Bitcoin’s (BTC) rally stalled above $76,000 stalled on Tuesday after short-term profit-taking by traders reached its highest level in 2026.
The activity coincided with continued accumulation by long-term holders, and this opposing interaction between the two cohorts may continue to impact Bitcoin’s attempts to break into the $80,000 range.
Bitcoin profit-taking meets whale demand
New Bitcoin short-term holders moved their holdings as BTC in profit sent to exchanges reached 63,000 BTC on April 14, the highest level in 2026, since the 44,800 spike on Jan. 14.
BTC short-term holder P&L to exchanges in 24-hours. Source: CryptoQuant
Onchain data shows that the one-day-to-one-week cohort moved nearly 2,000 BTC back to Binance during the same time. This implied that freshly acquired coins are rotating into sell-side liquidity as BTC traded near $76,000.
Crypto analyst Amr Taha flagged this as the first clear wave of profit-taking after the retest of the monthly highs. The activity aligns with cautious distribution, in which newer participants seek to secure gains at key resistance levels during a bear market.
Taha noted that this indicates a natural cooling phase in momentum.
Meanwhile, BTC whale behavior shows a different pattern. Market analyst CW noted a single-day inflow of over 71,000 BTC into accumulation addresses, the largest bullish inflow since early 2022. The large holders appear to be absorbing available supply from the short-term sellers.
BTC inflows to accumulation addresses. Source: CryptoQuant
The relationship between these flows points to a transfer of coins from weaker hands to stronger ones, which may stabilize the price while limiting an immediate rally.
Related: Bitcoin ETFs post $412M in inflows as Goldman Sachs files for BTC ETF
Bitcoin liquidity cluster may lead to a small dip
After forming equal highs near $76,000, BTC’s price rejected near the 100-day exponential moving average (EMA), marking the first test of this trend since Jan. 14. The momentum slowed after the rejection, with price slipping to $73,500.
BTC/USDT on the one-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
However, on the lower time frame, the bullish trend remains intact.
On the one-hour chart, internal liquidity levels are resting around $73,000 and $72,000. These zones may attract bid orders that may get filled before a trend continuation.
BTC/USDT on the one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
The liquidation heatmap provides additional context, with $1.4 billion in cumulative long liquidations clustered around $73,000. That figure rises to $3.5 billion in long positions at risk near $70,500.
At the opposite end, a move toward $80,000 would expose $2 billion in leveraged short positions. The spread between the long and short liquidation zones suggests BTC may retest the $72,000 to $70,000 range before moving higher.
Bitcoin exchange liquidation map. Source: CoinGlass
Related: Bitcoin shows ‘bull market behavior’ as chart pattern targets $90K