• On April 15, bitcoin retreated below $74,000 after failing to hold its $76,000 resistance level.
• Bitfinex says Strategy’s STRC-funded purchase of 13,927 BTC created a mechanical supply squeeze.
• A spot-led daily close above $75,000 is needed to confirm a breakout beyond the $71,000 range.

On April 15, bitcoin failed to recapture the momentum that saw it hit the $76,000 resistance level the previous day for the first time since mid-March. Market data shows the cryptocurrency spent much of the day oscillating between $74,000 and $74,800, although it fell to an intraday low of $73,617 around 3:44 a.m. EDT.

Shortly afterwards, bitcoin rallied but stalled at $74,400 before a sharp reversal nearly wiped out those gains. The same pattern repeated, with the price stalling again just after it surpassed the $74,000 threshold. At the time of writing (1 p.m. EDT), the top cryptocurrency was trading just under that mark, leaving its 24-hour gains at just below 2%. Its market capitalization dropped from a Tuesday peak of $1.52 trillion to $1.48 trillion.

Bitcoin’s price action contrasted with global stock indices, which were mostly flat, except for South Korea’s Kospi, which rose 123 points, or 2%. Reports of a possible fresh round of talks between the U.S. and Iran renewed investor optimism that the conflict between the countries might be resolved. Still, Iran’s threats to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, in response to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, reminded investors that tensions could escalate.

While many observers concurred that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East drove bitcoin’s Tuesday rally, Bitfinex analysts insisted the move “was not driven by a broad resurgence in demand.” Instead, the analysts asserted that a sustained buyer was absorbing liquidity at a pace the market could not match.

In their latest blog post, the analysts identified the buyer as Strategy, which reportedly used its perpetual preferred stock, STRC, to acquire 13,927 BTC at an average price of $71,902. With daily mining output at roughly 450 BTC, Strategy’s latest acquisition means nearly 2,000 BTC per day are being removed from the market, the analysts wrote.

“This was not a broad-based expansion in demand, but a mechanically driven supply squeeze led by a single, price-insensitive buyer. STRC has effectively acted as a liquidity sink, compressing available supply and forcing price higher in the absence of natural two-way flow,” the analysts said.

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Bitfinex analysts warned this dynamic is approaching its limit but asserted that a spot-led daily close above $75,000 “will confirm the durability of this leg beyond the STRC pause.” Conversely, a rejection at this level would quickly send the market back into the $70,000 to $71,000 range, the analysts explained.

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