Bitcoin has moved back above its 200-day moving average and is edging toward a golden cross, a pattern that has preceded rallies in each of its last four appearances. The move follows a weekly gain of more than 12%, but the setup still needs confirmation before it counts as a genuine trend shift.
Bitcoin trades above $71,000, changing hands around $72,326.54 after gaining more than 12% over the past week. That puts the price back above its 200-day simple moving average, setting up what traders call a golden cross.
A widely watched bullish signal
The pattern would form if bitcoin's 50-day simple moving average, currently at $63,976, keeps rising and crosses above its 200-day SMA, currently at $69,005. For a golden cross to emerge, both moving averages need to move in the same direction. Traders widely regard the pattern as a bullish long-term signal.
Back above the long-term trendline
That 200-day moving average tracks bitcoin's average closing price over the previous 200 days and gauges the market's long-term direction. A sustained move above it can signal a shift from a bear market to a bull market, while a move below it can indicate the reverse.
Bitcoin had traded below its 200-day SMA since October 2025, when its price was roughly $110,000, marking its long-term downtrend.
Past crosses preceded further rallies
Golden crosses have occurred in February 2023, October 2023, October 2024 and April 2025, and each one preceded further rallies in bitcoin's price. Still, the price typically rises before the crossover occurs, so traders who wait for confirmation may miss part of the move.
This could still be a relief rally rather than the start of a sustained uptrend. A decisive move back below the 200-day SMA could invalidate the case that bitcoin's longer-term trend has turned bullish.
Source: CoinDesk
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