Bitcoin BTC/USD is pushing toward the $100,000 mark once again, with analysts forecasting a potential breakout to $112,000 and beyond, while warning that altcoins remain structurally weak amid rising dominance and macro shifts favoring BTC.
What Happened: At the time of writing, Bitcoin trades at $99,350, up 2.5% in the last 24 hours after hitting a session high of $99,868.
The broader crypto market is showing signs of bullishness, with Ethereum ETH/USD climbing 7.5% to $1,965, Solana SOL/USD up 5.4%, BNB BNB/USD gaining 1% and XRP XRP/USD rising 4%.
Still, the divergence between Bitcoin and altcoins remains stark.
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What Experts Are Saying: According to Nic Puckrin, analyst and founder of The Coin Bureau, Bitcoin’s current momentum is driven more by geopolitical developments than monetary policy.
"Markets this morning are reacting to President Donald Trump's hint at a major UK trade deal, not Fed policy," he said. "If the announcement is concrete, today could be the day BTC cracks $100,000 again."
Puckrin added a note of caution for short-term traders. "BTC is rallying on low volume, and if Trump's announcement lacks specifics, we could see volatility spike."
Longer term, however, Puckrin remains optimistic. "ETF inflows remain strong, and legislative momentum like reserve bills in New Hampshire and Arizona, continues to build. Add to that China's recent liquidity moves, and it's shaping up to be a very strong month for Bitcoin."
Technical signals also point to more upside.
FxPro's chief market analyst Alex Kuptsikevich noted that the crypto market has broken above its 200-day moving average and now targets $3.2 trillion in total market cap.
"Bitcoin reaching $99,000 sets up a Fibonacci extension that could push it past $112,000, with broader upside aiming toward $162,000," he said.
That bullishness stands in stark contrast to the altcoin sector, which has been heavily under pressure.
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What’s Next: According to a new report from 10x Research, the top 140 altcoins are down an average of 58% since their December 2024 peak, while Bitcoin has dropped just 3% over the same period.
The divergence, analysts say, is explained by a mix of supply gluts and lackluster narratives.
"$57 billion in annual token unlocks have overwhelmed demand," the report notes. "With venture capital tightening and no breakout use case, altcoins are stuck in a structural downtrend."
As a result, Bitcoin dominance has surged to 64.5%, the highest since ETF approvals began, while Ethereum gas fees have fallen from 16 Gwei to just 3 Gwei, highlighting collapsed on-chain activity.
Even as major altcoins show modest daily gains, their cumulative performance paints a more fragile picture.
Meanwhile, $376 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, $86 million in longs and $290 million in shorts, suggest ongoing volatility as traders adjust to the new market structure.
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