Free NewsletterPro Login
S&P 500 6,287 +0.42%
DOW 44,521 -0.18%
NASDAQ 21,103 +0.71%
S&P 500 +12.4%
Briefs Finance Fund +24.8%
JOIN THE FUND →

Bitcoin’s Current Pull Back Has Some Experts Worried

A stylized illustration of a cylindrical cup with blue arrows and lines indicating a swirling or rotational motion inside the cup.
Published Mar 22, 2026
[tts_player]
Share:
A large gold Bitcoin token is shown cracked into several pieces against a dark background, reflecting a recent Bitcoin pull back, with a BriefsFinance logo in the bottom right corner.
Summary:
  • Bitcoin's chart is tracing the same sluggish bounce pattern that showed up right before prices collapsed from $90,000 to $60,000 earlier this year
  • The coin is down 18% on the year and roughly 41% off its record near $126,000 - the worst opening stretch for any year in Bitcoin's history
  • But each time Bitcoin has finished a calendar year in the red since 2013, what followed was a big recovery - and April tends to be one of its strongest months

The coin is hovering around $67,000 after going red five months in a row - a losing run it hasn't matched since the brutal 2018-2019 stretch. 

But the part that has traders on edge isn't the losing streak. It's that the bounce might be a little too familiar. 

The Pattern Some Investors Are Seeing

Since bottoming out in early February, Bitcoin has moved a bit higher.

That matters because the exact same setup played out between late November and mid-January. 

Back then, the coin drifted higher in a tight range after falling from $100,000.

Then, prices went straight down to roughly $60,000 in a matter of days.

The current bounce has the same fingerprints - slow and choppy, with no real energy from buyers stepping in on dips.

Technical analysts call this a counter-trend recovery - a brief pause that tricks investors into thinking the worst is over. 

If the lower edge of the current range gives way around $65,800, that illusion could break fast.

Why Some Crypto Investors Are Hopeful

Spot Bitcoin ETFs - funds that hold the actual coin - lost nearly $4 billion in investor money during the first five weeks of 2026.

But the 2014 downturn gave way to a 35% rally. 

The 2018 collapse saw  95% come back later. 

And after the 2022 meltdown, prices more than doubled - climbing 156%.

Put those together and you get an average rebound of roughly 95% every time investors were ready to write it off.

Now, that’s not to say it’s guaranteed to come back - but it has some investors hopeful the trend will continue.

Why April Could be Important

Looking back at the last 13 years, April has closed higher more often than not - eight times out of 13. The average move during the month sits around 13%.

That doesn't guarantee anything - and there's no major catalyst on the horizon, with the next halving still two years out in 2028. 

If the chart pattern breaks to the downside, the selling could get worse before it gets better.

If it breaks higher, the bears lose their grip - and the worst start to a year on record turns into a buying opportunity that looks obvious in hindsight.

One of them will be wrong inside the next two weeks.

Disclosure

Recent News

1 2 3 28

Get Market Briefs delivered to your inbox every morning for free!

No fluff. No noise. No politics. Just finance news you can read in 5 minutes.

Blogs

June 25, 2026
How Stocks Work: A Simple Guide for Beginners
  • A stock is a slice of ownership in a company - buy one, and you own a piece of the business.
  • You make money two ways: the share price rising over time, and dividends paid to shareholders.
  • The simplest path for most beginners is buying into the whole market through a low-cost index fund.
Read More
June 25, 2026
Stop Loss vs Stop Limit: What's the Difference?
  • A stop loss order sells your stock once it hits a trigger price, prioritizing getting you out.
  • A stop limit order only sells within a price range you set, prioritizing price over a guaranteed exit.
  • The trade-off: a stop loss almost always executes; a stop limit might not if the price moves too fast.
Read More
June 25, 2026
Energy Stocks: A Simple Guide for Investors
  • Energy stocks are companies that produce and supply the power the world runs on, from oil and gas to newer sources.
  • They make up one of the 11 sectors of the market and tend to move with energy prices and big-picture shifts.
  • Like any sector, the key is diversification and understanding the forces driving demand.
Read More
June 18, 2026
What Is a Stop Loss Order? A Simple Guide
  • A stop loss order automatically sells a stock once it falls to a price you set.
  • It's a tool to cap losses or lock in gains without watching the market all day.
  • It works best for active strategies, and can backfire if used carelessly on long-term holdings.
Read More
June 18, 2026
Best S&P 500 Index Fund: How to Choose One
  • The best S&P 500 index fund for most investors is simply the cheapest, most established one that tracks the index well.
  • Funds like VOO, IVV, and SPY all hold the same 500 companies, so the biggest difference is the fee.
  • Pick one, automate your buys, and let time do the heavy lifting.
Read More
June 17, 2026
What Are Penny Stocks? Risks and Rewards Explained
  • Penny stocks are very low-priced shares of very small companies, often trading for just a few dollars or less.
  • They promise huge gains but carry huge risks: low liquidity, high failure rates, and wild price swings.
  • Most investors are better served by quality companies and funds than by chasing cheap shares.
Read More
June 17, 2026
Best Stocks for Beginners With Little Money
  • The best stocks for beginners with little money usually aren't individual stocks at all - they're low-cost index funds.
  • You can start with $100 or less and use small, regular investments to build wealth over time.
  • Focus on diversification and consistency, not on picking the next big winner.
Read More
June 16, 2026
Tech Stocks: A Simple Guide for New Investors
  • Tech stocks are companies in the information technology and related sectors, from software to chips to the internet giants.
  • They've driven much of the market's growth, but they can be volatile and richly valued.
  • The smart approach is to understand what you own and not let one sector run your whole portfolio.
Read More
June 16, 2026
What Is a Joint Stock Company? A Simple Guide
  • A joint stock company is a business owned by many people, each holding shares of stock that represent a slice of ownership.
  • It's the basic idea behind every public company you can buy on the stock market today.
  • Owning a share makes you a part-owner, entitled to a piece of the profits and growth.
Read More
June 16, 2026
Capital Gains Tax in California: A Simple Guide
  • Capital gains tax is what you owe when you sell an investment for more than you paid for it.
  • How long you held it matters: long-term gains are taxed more gently than short-term gains at the federal level.
  • Smart investors lower the bill with tools like tax-loss harvesting and holding for the long run.
Read More
1 2 3 23
Share via
Copy link