Bitcoin Treads Water At $90,000 — Market Braces For FOMC To End The Compression Phase

[Ben Graham]

Bitcoin is currently holding steady, trading water around the critical $90,000 level as the market enters a period of high compression. With ETF inflows slowing down, the price lacks the momentum to break through overhead resistance. The highly anticipated FOMC meeting is expected to provide the necessary catalyst to end the current consolidation and dictate Bitcoin’s next major directional move.

BTC Compression Intensifies: Scaling Back Intraday Scalps

According to a recent update from Lennaert Snyder, Bitcoin continues to tighten within a compression phase. The market has been trading in an increasingly narrow range, signaling that a larger move is approaching. Snyder noted that the scalp long and short setups from his previous analysis played out well.

He explained that as compression increases, the reward-to-risk ratio naturally declines. While the trades were profitable, they still fell into the category of “C-setups,” meaning they lacked the cleaner momentum and clarity found at range boundaries. Snyder emphasized that the best trading opportunities always emerge at the edges of a range.

With the current setup, his focus remains on the key resistance area around $94,000. A breakout above that level could offer long opportunities, while a failure there may open the door for shorts. On the downside, if price sweeps the lows and returns to the $87,400 support region, long entries are likely following signs of reversal.

However, he added that if Bitcoin fails to show strength during this phase, he is not eager to take new long positions. A deeper retest of the $83,200 zone could become the next area of interest, though he expects any move toward that level to come with a liquidity sweep. 

Snyder also mentioned that he remains in shorts as a hedge, with scalp shorts still acceptable for traders who understand the increased risk at this stage. He concluded by highlighting the importance of the upcoming FOMC meeting, noting that the market is likely to stay muted until then.

Upcoming FOMC Meeting Dictates Bitcoin’s Next Major Move

Analyst Ted, in a recent update, revealed that BTC is currently in a state of consolidation around the $90,000 level. This tight range-bound movement suggests that while selling pressure is not dominant, buyers are also struggling to push the price higher aggressively.

Ted attributed the market’s current stagnation and its inability to break above major resistance levels to a slowdown in institutional investment. Specifically, he noted that recent ETF inflows have slowed down, removing a major source of directional buying pressure that typically drives breakouts.

Furthermore, the analyst highlighted that a critical macroeconomic event is pending: the FOMC meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, and the market’s next significant directional move will be heavily dependent on the outcome.