First Mover Americas: Bitcoin at $100K Sounds Nice, but Expect Pullback

This article originally appeared in First Mover, CoinDesk’s daily newsletter, putting the latest moves in crypto markets in context. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every day.

CoinDesk 20 Index: 3,048.35 +2.24%

Bitcoin (BTC): $97,988.32 +4.55%

Ether (ETH): $3,284.40 +6.06%

S&P 500: 5,917.11 0%

Gold: $2,664.88 +0.56%

Nikkei 225: 38,026.17 -0.85%

Bitcoin topped $98,000 heading into the U.S. morning, extending its breakout from an eight-month consolidation since crypto-friendly Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency. The largest crypto has advanced 4.5% over the past 24 hours, leaving the broad-market CoinDesk 20 Index behind. Some altcoins are quickly catching up to BTC’s gain, with ether (ETH), Chainlink (LINK) and Uniswap (UNI) surging 5% in the past hour. The $100,000-per-BTC mark is just a stone’s throw away and BTC futures on Deribit maturing next year are already trading above the threshold. Still, the round-number level might pose a barrier at least in the short term as investors take some profits after a 40% rally in only two weeks. “If BTC breaks through $100K, there is a high probability of a pullback,” Gracy Chen, CEO at crypto exchange Bitget, said in a note. It’s a “psychological barrier where investors might reassess their positions, leading to a natural sell-off point, as seen in other asset classes when significant round numbers are breached.”

Crypto-focused U.S. equities also rallied pre-market open. MicroStrategy (MSTR), owner of the largest corporate bitcoin treasury, rose 11% to $520 before the open of U.S. trading. Public companies following MicroStrategy’s approach of buying BTC for its treasury also gained. MARA Holdings (MARA) added 10% and Semler Scientific (SMLR) 24% before the opening bell. Options trading on Defiance’s 2X long MicroStrategy ETF, which is a leveraged bet on MSTR share prices, took off yesterday and showed extreme bullish positioning with risk-on sentiment at record levels.

The creator of the Chillguy meme threatened legal action for profit-related assets or applications using his character as a spoof token went viral on social media. The Solana-based meme token CHILLGUY, inspired by Phillip Banks’ copyrighted character, skyrocketed in price this week nearing $500 million market value fueled by its viral spread on TikTok. Banks’ legal threats tanked the token’s price from Wednesday’s peak, as holders likely took profits.