Bitcoin (BTC) ticked higher again over the weekend as traders digested a fresh burst of volatility across crypto markets, with Ethereum (ETH) rallying even harder in tandem. The largest cryptocurrency was hovering around $118,000 on Sunday, as momentum built toward the psychologically and technically important $120,000 level.
Popular analyst Michaël van de Poppe, who has been vocal on X about the latest moves, flagged the weekend action in a short post: “Bitcoin rallying up again during the weekend. Good volatility on the markets, as ETH is going up even more. Crucially is that we get a breakout above $120K.” The comment highlighted a theme many chart watchers are repeating: a clean break and hold above $120K could open the door for another leg higher.
Why Traders Care About $120K
Technical analysts say $120K is more than a round number; it’s where liquidity has pooled in recent sessions, and where a number of stop-loss orders and leverage positions sit. That makes the area prone to quick squeezes (liquidity sweeps) that can both propel price and trigger swift reversals. Recent charts show a short-lived push above $120K that quickly reversed, behavior consistent with a liquidity sweep and a possible false breakout that left traders cautious.
Several on-chain analysts and Bitcoin price predictions pointed to $120–$121K as a near-term buying zone on dips, while indicators such as RSI and MACD still favor further upside if volume confirms the move. Some analysts have penciled in targets in the mid-$120Ks to mid-$126Ks on the next confirmed move higher; conversely, a failure to reclaim $120K could see Bitcoin retrace to the $114K–$117K support band that held during the latest consolidation.
Ethereum Leads the Weekend Charge
Ethereum outperformed over the weekend, attracting attention as it pushed past recent resistance and reclaimed levels not seen since earlier in the year. That strength in ETH is helping fuel broader risk-on flows into crypto, a dynamic that often precedes extended Bitcoin rallies. Traders watching correlations say a strong ETH run can both validate and amplify bullish sentiment for BTC, but it can also mean sharper rotations and short-term volatility.
The weekend’s action reinforced the market’s high-volatility character: bullish when momentum can clear key levels, but unforgiving when breakouts fail. For traders and investors who follow Michaël van de Poppe and other technical analysts, the consensus is simple: a breakout and hold above $120K would materially improve the odds of another leg up; until then, expect choppy price action and rapid rotations between BTC and ETH.
