Bitcoin Holds Above $77K as Investors Search for Bottom Signal

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-05-20Last updated on 2026-05-20

Abstract

Following a failed attempt to surpass $83,000 last week, the cryptocurrency market was subdued on Wednesday, with Bitcoin struggling to hold key support. The leading cryptocurrency traded around $77,400, up 0.7% on the day. Market sentiment was lifted by reduced geopolitical uncertainty after a US Senate vote to limit presidential war authority regarding Iran, alongside declines in oil and Treasury yields. Attention also turned to upcoming Federal Reserve meeting minutes. Analysts point to on-chain data, particularly the stabilization of Bitcoin's Realized Cap—a measure of the aggregate cost basis of all coins—as a potential signal that the worst of the recent decline may be over. After falling sharply from its peak, this indicator is showing signs of forming a base, reminiscent of behavior at the 2022 bear market lows. While a definitive market bottom is uncertain, the recovery above $77,000 and supportive metrics suggest the current downturn's most severe phase could have passed.

Following last week’s failure to break over $83,000, the cryptocurrency market remained quiet on Wednesday as it struggled with a critical level of support. The biggest cryptocurrency has gained 0.7% since midnight UTC and is now trading around $77,400.

Positive Developments

After the Senate voted 50-47 to limit President Trump’s authority to wage war against Iran, reducing market uncertainty, major cryptocurrencies rose during Wednesday’s Asian trading hours. As oil and Treasury rates declined, XRP, solana, and Bitcoin all rose modestly.

Investors were anticipating the minutes from the Federal Reserve’s April meeting, which added to the positive mood, and Mr. Trump had already ordered the Fed to examine the access of depository institutions to payment systems. When the biggest cryptocurrency temporarily dropped below $60,000 in early February, investors were wondering whether it was the market bottom.

While it’s impossible to tell for sure, some onchain and derivatives indices, together with bitcoin’s recent price recovery over $77,000, indicate that the worst of the current drop may be behind us.

Realized Cap is the initial statistic, and it calculates the overall worth of bitcoin by taking into account the last price each coin changed onchain. Market capitalization represents investors’ aggregate cost basis and is based on the current market price; it varies in that regard. Tracking capital entering or exiting the network is a common use case for it.

As bitcoin fell more than half from its October record high, realized cap peaked at $1.12 trillion and then dropped to around $1.08 trillion. That’s a huge loss of wealth, maybe among the biggest ever recorded. But now the indicator is beginning to stabilise and build a foundation, much as it did in the bear market lows of 2022.

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Related Questions

QWhat is the current trading price of Bitcoin and what does the article suggest about the market bottom?

ABitcoin is currently trading around $77,400. The article suggests that while it's impossible to be certain, some onchain and derivatives indicators, along with Bitcoin's price recovery above $77,000, may signal that the worst of the recent drop is behind us.

QWhat positive political development contributed to the rise of major cryptocurrencies during Wednesday's Asian trading hours?

AThe positive development was the US Senate voting 50-47 to limit President Trump's authority to wage war against Iran, which reduced market uncertainty.

QWhat is the Realized Cap metric, and what recent trend does the article describe for it?

ARealized Cap is an onchain metric that calculates the total worth of Bitcoin based on the last price each coin was transacted at, representing the aggregate cost basis of investors. The article notes that after falling from a peak of $1.12 trillion, it has recently stabilized around $1.08 trillion, potentially forming a base similar to the 2022 bear market lows.

QAside from political news, what other event were investors anticipating that added to the positive market mood?

AInvestors were anticipating the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve's April meeting.

QWhich specific cryptocurrencies are mentioned as rising alongside Bitcoin during the Asian trading session?

AXRP and Solana (SOL) are mentioned as rising modestly alongside Bitcoin during Wednesday's Asian trading hours.

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