Bitcoin Price Prediction: BTC Faces a Decision Point as Cowen Watches the $83,000 Level

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Bitcoin Price Prediction
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  • Bitcoin price prediction stays bullish above $80,428, needing a reclaim of $82,648 to reopen $87,000.
  • US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw a second straight weekly outflow of $228.58M, after $681.10M the week before.
  • Benjamin Cowen says Bitcoin is at a decision point, with a break above $87,000 or a breakdown likely soon.

Bitcoin price prediction for next week and the rest of October stays bullish above $80,428, the support BTC needs to hold to keep a month-end retest of $87,000 alive.

Bitcoin Price Analysis: Can BTC Hold $80,428 After Losing Its Trendline?

BTC is holding above the 50-day EMA at $80,428 for now, trading at $81,606 and up 0.11% today, but it sits below both the 20-day EMA at $82,648 and the rising trendline that has guided the rally since the August breakout. A daily close back above $82,648 would put price over both.

The 100-day and 200-day EMAs at $76,869 and $75,810 are still rising beneath price, which keeps the broader trend intact. RSI at 46.85 sits below the neutral 50 mark and under its own average of 52.88, so momentum has leaned lower since early October.

BTC Support and Resistance Levels, October 17, 2026

TypePriceWhy it matters
Resistance$82,64820-day EMA, near broken trendline
Resistance$84,000Round level near mid-October highs
Resistance$87,000September and early-October highs
Support$80,42850-day EMA
Support$76,869100-day EMA
Support$75,810200-day EMA

Bitcoin ETFs Post a Second Straight Weekly Outflow

US spot Bitcoin ETFs lost $82.39M on October 16, led by BlackRock’s IBIT at $71.78M and Fidelity’s FBTC at $10.61M according to SoSoValue. That pushed the latest weekly flow to a $228.58M outflow, following $681.10M the week before. 

The two weeks before that brought inflows of $241.09M and $2.39B, so the trend turned from heavy buying to net selling within a fortnight.

Benjamin Cowen Calls This a Decision Point for Bitcoin

Benjamin Cowen of Into the Cryptoverse said in a video that Bitcoin is close to a decision point and is unlikely to stay in the low $80,000s much longer. 

In his view, BTC either prints a new local high above $87,000 soon or the breakout proves false and the technical case behind it falls apart. He framed both outcomes as competing cases rather than a firm forecast.

  • Bull case: BTC formed a golden cross, still holds above its 50-day average and sits above the 50-week average, so the pullback can be read as a normal retest of the prior high.
  • Bear case: On-chain gauges such as the MVRV Z-score, which compares market value with what holders paid, have not reset the way they did at past bottoms. The Fed is also raising rates rather than cutting as it did in 2019, and Cowen cited an 85% market-implied chance of a hike in October.
  • Key level: Losing $83,000 on the weekly chart would lead many traders to question the breakout, and he expects an unwind to be fast rather than gradual. His advice is to “respect the closes.”
  • Month-end test: If the 50-day average holds, he expects new local highs before the end of October. If it fails, he sees a quick move back toward the bottom of the range.
  • Timing: In his cycle chart, the last two cycle lows came on days 1,432 and 1,436 after the prior low, and BTC was on day 1,425 when he recorded the video. Any low in line with past cycles would therefore come within about 11 days, and one that fails to appear by the end of October would count as another point for the bulls.

Ash Crypto Expects a Late-October Short Squeeze

Trader Ash Crypto said in a post on X that Bitcoin could stay weak for most of October, with bearish calls for new lows and short positions building up. He expects a rally he calls Pumptober to start near month-end once weaker holders have sold. 

In his scenario, rising prices would force short sellers to buy back their positions, known as a short squeeze, and that buying would lift Ethereum and altcoins even higher, though he gave no price targets.

Bitcoin Price Prediction: Bullish and Bearish Scenarios for Next Week and Month-End

Bullish Case, Target: $87,000

BTC reclaims the 20-day EMA at $82,648, which sits close to the broken trendline, and then clears $84,000. That would reopen the $87,000 high, the retest Cowen expects before month-end if the 50-day holds. Ash Crypto’s late-October squeeze scenario would fit this path.

Bearish Case, Risk Level: $76,869 (100-Day EMA)

BTC closes below the 50-day EMA at $80,428, which would confirm the break of the rising trendline. That would expose the 100-day EMA at $76,869, with the 200-day at $75,810 next, and Cowen expects a fast move down in that case rather than a slow grind.

Bitcoin Price Prediction FAQs

What is the Bitcoin price prediction for next week and the rest of October?

BTC could extend toward $82,648 and then $87,000 if it holds above $80,428. Losing that level risks a slide toward the 100-day EMA at $76,869.

Are Bitcoin ETFs seeing inflows or outflows?

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a second straight weekly outflow of $228.58M after $681.10M the week before, according to SoSoValue, with $82.39M leaving on October 16.

Which Bitcoin levels matter most into month-end?

The 50-day EMA at $80,428 is the key support, the 20-day EMA at $82,648 is the first resistance, and analyst Benjamin Cowen also watches $83,000 on the weekly chart. A move above the $87,000 high would signal a new local high.

Is a late-October Bitcoin rally expected?

Trader Ash Crypto has outlined a late-October short squeeze scenario, but it is one view without supporting data. Cowen says the outcome depends on whether the 50-day average holds, with new highs before month-end if it does and a quick drop if it does not.

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