Written By:Reviewed By:Published on: 13 Apr 2026, pmUpdated on: 13 Apr 2026, pmBitcoin ran into a major technical barrier and turned lower, even as bullish market flows kept hopes alive for a move toward $88,000. The rejection came at a descending trendline that has had a capped price since Bitcoin peaked above $126,000 in October 2025. As a result, the chart now points to caution while the bullish fundamental case remains in play.

Bear-Market Trendline Holds for NowCoinDesk reported recently that analysts still saw room for Bitcoin to rally to $88,000 and beyond. They tied that view to crypto-specific drivers, including bullish market flows. Yet the price chart sent a different signal.

Bitcoin tested a descending trendline overnight and then moved lower, marking a clear rejection at a level traders have watched for six months. That trendline began after Bitcoin peaked above $126,000 in October 2025. Since then, the chart has produced a series of lower highs, a pattern that defines a textbook bear-market trendline.

A descending trendline forms by linking lower peaks over time. In market terms, that pattern shows buying power fading while sellers gain greater control over each rebound. The longer such a line stays intact, the more weight traders give it.

In Bitcoin’s case, the line has held through six months of weakness and repeated lower highs. Since early February, Bitcoin has climbed from nearly $60,000 to above $71,000. Even so, the recent rally still sits within the broader downtrend marked by that same descending resistance.