Key points:

Bitcoin continues to face resistance at $95,000, but the possibility of an upside breakout remains high.

Solid spot Bitcoin ETF inflows do not always signal a short-term top.

Select altcoins are showing early signs of a short-term trend change.

Bitcoin (BTC) pierced the $95,000 resistance on April 28, but the bulls are struggling to sustain the higher levels. This suggests that the bears have not given up and are trying to defend the level. A minor positive in favor of the bulls is that they have not ceded much ground to the bears. That improves the prospects of a move toward $100,000.

Another positive is that institutional demand seems to be back, as seen from the solid $3.06 billion in net inflows into US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds last week. Although some instances of high spot Bitcoin ETF inflows have led to short-term price tops, that has not always been the case. Hence, the high Bitcoin ETF inflows alone cannot be considered a reason to turn negative.

Crypto market data daily view. Source: Coin360

Hedge fund founder Dan Tapiero said in a post on X that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to ignore the macro data signaling a rapid slowdown ahead. He expects increasing market liquidity to catapult Bitcoin to $180,000 before the summer of 2026.

What are the essential levels to watch out for in Bitcoin and altcoins? Let’s analyze the charts of the top 10 cryptocurrencies to find out.

S&P 500 Index price prediction

The S&P 500 Index (SPX) made a strong comeback last week and rose above the 20-day exponential moving average (5,415).

SPX daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The index could reach the 50-day simple moving average (5,623), which is likely to act as a minor hurdle. If buyers overcome it, the recovery could extend to 5,800. Sellers are expected to mount a strong defense at the 5,800 level. 

Time is running out for the bears. If they want to make a comeback, they will have to swiftly pull the price back below the 20-day EMA. If they do that, the index could descend to 5,300 and then to 5,119.

US Dollar Index price prediction

The US Dollar Index (DXY) plunged below the 99 level on April 21, but the bears could not maintain the lower levels. 

DXY daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

However, a minor positive in favor of the bears is that they have not allowed the price to rise above the 100.27 overhead resistance. That suggests demand dries up at higher levels. The downsloping moving averages and the relative strength index (RSI) in the negative zone indicate that the bears have an edge. If the price skids below 99, the index may retest the 97.92 level.

The bulls will have to push and maintain the price above the 20-day EMA (100.76) to indicate that the selling pressure is reducing. The index may then surge toward the 50-day SMA (103.43).

Bitcoin price prediction

Bitcoin continues to face stiff resistance at $95,000, but the tight consolidation near the crucial level increases the likelihood of a break above it.

BTC/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The upsloping 20-day EMA ($89,093) and the RSI near the overbought zone indicate that the bulls are in control. A close above $95,000 could open the gates for a rally to $100,000. Sellers are expected to vigorously defend the $100,000 level, but on the way down, buyers will try to arrest the decline at $95,000.

This optimistic view will be invalidated in the near term if the price turns down and plunges below the 20-day EMA. That could sink the BTC/USDT pair to the 50-day SMA ($85,085).

Ether price prediction

Ether (ETH) closed above the 50-day SMA ($1,792) on April 26, but the bulls could not maintain the momentum.

ETH/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The 20-day EMA ($1,719) is the vital support to watch out for on the downside. If the price bounces off the 20-day EMA with strength, the bulls will try to push the ETH/USDT pair toward the breakdown level of $2,111. Sellers are expected to defend the $2,111 level with all their might because a break above it may catapult the pair to $2,550. 

On the downside, a break and close below the 20-day EMA suggests that the bears remain in control. The ETH/USDT pair may then descend to $1,537.

XRP price prediction

XRP (XRP) turned up from the 20-day EMA ($2.15) on April 27, signaling a positive sentiment.

XRP/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The XRP/USDT pair could reach the resistance line, which is a crucial level to watch out for. A break and close above the resistance line indicates a potential trend change. The pair could then rally to $3.

On the contrary, if the price turns down sharply from the resistance line and breaks below the moving averages, it suggests that the bears are aggressively defending the level. That could keep the pair stuck between the resistance line and $2 for a few more days.

BNB price prediction

Buyers have managed to keep BNB (BNB) above the moving averages but are struggling to start a strong rebound.

BNB/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The flattish 20-day EMA ($597) and the RSI just above the midpoint do not give a clear advantage either to the bulls or the bears. Buyers will have to push the price above $620 to gain the upper hand. That could open the doors for a rally to $644 and subsequently to $680.

Alternatively, a break and close below the moving averages will strengthen the bears. The BNB/USDT pair may drop to $576 and then to $566, where the buyers are expected to step in.

Solana price prediction

Solana (SOL) is facing resistance in the $148 to $153 zone, but a positive sign is that the bulls have not given up much ground.

SOL/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The upsloping 20-day EMA ($139) and the RSI in the positive territory indicate the path of least resistance is to the upside. A break and close above $153 clears the path for a rally to $180.

Sellers will have to pull the price below the 20-day EMA to weaken the bullish momentum. The SOL/USDT pair may then slump to the 50-day SMA ($130), suggesting a range formation in the near term.

Related: Bitcoin could hit $210K in 2025, says Presto research head

Dogecoin price prediction

Dogecoin (DOGE) has dropped to the moving averages, signaling that the range-bound action may continue for a while.  

DOGE/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

If the price rebounds off the moving averages with strength, the bulls will attempt to kick the DOGE/USDT pair above the $0.21 resistance. If they can pull it off, the pair will complete a double-bottom pattern, which has a target objective of $0.28.

Instead, if the price turns down from $0.21, it suggests that the pair may extend its stay inside the range. The bears will gain the upper hand if they sink the price below the $0.14 support.

Cardano price prediction

Cardano (ADA) has remained above the moving averages, indicating that the bulls are buying the dips.

ADA/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

The moving averages are about to complete a bullish crossover, and the RSI is in the positive zone, indicating a slight advantage for the bulls. There is minor resistance at $0.75, but if the level is crossed, the ADA/USDT pair could surge to $0.83. 

The first sign of weakness will be a break and close below the moving averages. That suggests the bears remain sellers on rallies. The pair could then drop to $0.58, which is likely to act as support.

Sui price prediction

Sui (SUI) has been trading just below the $3.90 resistance, indicating that the bulls have kept up the pressure.

SUI/USDT daily chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

That increases the likelihood of a rally above the overhead resistance. If that happens, the SUI/USDT pair could start the next leg of the uptrend to $4.25 and later to $5.

Contrary to this assumption, if the price turns down from the overhead resistance and breaks below $3.35, it signals that the bulls are booking profits. That could pull the price to the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level of $3.14 and then to the 20-day EMA ($2.77), which is likely to attract buyers.

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.

Key Takeaways:

Bitcoin price dropped alongside falling Treasury yields, signaling investors’ flight to safer assets.

Strategy’s $4.28B Bitcoin purchases and stock market strength have supported BTC above $90,000.

A true breakout toward $100,000 will require Bitcoin to decouple from equities and stronger liquidity signals.

Bitcoin (BTC) experienced a sharp $2,000 correction to $93,500 on April 28. This price movement closely tracked the decline in US Treasury yields, suggesting that traders were seeking the relative safety of more secure assets.

While Bitcoin traders are moderately satisfied with the 6% gains achieved over the past week, there is ongoing uncertainty as to why BTC has been unable to maintain levels above $95,000.

US 5-year Treasury yield  (left) vs Bitcoin/USD, 15 min. Source: TradingView / Cointelegraph

The abrupt correction in Bitcoin’s price after reaching $95,500 mirrored the intraday performance of US Treasury yields. A decrease in yields indicates that investors are willing to accept lower returns for holding bonds, which signals increased demand for safer investments. This pattern suggests a sudden decline in risk appetite across major financial markets.

China’s tariff cuts fueled optimism, but US trade concerns reversed sentiment

Investors’ optimism increased over the weekend as news that China had quietly reduced tariffs to zero on selected US semiconductor and circuit board imports was reported by Newsweek on April 25. Notably, the US Russell 2000 small-cap index maintained positive momentum on April 28, remaining near its highest level in over three weeks. 

However, this sentiment reversed following an interview with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on CNBC, in which he placed the responsibility for a trade agreement on China.

US Russell 2000 futures (left) vs. Bitcoin/USD, 1h. Source: TradingView / Cointelegraph

Although recession risks have increased amid escalating trade tensions, many US companies are currently reporting strong first-quarter results. According to a FactSet report, 73% of these companies have posted earnings that exceeded analysts’ expectations.

Bitcoin’s repeated failure to sustain levels above $95,000 appears to be linked to broader macroeconomic concerns. Additionally, the cryptocurrency’s inability to decouple from stock market trends indicates that investors are not yet convinced of Bitcoin’s effectiveness as a hedge during potential economic downturns.

There are also concerns that much of the recent bullish momentum, which has kept Bitcoin’s price above $90,000, has been driven by $4.28 billion in BTC acquisitions by Strategy since mid-March. Furthermore, 97% of the previously approved common share issuance has already been utilized, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of Michael Saylor’s accumulation strategy.

Bitcoin struggles as strong stock earnings contrast with macroeconomic concerns

While the stock market is benefiting from a robust earnings season, Bitcoin’s price is being weighed down by perceptions of deteriorating macroeconomic conditions.

US existing home sales in March recorded their largest monthly decline in over two years, falling 5.9% compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, China has outlined plans to support employment and assist exporters after factories reduced production due to weak consumer demand, according to CNBC.

Related: Crypto ETPs hit 3rd-largest inflows on record at $3.4B — CoinShares

Given the current global economic uncertainty, a sustained rally in BTC above $100,000 will require more than a single week of strong inflows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), particularly as this coincides with significant buying activity from Strategy.

For investors to have confidence in a new Bitcoin all-time high in 2025, the cryptocurrency must demonstrate a clearer divergence from US stock market trends and provide further evidence that central banks will inject liquidity to prevent a crisis. 

At present, traders are focused on the trajectory of US interest rates and the possibility of a reversal in the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet, which could end a period of monetary tightening that has lasted for more than two years.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

The hacker behind the $5.8 million recent Loopscale exploit is in talks to return the stolen funds in exchange for a bounty, the Solana-based protocol said. 

The exploiter pilfered approximately 5.7 million USDC (USDC) and 1,200 Solana (SOL) tokens from two of Loopscale’s yield vaults on April 26, prompting the decentralized finance protocol to temporarily pause its lending markets. 

The following day, the hacker sent a message on the Etherscan blockchain scanner “indicat[ing] a willingness to return the exploited funds in exchange for a bounty,” Loopscale said in an April 27 X post. 

“We are agreeable to collaborating with you to reach a white hat agreement. However, we would like to negotiate the bounty percentage; our expectation is 20%,” the hacker said. “To demonstrate our commitment to a cooperative approach, we will immediately return the 5,000 wSOL funds following the transmission of this message,” they added.

Negotiations are ongoing for the remaining funds, according to the public messaging exchange on Etherscan. 

Messages exchanged with the Loopscale hacker. Source: Etherscan

Related: Solana’s Loopscale pauses lending after $5.8M hack

The exploit

Web3 protocols frequently offer bounties to hackers in exchange for returning lost funds. However, only a small portion of the more than $1.6 billion in crypto stolen during the first quarter of 2025 has been successfully recovered. 

The Loopscale exploit only impacted the protocol’s USDC and SOL vaults, with losses representing around 12% of its total value locked (TVL),  Loopscale co-founder Mary Gooneratne said in an April 26 X post. 

Source: Loopscale

In the aftermath of the attack, Loopscale temporarily halted lending but has since “re-enabled loan repayments, top-ups, and loop closing,” it said in an X post. 

“All other app functions (including Vault withdrawals) are still temporarily restricted while we investigate and ensure mitigation of this exploit,” Loopscale said.

Launched on April 10, Loopscale is a DeFi lending protocol that aims to improve capital efficiency by directly matching lenders and borrowers.

Additionally, Loopscale facilitates specialized lending markets, such as “structured credit, receivables financing, and undercollateralized lending,” it said in an April announcement shared with Cointelegraph.

Magazine: Bitcoin $100K hopes on ice, SBF’s mysterious prison move: Hodler’s Digest, April 20 – 26