Although Bitcoin (BTC) price has been rejected at above $82,000 several times over the past few days, crypto market expert Michaël van de Poppe has defended the near-term bullish outlook.
On May 15, Poppe argued that Bitcoin price could surge to $90,000 over the coming few days. He based his bullish argument on the fact that BTC price rebounded from the 21-day Moving Average (MA), which has served as strong support since early April.
The risks of a midterm correction have been exacerbated by heightened profit-taking among short-term holders (STH), as evidenced by CryptoQuant data. Additionally, leveraged traders have been piling into shorts, betting on a potential sell-the-news scenario following the passage of the Clarity Act, a proposed U.S. federal law to legalize crypto assets.
However, Poppe stated that a potential BTC price correction could be confirmed if it consistently closes below its 21-day MA. In addition, he has set a crucial liquidity range between $71,438 and $73,408 as the last support range, which, if breached, could invalidate near-term bullish sentiment.
Key factors that could impact Bitcoin price
Bitcoin price action remains closely tied to liquidity flows in both spot and leveraged markets, as well as to its technical performance. For instance, amid the significant selling pressure for Bitcoin from STH, conviction buyers have aggressively accumulated in 2026, as Finbold reported.
The lack of consensus between spot’s STH and long-term investors, alongside extreme short bets in leverage markets, could push the flagship coin lower in the near term. Therefore, only a sharp short squeeze and strong renewed demand in U.S. spot ETFs can decisively support a BTC breakout to $90,000.
