Bitcoin Extends Losses Below $78,500, Tests $76,500 Support
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Bearish

Bitcoin Extends Losses Below $78,500, Tests $76,500 Support

Bitcoin fell below $78,500 on Tuesday and declined further to $76,561, the session low. The asset is now consolidating near $76,500 with bearish technical signals forming on the hourly chart.

May 18, 2026, 08:02 AM1 min read

Key Takeaways

  • 1## Price Action and Key Levels Bitcoin failed to hold above $78,500 and extended losses to trade below $78,000 and its 100-hour simple moving average.
  • 2A session low of $76,561 was recorded on the BTC/USD pair on Kraken, and the price is now consolidating near that floor.
  • 3The asset is trading below the 23.
  • 46% Fibonacci retracement level of the downward move from the $82,017 swing high, according to technical analysis.
  • 5## Technical Resistance and Trend Formation A bearish trend line has formed with resistance at $77,700 on the hourly chart.

Price Action and Key Levels

Bitcoin failed to hold above $78,500 and extended losses to trade below $78,000 and its 100-hour simple moving average. A session low of $76,561 was recorded on the BTC/USD pair on Kraken, and the price is now consolidating near that floor. The asset is trading below the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement level of the downward move from the $82,017 swing high, according to technical analysis.

Technical Resistance and Trend Formation

A bearish trend line has formed with resistance at $77,700 on the hourly chart. Immediate resistance sits at $77,500, with the first key resistance level at $78,650. A close above $78,650 would be required to test the $80,000 level or the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the prior downswing, but the hourly timeframe shows no near-term momentum supporting such a move.

Support and Consolidation Zone

If Bitcoin remains stable above $76,000, a fresh upward attempt is possible from current levels. However, failure to hold $76,500 could extend losses further. The consolidation zone between $76,500 and $77,500 will likely determine the next directional move over the next few hours.

Why It Matters

For Traders

Break below $76,500 could trigger stop losses and accelerate downside; traders watching $78,650 as critical resistance for any bounce attempt.

For Investors

Short-term weakness does not change long-term holdings; consolidation near $76,500 may signal a capitulation low or further drawdown depending on macro backdrop.

For Builders

No protocol or infrastructure impact; price movement alone does not alter network fundamentals or development velocity.

Live prices:Bitcoin
Topics:Bitcoin

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