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Bitcoin holds $70K – But seller pressure still caps BTC’s upside

By Muriuki Lazaro · Published March 26, 2026 · 2 min read · Source: AMBCrypto
Bitcoin
Written by Written by Muriuki Lazaro Reviewed by Reviewed by Saman Waris Updated 18:30 IST March 26, 2026 Share Share
Bitcoin holds $70K - But seller pressure still caps BTC's upside

Bitcoin [BTC] hovered around the $70,000 region at press time, which frames the current imbalance without anchoring to a fixed level.

As price stabilizes in this range, short-term holder cost clusters concentrate between $75,000 and $90,000, showing heavy overhead pressure. At the same time, the prior decline from above $110,000 toward the mid-$60,000s shifted a large share of supply into loss.

Source: Glassnode

Meanwhile, heatmap intensity highlighted a dense supply near $85,000, reinforcing a key resistance zone where sellers may re-emerge.

As price attempts a recovery, these holders approach breakeven, which increases the likelihood of distribution. On the downside, support forms near the $65,000–$70,000 band, where accumulation previously occurred.

However, Net Unrealized Profit/Loss (NUPL) around 0.23 signals limited profitability across the network, which keeps sentiment restrained.

As this structure persists, Bitcoin holds support, yet repeated rejection near a higher cost basis continues capping sustained upside momentum.

STH overhang caps Bitcoin’s upside momentum

Short-term holder positioning now defines Bitcoin’s upside constraints within the current range. As price holds near support zones, STH-MVRV at 0.84 shows recent buyers remain about 16% underwater.

At the same time, STH-SOPR at 0.9 confirms coins still move at a loss, reinforcing weak conviction.

Source: Glassnode

With STH-MVRV near 0.8 and price below Realized Levels, most short-term supply remains underwater, reinforcing weak holder conviction.

As price approaches breakeven zones, these holders exit positions, which steadily builds overhead supply and caps upside momentum during rallies.

Source: CryptoQuant

As these sell orders cluster near prior cost bases, resistance strengthens and slows continuation. Until a meaningful share of this supply returns to profit, Bitcoin holds support, yet upside remains tightly capped by persistent sell-side pressure.

ETF inflows stabilize Bitcoin, but weak Spot demand caps breakout

This supply overhang continues to shape Bitcoin’s demand structure, where inflows struggle to translate into expansion. While ETF inflows exceed $56 billion cumulatively, they act more as a stabilizing force than a growth catalyst.

Meanwhile, daily Spot volumes around $7 billion signal subdued participation compared to prior expansion phases.

As the Coinbase Premium Index stays neutral to slightly negative, institutional Spot demand lacks urgency. During rallies, STH-MVRV near 0.84 keeps holders in loss, which sustains exit flows near breakeven levels.

As this dynamic persists, ETF demand absorbs distribution without driving continuation, leaving Bitcoin stable yet unable to sustain momentum beyond resistance zones.


Final Summary

Muriuki Lazaro

Journalist

Muriuki Lazaro is a on-chain data analyst with a B.Sc. in Data Science. Muriuki specializes in dissecting complex on-chain data into clear and accurate insights for readers in the crypto ecosystem, with a particular focus on Bitcoin.

This article was originally published on AMBCrypto and is republished here under RSS syndication for informational purposes. All rights and intellectual property remain with the original author. If you are the author and wish to have this article removed, please contact us at [email protected].

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