Bitcoin approaches a critical technical milestone as its 50-day moving average converges toward a bullish **golden cross** with the 200-day benchmark, echoing patterns from early 2024. This development follows a failed death cross in April that trapped bearish traders, coinciding with mounting concerns over U.S. debt sustainability and strategic asset shifts.
The potential crossover comes amid bitcoin’s 10% surge to $97,000 this month, while gold corrected nearly 10% from its April peak above $3,300/oz. Analysts at Standard Chartered note **ETF inflows** for bitcoin now outpace gold by the widest margin since the 2024 U.S. election cycle, when BTC rallied 40% in two months.
Technical charts reveal striking parallels to January’s market structure, where a death cross preceded a swift golden cross that propelled prices to record highs. The MACD histogram’s bullish divergence and recovering 50-day SMA suggest renewed momentum, though macroeconomic risks linger.
Technical Setup Mirrors 2024 Breakout
Bitcoin’s current trajectory mirrors the January 2024 pattern where a death cross preceded a 73% price surge within three months. The 50-day SMA’s upward inflection point now sits just 2% below the 200-day line, with a crossover likely before month-end.
Critical support/resistance levels:
– Immediate support: $89,500 (weekly open)
– Breakout target: $109,000 (January ATH)
– Golden cross confirmation: Close above 200-day SMA
Institutional Demand Outshines Gold
While gold dominated safe-haven flows in Q1, bitcoin ETFs have attracted $1.2B net inflows since April compared to $800M for gold funds. “BTC is becoming the preferred hedge against dollar diversification,” said Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick, referencing increased Asian institutional activity.
The bitcoin-gold ratio’s breakout from a four-month downtrend confirms shifting preferences. Historical data shows bitcoin typically lags gold rallies by 100-150 days before outperforming – a pattern that aligned perfectly during 2024’s Q2 surge.
Altcoins Ride Macro Uncertainty Wave
Major **altcoins** like Monero and Ethereum have rallied 15-20% this week as investors diversify beyond bitcoin. The CoinDesk 20 Index shows mid-cap tokens outperforming large-caps by 8% since May 1, suggesting renewed risk appetite despite debt ceiling tensions.
Market participants await clarity on U.S. Treasury’s refinancing plans, with the 10-year yield testing 4.8%. A breach above 5% could trigger liquidations across risk assets, though bitcoin’s decreasing correlation to traditional markets (-0.32 vs SPX) may cushion the impact.
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Market Impact: A confirmed golden cross could attract $2-3B in systematic trading flows according to derivatives data, potentially propelling bitcoin toward $120,000 by July. However, analysts caution that debt resolution talks and Fed policy remain wild cards that could override technical signals.