Bitcoin Relief Rally Sparks Caution as Analysts Warn of Dead Cat Bounce
The cryptocurrency market has experienced a brief rebound, rising by over 1.8% in the past 24 hours. Bitcoin 
BTCUSD, along with the majority of the top 20 cryptocurrencies, is in green.
However, analysts are warning that the current relief rally could be a classic dead cat bounce, which is a short-lived, temporary price recovery during a larger downward trend.
Technical Analysts Flag Dead Cat Bounce Pattern In Bitcoin
According to BeInCrypto Markets data, Bitcoin rebounded to a high of $89,000 on Monday, following a weekend recovery. At the time of writing, the price had adjusted to $87,755. This represented modest gains of 0.23% over the past day.
Still, technical analysts remain wary. Crypto analyst Elja analyzed Bitcoin’s technical setup on the weekly chart after the dip to $82,000.
He stressed that short-term rallies after steep declines often give traders false hope of a bull market return. According to Elja’s analysis, $98,000 has become a vital level for Bitcoin’s immediate direction.
“After a major drop, you often see a quick relief rally, like a ‘dead cat bounce,’ and this doesn’t mean the bull market will immediately return. Keep an eye on the $98,000 level. It used to be support and could now turn into resistance,” the analyst said.
Elja also warned that failing to close above $98,000 would likely confirm a bearish trend. If that happens, Bitcoin could fall further toward the $75,000 support area.
However, a weekly candle closing above $98,000 could counter the dead cat bounce theory and suggest renewed bullish momentum.
Market analyst Ted Pillows characterized the latest price uptick as a “relief bounce” rather than a meaningful shift in sentiment. He noted that brief rebounds often spark renewed optimism among traders.
However, this tends to fade quickly in a firmly negative market structure. Pillows emphasized that the broader trend still points downward.
Market commentator Titan of Crypto noted that Bitcoin is exhibiting a strong reaction at the Senkou Span B (SSB), the lower boundary of the bullish Ichimoku Kumo cloud. He warned that even if a rise happens, it is “likely to be a dead cat bounce,” similar to patterns seen in 2022. Titan added that the bearish scenario would be invalidated only if Bitcoin fully reclaims the entire cloud and holds above it.
At the same time, another market watcher highlighted the emergence of a possible head-and-shoulders formation on BTC’s monthly chart. This is a classic bearish pattern that often signals trend exhaustion and the potential for a deeper reversal if the neckline breaks.
Nonetheless, not all analysts agree with this narrative. Analyst Peter Anthony believes traders will continue to label every rebound as a “dead cat bounce,” even as Bitcoin advances toward the $100,000 region.
He acknowledged the possibility of a correction on the way back toward the highs but believes the bearish calls will prove misplaced.
“The deadcat bounce will be fake and many will then fomo one BTC hits $115,000+. This means most took maximum losses selling into last week and will wait to buy once recovery has been completed,” Anthony remarked.
BeInCrypto also reported that many analysts have been calling a bottom, noting that the worst may be over for the largest cryptocurrency. Thus, the next few weeks will be crucial for Bitcoin’s market direction. Whether Bitcoin’s rise continues or it dips further remains in focus.