Why Is Bitcoin price Going Down? (May 27)

Bitcoin has fallen more than 3% over the past 24 hours as traders reacted to renewed Middle East tensions, persistent ETF outflows, and a fresh rejection below a major technical resistance zone.

According to data from crypto.news, Bitcoin ($BTC) price dropped from around $77,880 to nearly $75,220 overnight before recovering slightly toward $75,700 during early Asian trading hours on May 27.

Market sentiment deteriorated after reports emerged that the United States launched airstrikes near the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions with Iran and raising fears of disruptions across global energy markets.

Oil prices moved higher following the strikes, reviving concerns that inflation could remain elevated after hotter-than-expected U.S. CPI and PPI data earlier this month.

Traders increasingly expect the Federal Reserve to delay rate cuts, a scenario that has weighed on liquidity-sensitive assets, including cryptocurrencies. Gold advanced during the session while Bitcoin failed to hold above the psychologically important $76,000 level.

The geopolitical backdrop intensified after Iran introduced “Hormuz Safe,” a Bitcoin-denominated maritime insurance system designed to facilitate trade settlement outside traditional banking rails.

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control warned that the platform could violate sanctions rules, while Iranian officials threatened retaliation after the airstrikes. At the same time, Israeli military operations expanded in southern Lebanon following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire extension earlier this month.

Spot Bitcoin ETF flows also weakened during the latest correction. Several U.S.-listed products recorded net outflows across recent sessions as institutional demand slowed after Bitcoin’s failed rally toward $82,000 earlier this month.

In a May 26 X post, Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital, said the market still has “a lot of supply to absorb” near current levels as previous-cycle holders continue selling into rallies.

Thorn added that nearly 4.45 million $BTC likely changed hands since the Oct. 10, 2025, flash crash, with a large share of coins originating from wallets that last moved Bitcoin above $103,600.

According to Galaxy’s data, roughly 36% of the supply transferred during that period came from holders with cost bases below $66,000, including dormant wallets inactive since before the FTX collapse in November 2022.

Meanwhile, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF drew attention after a reported $1.29 billion block trade earlier this month. Thorn said the transaction may suggest that some institutional investors have reduced exposure while Bitcoin remains far below its all-time high near $124,000.

Bitcoin remains trapped between liquidity clusters and key resistance levels

The daily chart shows Bitcoin losing momentum after breaking below an ascending parallel channel that guided price action higher through April and early May. The breakdown followed repeated rejections near the upper boundary of the structure, where sellers defended the $82,000 area aggressively.

Fibonacci retracement levels drawn from the February low near $59,988 to the May rebound high near $98,051 place immediate support around the 0.382 level at $74,528. The 0.5 retracement near $79,020 now acts as short-term resistance, while the 0.618 level at $83,511 aligns closely with the bullish target zone many traders continue to monitor.

The 200-day simple moving average near $80,169 has also capped upside attempts during the past several sessions. Bitcoin briefly pushed above the average earlier this month before sellers regained control and forced the price back below the indicator. The 50-day moving average has started turning lower as short-term momentum weakened following the rejection near $82,000.

Weekly chart structure presents additional pressure for bulls. Bitcoin remains well below the cycle high near $124,000 posted earlier this year, while weekly MACD readings continue to print negative momentum despite the rebound from the $60,000 region.

RSI readings near 45 have yet to return above bullish territory, leaving the market without a confirmed higher-timeframe trend reversal.

Derivatives positioning also points to elevated volatility around current levels. CoinGlass liquidation heatmaps show dense clusters of leveraged short positions sitting between $77,800 and $78,500, with additional liquidity stacked near the $80,000 and $81,000 levels. These zones have repeatedly attracted price during intraday moves as market makers hunted leveraged positioning on both sides.

Below the current price, major liquidation pools remain visible near $74,000 and between $72,000 and $73,000. Bitcoin’s inability to reclaim higher liquidity zones after several attempts has increased the risk of another sweep lower should support near $75,000 fail during the coming sessions.

In a May 26 post on X, crypto analyst Crypto Candy said Bitcoin continues to hold above a key demand zone despite the recent sell-off.

“So far, not much has changed in the $BTC scenario. It’s still holding above the demand zone of 76k-74k and trying to rebound. As long as this zone sustains, we still expect $BTC to reach the 83k-85k area. This bias is invalid once it closes below the demand zone,” said the analyst.

Meanwhile, analyst BitcoinHyper outlined a more cautious short-term scenario, suggesting Bitcoin could be forming an ABC corrective structure after the recent rejection near $82,000. According to the analyst, $BTC could first rebound toward the $79,000 area before another leg lower potentially drives the price toward $71,000.