Bitcoin drops under $83K as liquidity hunting keeps bulls from targeting yearly open

Written by William Subergstaff writerReviewed by Charles Bennettstaff editorWritten by William Subergstaff writerReviewed by Charles Bennettstaff editorBitcoin drops under $83K as liquidity hunting keeps bulls from targeting yearly openMarketsPublishedSep 28, 2026<!–>

Bitcoin joined US stock futures in dropping on Monday after US president Donald Trump did not commit to permanently halting strikes on Iran.

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Bitcoin (BTC) fell to weekly lows on Monday as upside momentum gave way to liquidity hunting on exchange order books.

Key points:

• Bitcoin reversed downward after over $30 million in ask liquidity was added to exchange order books at around $85,700.
• Crypto and US stock-market futures dropped after US president Donald Trump refused to rule out further strikes on Iran.
• Analysis by markets commentator Aksel Kibar warned that Bitcoin risked returning to its sub-$80,000 range.

Liquidity manipulation halts BTC price upside

Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD dropping below $82,700 for the first time since Sept. 21.

BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

After posting its highest weekly close since late January at around $84,450, the pair failed to mount another test of its eight-month highs above $87,000 seen last week. Instead, a large patch of ask liquidity appeared, with over $30 million clustered around $85,700. Sudden, conspicuous liquidity at a price level often signals a calculated attempt by large traders to influence price direction. 

BTC liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlass

Data from CoinGlass showed the drop liquidating nearby long positions, totaling around $70 million over 24 hours at the time of writing.

Crypto liquidation history (screenshot). Source: CoinGlass

Bitcoin weakness accompanied downside in US stocks futures after president Donald Trump refused to rule out further military strikes on Iran.

“I don’t want to say that. I don’t want to say that. I mean, it’s possible, but I just don’t want to say that,” he said at the PGA Tour Presidents Cup on Sunday, quoted by Fox News.

Nasdaq futures were down 0.9% on the day at the time of writing, while WTI crude oil passed $95 per barrel for the first time since Sept. 24.

CFDs on WTI crude oil one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Yearly open next challenge for Bitcoin bulls

The $85,700 level blocked a renewed push toward the 2026 year-open level at $88,700, where price stalled last week.

Related: Here’s what happened in crypto today

Prior to the weekly close, trader Aksel Kibar warned that Bitcoin’s performance did not resemble a “decisive breakout,” even prior to dropping below $83,000.

“Hesitant price action here can result in price returning inside the range,” he wrote in a post on X, referring to the area between $60,000 and $80,000 where BTC/USD traded for much of 2026.

BTC/USD one-week chart. Source: Aksel Kibar on X.com

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