The Bitcoin price has been subject to one of its biggest increases yet — going from $7400 to $10,480 in roughly 16 hours. This has caused many to believe that this was the beginning of a new upward trend.
The causes for this increase could have possibly been numerous, ranging from the Chinese president’s endorsement of blockchain technology to the number of gaps in the CME chart. The China angle gained more validity in the days succeeding the BTC increase — and a number of China-based cryptocurrencies, including NEO, enjoyed one of their largest increase to date.
While all the reasons presented above may have played a part, a very strange characteristic has been the sheer swiftness of the increase. One possible reason for this can be the manipulation of the market caused by whales.
Cryptocurrency trader Jacob Canfield outlined the stages in which whales conduct their manipulation tactics:
I was explaining how whales manipulate altcoins earlier. For those not familiar with whale manipulation this, is a good guide on what to look out for.
There are typically 6 stages:
1. Suppression
2. Range Bound
3. Test Pump
4. Sell Off
5. Price Pump
6. Exit
The image shows a period of time in which the price of Ontology was allegedly manipulated. This tactic has six stages, which go side-by-side with price movement.
Let’s look at the recent Bitcoin price movement and see how they align.
Bitcoin Price Manipulation?
Stage 1
In this stage, whales want to suppress the price in order to wipe out long buyers. In the Bitcoin price, this is likely to have occurred in the period from September 6-24.
Stage 2
After capitulation, the whales keep the price trading inside a range in order to make it seem predictable and build strong positions. This could have been the channel in which the Bitcoin price traded from September 24-Oct 23
Stage 3
This is a test pump in order to build positions, followed by price suppression to remove weak hands. This was evident in the long upper wick of October 11.
Stage 4
This is a high liquidity sell designed to take out stop-losses placed because of the previous trading range in the second step. This perfectly aligns with the Bitcoin price decrease on October 23.
Stage 5
The next stage is a very high-volume pump that is designed to attract FOMO buyers. This could have been the pump on October 25.
Stage 6
The final stage creates sell orders in order to dump the price. Afterward, the cycle is repeated. This has yet to occur.
If this is correct, we will soon see a big dump in the Bitcoin price, causing a swift decrease and making many traders close their longs.
Disclaimer: This article is not trading advice and should not be construed as such. Always consult a trained financial professional before investing in cryptocurrencies, as the market is particularly volatile.
Images courtesy of Twitter, TradingView.