Bitcoin’s death cross confirmation could mean BTC is officially in a bear market

Nancy Lubale 2 minutes ago Bitcoin’s death cross confirmation could mean BTC is officially in a bear market A rare death cross has been confirmed on Bitcoin’s price chart, suggesting that the bear market has just started. Will dip buyers be able to defy the trend? Listen 0:00 60 Market Analysis COINTELEGRAPH IN YOUR SOCIAL FEED Key takeaways: Bitcoin’s death cross, which previously led to 64%-77% BTC price declines, has flashed again. Mounting selling pressure is prompting many investors to sell their BTC holdings at a loss. Bitcoin ( BTC ) may have confirmed its entry into a bear market after the price dropped to $80,000 on Friday. This view is reinforced by a convergence of technical indicators that have historically preceded extended declines. Bitcoin’s macro uptrend was invalidated The BTC/USD pair closed below its 50-week moving average on Sunday, a level crypto analyst Rekt Capital has been closely watching, saying that the “price will need to reclaim it promptly on a relief rally to protect the structure.” #BTC It's going to get complicated for Bitcoin to maintain bullish market structure if it performs a Weekly Close below the 50-week EMA later today If the Weekly Close indeed occurs below the 50 EMA, price will need to try reclaim it promptly on a relief rally to protect the… https://t.co/kxqpfUXC91 pic.twitter.com/SNp1Lxj0Dx — Rekt Capital (@rektcapital) November 16, 2025 “Bitcoin wasn’t able to reclaim the 50-week EMA,” the analyst said in a Friday post on X, adding: “Bullish market structures are invalidated when the macro trend shifts.” Rekt Capital was referring to Bitcoin’s drop below key support lines , even as the price slid below the 100-week moving average to reach a six-month low of $80,500 on Friday. Related: Bitcoin slump to $86K brings BTC closer to ‘max pain’ but great ‘discount’ zone Meanwhile, the price confirmed a “death cross” on its daily chart at the end of last week, a technical pattern that has previously preceded significant price declines. On Nov. 16, Bitcoin’s 50-day simple moving average (SMA) crossed below its 200-day SMA for the first time since January 2024, forming a death cross. “Every Bitcoin cycle has ended with a Death Cross,” said analyst Mister Crypto in an X analysis on Monday, asking: “Why would this time be different?” Bitcoin’s past performance after a death cross. Source: Mister Crypto In January 2022, the death cross was followed by a 64% BTC price drop, bottoming at $15,500, fueled by the FTX collapse . March 2018 and  September 2014 saw 67% and 71% declines in BTC price, respectively, after painting similar SMA crossovers. As Cointelegraph reported , Bitcoin’s SuperTrend indicator also sent a bearish signal on the weekly chart, an occurrence that has historically marked the start of a bear market. Bitcoin realized losses surpassed $800 million With increasing selling pressure by the hour, the volume of realized losses has risen to levels not seen since the 2022 FTX collapse. Onchain data provider Glassnode shared a chart showing that Bitcoin’s aggregate realized losses by both short-term and long-term holders have surged to areas above $800 million on a seven-day rolling basis. The $800 million mark was last crossed in November 2022. “Short-term holders are driving the bulk of the capitulation,” Glassnode said, adding: “The scale and speed of these losses reflect a meaningful washout of marginaBitcoin realized loss.ers unwind into the drawdown.” Bitcoin realized loss. Source: Glassnode Sharing a similar perspective, CryptoQuant analyst IT Tech said that short-term selling “often marks a local bottom if the price quickly reclaims the cost basis,” adding: “Failing to do so historically indicates a deeper bearish trend or confirms a bear market.” Bitcoin STH realized profit and loss. Source: CryptoQuant As Cointelegraph reported , short-term holders have been panic-selling their Bitcoin holdings at a loss, adding fuel to analysts’ predictions that the BTC price will extend its downtrend toward its April bottom of $74,500 . This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. # Bitcoin # Cryptocurrencies # Bitcoin Price # Markets # Price Analysis # Market Analysis Add reaction