Bitcoin (BTC) bulls are still hoping for a major breakout but at the moment, bears are applying pressure and keeping the digital asset pinned below $61,000. 

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows that an early morning breakout by bulls to make a run above $62,000 was met with a strong defensive line from the bears who handily rejected the attempt.

BTC/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView

Here’s a look at what traders and analysts are saying about Bitcoin's current price action and what they expect in the short term.

“Bitcoin is still on the path to $90,000”

While some traders may have found themselves bored with Bitcoin's sideways price action, independent market analyst ‘Rekt Capital’ recently posted the following chart highlighting the fact that BTC has flipped a major resistance level into support.

BTC/USD 1-week chart. Source: Twitter

Rekt Capital said,

“Though BTC has been moving sideways for weeks now… It has continued to successfully retest a major area of previous resistance (red) as new support (green)”

As for what comes next for the BTC should it manage to hold support here and head higher, analyst and Cointelegraph contributor Michaël Van De Poppe posted the following chart outlining one potential path the price could follow as it closes out 2021.

BTC/USDT 1-day chart. Source: Twitter

van de Poppe said,

“Bitcoin is still on the path to $90K.”

A simple target at $80,000

A more simple and straightforward price projection was provided by Twitter user ‘GalaxyBTC,’ who expects a breakout target of $80,000.

BTC/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: Twitter

The analyst said,

“Trying to keep things as simple as possible. $60,000 is the new $40,000. $80,000 is next.”

Related: Bitcoin whale selling jumps while BTC price holds $60K and buyers snap up supply

Whale wallets dominate exchange deposits

According to CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju, whale wallet activity is still having a significant impact on Bitcoin price.

As highlighted above, the majority of Bitcoin exchange deposits are being conducted by whale wallets, but exchange reserves continue to decrease, which is a bullish sign for BTC because the reduced supply available for purchase tends to lead to price increases when demand spikes.

The overall cryptocurrency market cap now stands at $2.712 trillion and Bitcoin’s dominance rate is 42.6%.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.