Bitcoin price dips below 88K as analysis blames FOMC nerves

Bitcoin (BTC) fell below $88,000 into Sunday’s weekly close as traders eyed weakness into a major US macro event.

Key points:

• Bitcoin sees snap volatility into the weekly close, dipping close to $87,000.

• Traders expect weaker BTC price action into the Fed interest-rate decision.

• Bulls need to keep hold of $86,000, says analysis.

BTC price wobbles as weekly candle completes

Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC price volatility returning, with BTC/USD losing $2,000 over two hourly candles.

The move ended an uneventful weekend, and opened the door to a potential new “gap” forming on CME Group’s Bitcoin futures markets. As Cointelegraph reported, price tends to “fill” such gaps quickly once the new macro trading week begins.

“In 6 months, we have filled every single CME gap,” trader Killa noted in part of commentary on X.

In a separate post, Killa added that Mondays often formed the basis for price action for the rest of the week.

“Mondays are typically when pivot highs and lows form with weekend price action being a deciding factor,” he explained. 

“If the weekend doesn’t pump, it increases the probability of a pivot low forming on Monday. If we do get a weekend pump, it increases the chances of Monday forming a pivot high.”

FOMC bets focus on Fed cut

Market participants meanwhile were broadly focused on the key macroeconomic topic of the week: the US Federal Reserve’s decision on interest-rate changes.

Related: Bitcoin profit metric eyes 2-year lows in ‘complete reset:’ BTC analysis

Markets continued to expect a 0.25% cut result from Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool confirmed.

“The rate call is easily the #1 event of the week – liquidity, risk appetite and positioning all hinge on it. We also get a delayed JOLTS report worth watching,” private investment manager Peter Tarr wrote on the topic at the weekend. 

“Most expect a 25 bps cut.”

Bitcoin often sees downward pressure into FOMC announcements, which can spark significant volatility as markets assess Fed officials’ language for hints over future policy changes.

Commenting, crypto trader, analyst and entrepreneur Michaël van de Poppe suggested that FOMC nerves could spark a retreat to $87,000.

“After that, bounce back up, swiftly, in which the uptrend is confirmed for Bitcoin and it’s ready to break $92K and therefore the run towards $100K in the coming 1-2 weeks as the FED is reducing QT, doing rate cuts and expanding the money supply to increase the business cycle,” he told X followers.

Van de Poppe put $86,000 as bulls’ line in the sand.

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.