Bitcoin’s Sideways Phase a Trap Before Deeper Crash, Analysts Warn

Analyst Doctor Profit has identified a new and concerning pattern for Bitcoin (BTC). He describes the asset as forming a trading “box” between approximately $57,000 and $87,000, representing a wide 33% range. According to his analysis, reported by CryptoPotato, price action is likely to remain range-bound within these levels for weeks or even months. Crucially, Doctor Profit emphasizes this sideways behavior should not be mistaken for strength. Instead, he frames it as a structural phase that typically precedes a breakdown in a broader bear market.

Drawing a direct parallel to historical patterns, the analyst notes that Bitcoin spent all of 2024 consolidating between $58,000 and $74,000 before its eventual breakout above $100,000. He had warned then that this range would later serve as a critical reference level during the next bear market. That scenario is now unfolding: Bitcoin is trading once more in the same price zone, but this time in a bearish context where former consolidation areas act as overhead structure rather than durable support. The implication is clear—past support has transformed into resistance.

The consensus among commentators is starkly negative. Doctor Profit expects that once the current extended sideways phase concludes, Bitcoin will break down below the identified box, ultimately targeting the $44,000 to $50,000 region in the coming weeks or months. This view is echoed by other pseudonymous analysts. Filbfilb posted a chart comparison to the 2022 bear market, offering little encouragement for bulls. His key finding is that BTC is trading below the 50-week exponential moving average (EMA) near $95,300—a level he considers an important trend marker. Losing this support, Filbfilb suggests, leaves the crypto asset vulnerable, with recent price action resembling bear-market conditions rather than a sustainable recovery.

Market commentator BitBull reinforces this pessimistic outlook, stating that Bitcoin’s “final capitulation hasn’t happened yet.” He forecasts that “a real bottom will form below the $50,000 level, where most of the ETF buyers will be underwater.” This analysis points to a potential wave of selling pressure from recent institutional investors who entered via spot ETFs, should prices fall to those depths. Together, these perspectives from Doctor Profit, Filbfilb, and BitBull paint a cohesive picture of a market still in the grip of a bearish trend, with significant downside risk ahead.

Despite the grim macro forecast, Doctor Profit outlines a nuanced trading approach for the anticipated range-bound period. He is buying spot Bitcoin between $57,000 and $60,000, which he considers the local bottom of the current range. However, he is explicit that this is not the final macro bottom of the bear market. He views this zone as likely to be tested multiple times, making it suitable for range trades, with the upside during this consolidation period potentially extending as high as $87,000 depending on market strength.

Yet, the analyst’s broader positioning remains defensive. He made clear that $87,000 is not a guaranteed target but merely the upper boundary of the expected consolidation. If the price does approach that level, he stated he would consider adding to existing short positions that were opened between $115,000 and $125,000, which he continues to hold in full. Looking further ahead, Doctor Profit described the coming period as “long and boring,” adding that the most aggressive long-term buying will only occur much lower, between the low $50,000s and the low $40,000s. He believes Bitcoin will ultimately bottom there, potentially around September or October, summarizing the market view starkly: “We are in a bear market. The bounces are temporary and exist to build liquidity for further downside.”