant disadvantage.

Vince Stanzione’s bearish thesis is heavily anchored in Bitcoin’s relative performance against gold. He points out that while Bitcoin declined by about 6% by the end of 2025, gold surged by an impressive 66% over the same period. This staggering 72-percentage-point performance gap forms the core of his argument. “There are no compelling reasons to buy Bitcoin at the current $92,000 level,” Stanzione stated, predicting that gold will continue to outperform Bitcoin this year and that the digital asset will close 2026 at a lower price.

This comparison introduces a broader macroeconomic dimension to the price analysis. For some investors, Bitcoin and gold are competing stores of value, especially in uncertain economic climates. The dramatic outperformance of gold in 2025 suggests capital flowed decisively toward the traditional safe-haven asset, leaving Bitcoin to grapple with its own market dynamics and regulatory perceptions. The ongoing debate between these two asset classes adds a layer of fundamental pressure atop Bitcoin’s immediate technical challenges.

The immediate trajectory for Bitcoin is binary and technically defined. A sustained break above the $94,555-$94,700 resistance zone, as identified by Ali Martinez and referenced by Nic Puckrin, would validate the bullish case and open a path toward $105,291 and potentially the psychological $100,000 level. Such a move would require significant buying volume to overcome the selling pressure that has consistently emerged at this barrier.

Conversely, a rejection at this key level would lend credence to the more cautious and bearish perspectives. It could trigger the decline Puckrin warns of and reinforce Stanzione’s thesis of underperformance relative to other assets. The outcome will likely determine whether the narrative for 2026 is one of recovery and new all-time highs or a continuation of the consolidation and comparative weakness seen in late 2025. All eyes are now on this narrow price band, where Bitcoin’s near-term fate will be decided.