Bitcoin Slides to Three-Week Low Under $77K Amid Bear Dominance

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-05-18Last updated on 2026-05-18

Abstract

Bitcoin (BTC) has dropped to a three-week low below $77,000, erasing gains made since early May. This decline follows a recent surge to 13-week highs above $83,000, driven by optimism around US crypto regulation and strong ETF inflows. Over $600 million in long positions were liquidated in the past day, with $190 million from Bitcoin. Analysts point to a negative technical divergence as BTC faced resistance above $82,000. Key support is seen at $76,000; a break below could target the $71,000-$73,000 zone or even the $65,000 local low. Geopolitical tensions, including US-Iran relations and oil supply concerns, contributed to broader market volatility.

In the last three days, the price of bitcoin (BTC) has fallen to a three-week low of $76,500, according to data from CMC. This wipes out all advances that bitcoin has achieved since May 1. Losses follow days of gains for the Bitcoin/USD pair, which surged to 13-week highs above $83,000 on the strength of optimism surrounding the US CLARITY Act and heavy inflows into spot exchange-traded funds. At the time of writing, BTC is trading at $76,829, down 1.66% as per data from CMC.

On Sunday, American President Donald Trump warned that the “clock is ticking” and made new threats against Iran over the peace agreement’s delays. In the last day, there has been a $607 million surge in long liquidations, with $190 million of the total coming from Bitcoin long liquidations.

With this, the total amount liquidated in the last 24 hours reached $677 million. While oil prices were volatile, WTI rose more than 3% in a few hours to $104/bbl before retracing to $101. With Trump’s apparent impatience with the peace negotiations reaching a stalemate and the expiration of a waiver for Russian oil deliveries adding to supply concerns around the still-disrupted Strait of Hormuz, WTI climbed beyond $103.

Fears of a Deeper Market Correction

Bitcoin investors, meanwhile, studied the technical setup in hopes of predicting the cryptocurrency’s future price movement. We are now seeing a downturn, according to analysts, since there was a negative divergence from the relative index when BTC/USD encountered resistance above $82,000.

According to crypto expert Michael van de Poppe, the market should avoid a catastrophic collapse if the $76,000 level of immediate support remains intact. Should this region be penetrated, further support levels to keep an eye on include the $71,000–73,000 demand zone and the local low at $65,000. The objective of an inverted V-shaped pattern is at $65,000, which is also the local low. From the current pricing, this is a 16% decrease.

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Related Questions

QWhat is the current price of Bitcoin according to the article, and how much has it fallen from its recent high?

AAt the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $76,829, which is down 1.66%. This represents a fall from its recent 13-week high above $83,000, wiping out gains since May 1.

QAccording to analyst Michael van de Poppe, what key price level must Bitcoin hold to avoid a deeper collapse?

AAccording to crypto expert Michael van de Poppe, the key immediate support level Bitcoin must hold to avoid a catastrophic collapse is $76,000.

QWhat major geopolitical event is mentioned as a factor potentially influencing market volatility?

AThe article mentions new threats from U.S. President Donald Trump against Iran over delays in a peace agreement. This, along with the expiration of a waiver for Russian oil deliveries, is adding to supply concerns and contributing to volatility in oil prices, which is often linked to broader market risk sentiment.

QHow much in total was liquidated from the crypto market in the 24 hours prior to the article's writing?

AIn the last 24 hours, a total of $677 million was liquidated from the crypto market.

QWhat technical reason does the article give for the current Bitcoin price downturn?

AAnalysts cited in the article state that the downturn is occurring because there was a negative divergence from the relative strength index (RSI) when the BTC/USD pair encountered resistance above the $82,000 level.

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While such anonymity may foster a community-driven culture, it intensifies concerns about governance and accountability. Who are the Investors of DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN)? The available information indicates that DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) does not have any known institutional backers or prominent venture capital investments. The project seems to operate on a peer-to-peer model focused on community support and adoption rather than traditional funding routes. Its activity and liquidity are primarily situated on decentralized exchanges (DEXs), such as PumpSwap, rather than established centralized trading platforms, further highlighting its grassroots approach. How DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) Works The operational mechanics of DIGITAL GOLD ($BITCOIN) can be elaborated on based on its blockchain design and network attributes: Consensus Mechanism: By leveraging Solana’s unique proof-of-history (PoH) combined with a proof-of-stake (PoS) model, the project ensures efficient transaction validation contributing to the network's high performance. Tokenomics: While specific deflationary mechanisms have not been extensively detailed, the vast maximum token supply implies that it may cater to microtransactions or niche use cases that are still to be defined. Interoperability: There exists the potential for integration with Solana’s broader ecosystem, including various decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. However, the details regarding specific integrations remain unspecified. 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1.4k Total ViewsPublished 2025.05.13Updated 2025.05.13

What is $BITCOIN

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