Bitcoin Price Escapes $74.9K Low, but the Easy Part May Be Over

At 8:45 a.m. Eastern time, bitcoin’s price is trading between $76,875 to $77,083 per coin on Thursday, Sept. 17, caught between a broader recovery structure that still has some life and short-term charts that keep flashing caution. After falling as low as roughly $74,913-$74,962 and bouncing toward the mid-$76,000s, BTC has stopped the bleeding for now, but reclaiming $77,000-$77,200 remains the first real test of whether buyers can turn the rebound into something more convincing.

WRITTEN BYJamie Redman
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Published:Sep 17, 2026, 8:45 AM EDT

Key Takeaways

• Bitcoin’s price rebounded from $74,962, but $77,000-$77,200 remains the first major test.
• Market data shows the daily chart’s oscillators at 2 negative, 7 neutral and 2 positive.
• Bitcoin’s 50-, 100- and 200-period moving averages retain positive readings.

Bitcoin’s 1-Hour Bounce Starts Running Out of Steam

On the 1-hour chart, bitcoin’s price rebounded from about $74,962 pushed as high as $76,701, but the recovery has started running out of steam around the $77,000-$77,200 area. The latest candles show sellers pressing price back toward roughly $76,160, while volume remains comparatively light.

The broader intraday picture also shows the decline from a recent local high near $79,837, followed by the sharp break to roughly $74,913 and only a partial recovery afterward. An aggressive entry area sits around $75,900-$76,100 if support holds, while a cleaner confirmation would require a convincing break above $76,700. Below $75,900, the next areas in play sit near $75,500 and $74,950.

The 4-Hour Chart Still Has Plenty of Baggage

The 4-hour chart tells a tougher story. Bitcoin’s price advanced strongly from the August low near $62,653 and eventually peaked around $82,281, but the market has since printed lower highs while settling into the $76,000-$78,000 zone. More recently, BTC fell from roughly $79,500 to $74,913 before beginning its current recovery, and downside moves have carried noticeable volume spikes.

That makes $76,900-$77,200 the immediate resistance pocket to watch. A reclaim of $77,000 would materially improve the structure and place $77,500-$78,000 back in view. On the other hand, failure around current levels leaves $75,500 and $74,900 as the principal downside areas.

Daily Structure Keeps Bulls Walking a Tightrope

The daily chart remains the bigger concern despite the broader recovery from bitcoin’s midyear price low near $57,735. BTC later reached a high near $82,833, while the more recent chart assessment places the latest major peak around $82,281 before price began printing a broader sequence of lower highs.

Bitcoin is now hovering near the lower end of its recent range, making the $75,000-$76,000 region an important support zone. Holding that area keeps the consolidation intact, but a daily close below roughly $75,000 could expose $74,000-$73,000. On the upside, $78,000 is the first meaningful hurdle, followed by heavier resistance around $79,500-$80,000.

Oscillators Refuse to Pick a Side

The daily chart’s oscillator tape is pretty evenly split, with two negative, seven neutral, and two positive readings. The relative strength index (RSI) sits at 48, while Stochastic, the commodity channel index (CCI), average directional index (ADX), Awesome oscillator (AO), Stochastic RSI fast, and Ultimate oscillator (UO) are all neutral today.

Momentum and the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) lean negative, while Williams percent range and bull bear power are positive readings. In other words, there’s no strong consensus here, and there hasn’t been in quite some time.

Moving Averages Tell a Split Story

The moving averages (MAs) paint a cleaner picture: short-term pressure, longer-term support. The 10-, 20-, and 30-period exponential moving averages (EMA) and simple moving averages (SMA) are mostly negative, while the 50-, 100-, and 200-period EMA and SMA readings are positive.

The Ichimoku baseline is neutral, while the volume-weighted moving average (VWMA) and Hull moving average (HMA) lean negative. Overall, the moving-average gauge remains neutral, with bitcoin caught between near-term weakness and a healthier longer-term structure.

Bull Verdict:

Bitcoin’s price is still holding a broader recovery structure, with the 50-, 100- and 200-period moving averages leaning positive. A clean break above $76,700-$77,000 could put $77,500-$78,000 back in play and give buyers a stronger foothold.

Bear Verdict:

Bitcoin spot value remains vulnerable while price struggles below $76,700-$77,000 and short-term moving averages lean negative. Losing the $75,000 area, especially on a daily close, could reopen the door toward $74,000-$73,000.

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Bitcoin (BTC)Bitcoin Pricemarkets and pricesTechnical Analysis

Source: news.bitcoin.com