Bitcoin Shots to A New Yearly Highs in July

Indeed, the flagship cryptocurrency endured a prolonged stagnation period. It traded mostly within a narrow range defined by the $9,000 support and the $9,500 resistance level. But on July 22nd, the bears gave up and could no longer contain Bitcoin from achieving its upside potential. Thus, its price finally broke out of the consolidation phase, indicating that it was the beginning of a new bullish cycle.

As the buying pressure behind Bitcoin rose exponentially, so did its market value. BTC shot up over 20%, smashing through the infamous $10,000 resistance barrier. The high levels of demand were so significant on July 27th that it allowed the pioneer cryptocurrency to rise to a new yearly high of $11,488. This day was the most profitable 24 hours period of the month.

Investors appear to have taken advantage of the bullish price action to realize profits. The spike in selling pressure triggered a 7.9% correction on July 28th, which saw Bitcoin drop to a low of $10,580. As the month came to an end, sidelined investors seem to have re-entered the market, pushing prices back up. BTC was able to close July at $11,343.68, providing a monthly return of 22.86%.

Ethereum Enters Massive Bull Rally

Like Bitcoin, most of Ethereum’s price action took place in the last nine days of July. The smart contracts giant kicked off the month at $225.56 and immediately started making a series of higher highs and higher lows. This price behavior, accompanied by the boom in the DeFi sector and speculation over ETH 2.0, saw many investors grow optimistic about Ether.

Despite the positivism around this altcoin, the $245 resistance level was able to absorb any upward pressure impeding it from advancing further. On July 8th, for instance, Ethereum rose to this hurdle, but it was quickly rejected. The rejection was followed by a 7% correction pushing Ether down to $229.84.

It was not until July 22nd that Ethereum finally turned the $245 resistance wall into support. Moving past this major barrier was the catalyst that triggered FOMO (fear of missing out) among investors. As buy orders began to pile up, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap entered an impressive bull rally.

Ethereum skyrocketed by 42.46% to reach a new yearly high of $349.83 on July 31st. Only a few hours before the monthly close, Ether’s price dropped by 0.97%. As a result, ETH was able to end July at $346.42 and provide investors a monthly return of 53.58%.

Further Gains on the Horizon

The price action seen throughout July sent investors into “extreme greed.” Historical data reveals that when greed reigns the crypto market, exhaustion points are reached, followed by steep corrections. Although everything seems to indicate that Bitcoin and Ethereum have entered a new bull market, investors must be aware of the high probability of a retracement.

If this were to happen, market participants would likely take the opportunity to “buy the dip” and grow their long positions. A new influx of capital could propel these cryptocurrencies towards new yearly highs. As the crypto market currently stands, there are more reasons to be bullish than bearish, but it is imperative to use stop-loss orders to avoid adverse conditions.

Konstantin Anissimov, Executive Director at CEX.IO