Bitcoin is currently testing a critical support level near USD 60,000 following a 14% weekly decline triggered by Strategy’s first asset sale since 2022. Despite the volatility, Standard Chartered analyst Geoff Kendrick maintains a price target of $100,000, arguing that recent liquidations have cleared the path for a long-term recovery.
The mood in the crypto markets has shifted from euphoria to anxiety. Bitcoin has lost more than half of its value since its peak in October of last year, a slump that persists even as some political environments have turned favorable. The current pressure is not just about price; it is about a perceived loss of conviction from the sector’s most vocal proponents.
Strategy’s Sell-off and the Saylor Effect
The catalyst for the recent turmoil was the revelation that Strategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin led by Michael Saylor, sold a portion of its holdings for the first time since 2022. Specifically, CriptoNoticias reported the sale of 32 BTC, a move the company claims was intended to fund distributions for its preferred shares.
While the amount sold may seem small relative to the company’s total reserves, the psychological impact was immense. Saylor has long been the “evangelist” of the space, once famously urging followers to sell a kidney if necessary, but keep the bitcoin. When the company’s conviction appeared to waver, the market reacted with a sharp sell-off. Strategy’s own shares have reflected this volatility, losing approximately 17% of their value in 2026.
The timing was, in the words of analysts, poorly judged. The market is currently hypersensitive to any sign of institutional exit, and Strategy’s move provided the spark for a broader correction.
The Three Pillars of the Market Bottom
Despite the blood in the streets, Geoff Kendrick, the Global Head of Digital Asset Research at Standard Chartered, believes the market is nearly finished with its descent. His thesis rests on three concrete structural signals that suggest a floor is forming.
First, Kendrick points to historical behavior. In December 2022, Strategy sold BTC only to aggressively repurchase more just days later. According to DiarioBitcoin, Kendrick suggests Strategy could repurchase up to 100 times the amount they recently sold, which would signal a massive vote of confidence in current price levels.
Second, the resilience of spot ETFs provides a buffer. While these funds saw outflows of nearly USD 5.000 million over the last three weeks, the bigger picture remains bullish. Since their January 2024 launch, the ETFs have accumulated net inflows exceeding USD 50.000 million, indicating that institutional investors are largely ignoring the short-term noise in favor of a multi-year horizon.
Third, the “cleansing” of the futures market has reduced systemic risk. Roughly USD 1.500 million in leveraged long positions were liquidated during the recent crash. By wiping out these over-leveraged traders, the market has removed the fuel for further cascading liquidations.
Contradicting Timelines for the $100,000 Target
There is a clear divergence in how analysts are timing the recovery. Yahoo Finance cites a report suggesting Bitcoin could hit US$100.000 by the end of this year, driven by the banking sector’s instability which helped reset the use of bitcoin as a decentralized scarce digital asset.
Conversely, other reports from GBM and DiarioBitcoin frame the $100,000 target as a goal for the end of 2026. This longer timeline accounts for the slower grind of macroeconomic factors, such as the Federal Reserve concluding its tightening cycle. Kendrick notes that while Bitcoin can thrive when other risk assets fail, its correlation with the Nasdaq suggests it will perform best when the broader risk appetite improves.
“When we look back at the end of 2026, with bitcoin at 100,000 dollars, we will say that this was the buying zone we all wanted.”Geoff Kendrick, Standard Chartered
The path upward is expected to be supported by the cyclical nature of the “halving” process, which Kendrick believes will make cyclical drivers more constructive, mirroring previous market cycles.
The Environmental Friction
While the financial metrics focus on the bottom, a persistent ideological battle continues over Bitcoin’s energy footprint. Data indicates that a single Bitcoin transaction requires 1,173 KW hours of electricity—enough to power the typical American home for six weeks. This environmental cost remains a primary point of contention for critics and political leaders.
The tension is not new; as early as May 2021, Tesla ceased accepting the cryptocurrency due to these concerns. Proponents argue that the energy usage is justified by the security of the system and point out that 40-75% of mining now relies on renewable energy. They further claim that the energy consumption of the gold and banking sectors individually exceeds that of Bitcoin, though these figures are often harder to track.
This friction creates a ceiling for institutional adoption. While the “digital gold” narrative appeals to hedge funds, the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) requirements of major pension funds and sovereign wealth funds keep a significant portion of global capital on the sidelines.
The 60,000 Dollar Threshold
The immediate future of the asset depends on a single number: USD 60,000. This level serves as both a psychological and technical support. If Bitcoin sustains a break below this threshold, analysts warn that selling pressure could intensify, potentially dragging the rest of the crypto ecosystem down with it.
However, as GBM Media reports, the fact that Bitcoin has already underperformed equities significantly this year—dropping roughly 30% while the S&P 500 rose 10.4%—means there are very few bullish positions left to liquidate. The market is essentially “empty,” which often precedes a reversal.
The next 30 days will likely be defined by whether Strategy pivots back to an “aggressive” buying stance. If the company begins accumulating again, it will likely validate Kendrick’s theory that the bottom is in, transforming a period of pain into a generational entry point.
