CryptoQuant warns that Bitcoin's rise could slow as it approaches $90,000, driven by profit-taking among short-term traders.
CryptoQuant has raised concerns that Bitcoin's ascent may encounter resistance as it nears the $90,000 threshold. This anticipated slowdown is largely due to profit-taking by short-term traders.
The platform's analysis reveals that the average cost basis for Bitcoin purchased in the last one to three months is approximately $64,300. Consequently, the break-even point for these investors is pegged at $90,300, marking a 40% profit margin over their initial investment.
This price range coincides with a notable concentration of on-chain supply between $88,000 and $90,000, where historically, selling pressure tends to intensify as prices approach these levels. Analysts caution that this situation reflects a typical pause in the upward trajectory rather than signaling a market downturn.
CryptoQuant experts describe the path from the current price of roughly $86,000 to the profit-taking area as straightforward. The recent rise above the 365-day moving average of $80,500 indicates the beginning of a new bullish trend, with various on-chain metrics and technical analyses pointing to sustained growth.
Ki Young Ju, the CEO of CryptoQuant, noted that the entry of institutional investors is likely to stabilize future market fluctuations. He indicated that larger investments can mitigate extreme price spikes and shield the market from drastic declines.
I anticipate this Bitcoin bull cycle will yield a 3–5x increase rather than another 10x+ surge, followed by a softer bear market.
In the past, retail investors drove volatile rallies and significant crashes. Today's market is larger and increasingly institutional… pic.twitter.com/KmUd32jq13
— Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) September 22, 2026
Additionally, Ju referenced the MVRV ratio, which has remained above one throughout 2026, indicating that most investors are still in profit overall.
On another note, it was reported that net inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs surpassed $1.7 billion on September 21 and 22, highlighting growing institutional interest in the cryptocurrency.
