{"id":93970,"date":"2026-02-05T13:19:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:19:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=93970"},"modified":"2026-02-05T13:20:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:20:44","slug":"peter-brandt-says-bitcoins-slide-is-a-planned-campaign-by-big-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/peter-brandt-says-bitcoins-slide-is-a-planned-campaign-by-big-players\/","title":{"rendered":"Peter Brandt says bitcoin\u2019s slide is a planned campaign by big players"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The latest slide in the price of the leading cryptocurrency is being driven by large market players rather than retail panic, according to technical analyst Peter Brandt.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Hey crypto followers <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%24BTC&#038;src=ctag&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">$BTC<\/a><br \/>The nature of the decline in Bitcoin (now 8 days of lower lows and highs) has all the finger prints of campaign selling, not retail liquidation<br \/>Seen this before hundreds of times over the decades<br \/>Never know when of course this pattern ends<br \/>Note to trolls\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/THGJpez35F\">pic.twitter.com\/THGJpez35F<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Peter Brandt (@PeterLBrandt) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeterLBrandt\/status\/2019246686166716588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In his view, the pattern bears all the hallmarks of \u201ccampaign selling\u201d. Brandt noted that bitcoin has been setting lower lows and lower highs for eight consecutive days. He contrasted this with typical retail liquidations.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cI have seen this hundreds of times over the decades [in markets],\u201d emphasised the analyst.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Brandt added that it is impossible to pinpoint when the pattern will end. He also cautioned that the red lines on his chart are for discussion only and are not a guaranteed forecast.<\/p>\n<p>Micha\u00ebl van de Poppe, the founder of MN Trading, offered the opposite view. He argues that markets are flashing a bottom, not a peak.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The markets are flashing a bottom signal on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bitcoin?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Bitcoin<\/a>, not a peak signal<\/p>\n<p>The business cycle is at its lowest point in 15 years. <\/p>\n<p>The valuation of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bitcoin?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Bitcoin<\/a> vs. Gold is the lowest on the RSI it has ever been.<\/p>\n<p>The valuation of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Ethereum?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Ethereum<\/a> vs. Silver is the lowest on the weekly and\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QQoJdScYS7\">pic.twitter.com\/QQoJdScYS7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Micha\u00ebl van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CryptoMichNL\/status\/2019073464703783388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>He offered several arguments:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the business cycle is at its lowest point in 15 years;<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-the-rsi-is-for-and-whether-it-suits-cryptocurrencies\">RSI<\/a> for the bitcoin\/gold and Ethereum\/silver pairs has dropped to historic lows;<\/li>\n<li>mass layoffs and AI hype point to overheating in other sectors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Van de Poppe called the current moment ideal for accumulation. Among potential tailwinds, he cited a dovish stance from the <span data-descr=\"U.S. Federal Reserve System\" class=\"old_tooltip\">Fed<\/span>, <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/why-do-federal-reserve-decisions-move-bitcoins-price\">QE<\/a> and the forthcoming passage of the <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/bitwise-cio-identifies-gold-surge-and-clarity-acts-fate-as-key-crypto-market-drivers\">Clarity Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts at Binance Research also flagged overheating in the U.S. stock market.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The S&#038;P 500 rose to historic high, alongside the ratio of U.S. stock market margin to M2 (now at 5.4% near the 00 &#038; 08 crisis level ) indicating a leverage-driven blow-off may happen anytime. If the market begins to pull back, it will inevitably result in a broader asset decline\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BvFfcDcCyI\">https:\/\/t.co\/BvFfcDcCyI<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vN5g71MQwB\">pic.twitter.com\/vN5g71MQwB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Binance Research (@BinanceResearch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BinanceResearch\/status\/2019331773424103830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The S&amp;P 500 has hit a record high alongside elevated margin debt. The ratio of borrowed funds to the money supply (M2) has approached levels seen around the 2000 and 2008 crises.<\/p>\n<p>Crypto adds another risk: bitcoin\u2019s aggregated leverage has risen to 5.8%, well above its five-year average of 4.88%.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BTC aggregated leverage ratio currently sit at 5.8%, above its 5-year average level 4.88%, unlike the despair phase we had seen at the major cyclical bottom. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BvFfcDcCyI\">https:\/\/t.co\/BvFfcDcCyI<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sfcfsLqjaM\">pic.twitter.com\/sfcfsLqjaM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Binance Research (@BinanceResearch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BinanceResearch\/status\/2019336485204554172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>According to the analysts, such high leverage is uncharacteristic of the \u201cdespair\u201d phase typically seen at cyclical lows.<\/p>\n<p>The exchange\u2019s researchers warned that a correction in equities would inevitably hit digital assets.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Unfortunately cryptos now sit at the end of the liquidity chain, often sold first during major selloffs to raise cash\u2014yet their rebounds are overlooked. When precious metals crashed, cryptos fell too; but when metals recovered, cryptos kept dropping alongside software stocks\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BvFfcDcCyI\">https:\/\/t.co\/BvFfcDcCyI<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nLQWBn2lHd\">pic.twitter.com\/nLQWBn2lHd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Binance Research (@BinanceResearch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BinanceResearch\/status\/2019331152532938862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Cryptocurrencies sit at the end of the liquidity \u201cfood chain\u201d: during major sell-offs investors often dump them first to raise cash.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Ethereum overheated?<\/h2>\n<p>An analyst using the pseudonym CryptoOnchain flagged a worrying signal. On January 29, the smoothed transfer count (14<a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/what-is-a-moving-average-and-how-is-it-used-in-crypto\">SMA<\/a>) on the Ethereum network reached 1.17m. In the expert\u2019s view, such a sharp surge can foreshadow a market slump.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ethereum Transfer Count Surge: A Historical Warning Signal?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile high network activity often signifies adoption, a sudden \u201cparabolic\u201d rise in transfer counts near price highs typically indicates an overheated network.\u201d \u2013 By <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CryptoOnchain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@CryptoOnchain<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/DqEPpv4Lmq\">pic.twitter.com\/DqEPpv4Lmq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cryptoquant_com\/status\/2019312392472260809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>A historical read reveals a pattern. Similar bursts of network activity occurred at two key turning points:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>January 18, 2018<\/strong> \u2014 a spike in transactions marked the cycle peak and the start of a prolonged bear trend.<\/li>\n<li><strong>May 19, 2021<\/strong> \u2014 abnormal activity coincided with a sweeping price crash.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>On-chain strength is usually seen as bullish. Yet a parabolic surge near price highs often signals overheating. It typically appears during phases of euphoria or capitulation.<\/p>\n<p>CryptoOnchain linked the current anomaly to whales and long-term holders moving assets to exchanges to take profit.<\/p>\n<p>The setup echoes 2018 and 2021. Despite macro differences, on-chain behaviour points to elevated risks. The expert warned that traders should be cautious and wait for confirming signals of downside in ETH.<\/p>\n<p>On February 5, the price of the leading cryptocurrency <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/bitcoin-tests-70000-amid-macro-pressure-and-etf-outflows\">fell<\/a> to $70,119 \u2014 the lowest since October 2024. Ethereum followed suit, sliding to $2,079.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The latest slide in bitcoin is being driven by big players rather than retail panic, says technical analyst Peter Brandt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"Peter Brandt blames bitcoin\u2019s drop on campaign selling by big players.","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[18,1205,1145,1420],"class_list":["post-93970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-bitcoin","tag-cryptoquant","tag-market-analysis","tag-peter-brandt"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"452","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"Peter Brandt blames bitcoin\u2019s drop on campaign selling by big players.","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93970"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93972,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93970\/revisions\/93972"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}