Bitcoin Slips below $82,000 as Analysts Eye $80,000 $90,000 Range

Bitcoin traded near $82,000 on Thursday, down from a peak above $87,000 last Friday, its highest level since Sept. 23. Blockto Analysts see a base case range of $76,000 to $90,000 for the fourth quarter.

They flag $76,000 to $82,000 as a buying zone and suggest trimming exposure at $88,000 to $90,000 if ETF inflows fail to pick up. The bull case points above $100,000 on steady ETF demand, stablecoin growth, a Fed pause, a softer dollar and Clarity Act progress. The bear case sees a drop below $68,000 to $70,000 if Middle East fighting lifts oil prices and triggers more Fed hikes.

Bitcoin ETF Outflows Hit $487 Million

U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs lost $487.1 million on Wednesday, reversing $118.8 million of inflows a day earlier. BlackRock’s IBIT led with $207.7 million, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC at $105.2 million and ARKB at $101.7 million. The funds have seen $165.6 million in net outflows over five sessions after a $3.1 billion nine day inflow streak. Glassnode noted bitcoin fell from a sell wall at $86,500 toward large buy orders, the biggest near $81,000.

Jobless claims came in at 197,000 against 200,000 expected. Traders are watching the Oct. 27–28 Fed meeting, the Nov. 3 midterm elections and the Nov. 4 Treasury refunding announcement.