Bitcoin drops under $83K as liquidity hunting keeps bulls from targeting yearly open

Bitcoin (BTC) fell to weekly lows on Monday as upside momentum gave way to liquidity hunting on exchange order books.Key points:Bitcoin reversed downward after over $30 million in ask liquidity was added to exchange order books at around $85,700.Crypto and US stock-market futures dropped after US president Donald Trump refused to rule out further strikes on Iran.Analysis by markets commentator Aksel Kibar warned that Bitcoin risked returning to its sub-$80,000 range.Liquidity manipulation halts BTC price upsideData from TradingView showed dropping below $82,700 for the first time since Sept. 21. four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewAfter posting its highest weekly close since late January at around $84,450, the pair failed to mount another test of its eight-month highs above $87,000 seen last week. Instead, a large patch of ask liquidity appeared, with over $30 million clustered around $85,700. Sudden, conspicuous liquidity at a price level often signals a calculated attempt by large traders to influence price direction.BTC liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlassData from CoinGlass showed the drop liquidating nearby long positions, totaling around $70 million over 24 hours at the time of writing.Crypto liquidation history (screenshot). Source: CoinGlassBitcoin weakness accompanied downside in US stocks futures after president Donald Trump refused to rule out further military strikes on Iran.“I don’t want to say that. I don’t want to say that. I mean, it’s possible, but I just don’t want to say that,” he said at the PGA Tour Presidents Cup on Sunday, quoted by Fox News.Nasdaq futures were down 0.9% on the day at the time of writing, while WTI crude oil passed $95 per barrel for the first time since Sept. 24.CFDs on WTI crude oil one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewYearly open next challenge for Bitcoin bullsThe $85,700 level blocked a renewed push toward the 2026 year-open level at $88,700, where price stalled last week.Prior to the weekly close, trader Aksel Kibar warned that Bitcoin’s performance did not resemble a “decisive breakout,” even prior to dropping below $83,000.“Hesitant price action here can result in price returning inside the range,” he wrote in a post on X, referring to the area between $60,000 and $80,000 where traded for much of 2026. one-week chart. Source: Aksel Kibar on X.com