Don't get bearish Bitcoin just yet, says veteran trader who called 2018 crash

Bitcoin (BTC) may have printed a classic “head and shoulders” pattern but bulls could still win, says veteran trader Peter Brandt.

In a tweet on Oct. 27, Brandt, famous for his accuracy when it comes to BTC price predictions, refused to flip bearish on Bitcoin.

Brandt: Bitcoin may face "larger congestion"

Despite nearing $58,000 in a fresh wipeout of leveraged traders Wednesday, analysts broadly remain calm, even calling for highs to return in a show of strength which should catch many by surprise.

For Brandt, there is also little reason to dismiss Bitcoin on the back of current price action.

“Head and shoulders tops need not always produce a bear market to the implied target or beyond,” he wrote.

“This pattern can also fail (bullish) or morph into a larger congestion (exhausting).”

An accompanying chart showed last week’s all-time high of $67,100 surrounded by two lesser peaks, resulting in the so-called “head and shoulders” formation.

Traditionally, such events preclude extended downside for an asset, with upside exhausted and unsustainable after a certain point is reached.

The idea that Bitcoin could slide into an extended sideways period has meanwhile reentered the narrative in recent days. Cointelegraph contributor Michaël van de Poppe earlier forecast a slow grind toward $90,000, this potentially only hitting early next year.

All going to plan

For those worried about further losses on BTC/USD, decreasing funding rates — now all but “reset” after the flushing out of leverage — could allay fears.

Related: Bitcoin price dip matches October 2017 with BTC ‘explosion’ still forecast before 2022

Binance had been a particular source of concern over the week with large upside bets creating an unwieldy setup, which ultimately fell apart on the dip.

Bybit funding at 55% APR & Binance at 68% APR Meanwhile Deribit at 15% and FTX at 7%...Looks like we have to flush out the apes again...

— Will Clemente (@WClementeIII) October 26, 2021

The current spot price, at around $59,000, further lines Bitcoin up to potentially hit the “worst-case scenario” monthly close of $63,000. Its source, analyst PlanB, correctly predicted both the August and September monthly close — $47,000 and $43,000, respectively.

November, by contrast, should end on a much higher $98,000.