Bitcoin Pulls Back After ATH: Is $114K the Next Stop?

After the stars, here come the clouds. Bitcoin, which shone at $123,000, is beginning a slide into the unknown. For seasoned traders, this drop seemed inevitable. They have seen other bubbles, other pullbacks. Yet, this time, one detail creaks: the market seemed ready. But the whales had already moved. While the crowd dreamed of 130k, they were loading their bags… or emptying them. And now, the scene changes. Fast.

Whales at work, crowd in orbit: the crypto market plays a familiar tune

While retail traders were getting excited, the whales (or whales) acted silently. No speeches, but 1,800 BTC deposited on Binance in a single day. The alert comes from CryptoQuant. Its Binance Whale Activity Score went haywire. According to Crazzyblockk’s analysis : “This movement shows that the big players are repositioning their holdings on the world’s most liquid platform. It’s not a coincidence. It’s coordinated.”

These massive transfers, mostly over $1 million, represented more than 35% of incoming flows. Nothing spontaneous. Just pros taking their profits while the crowd is FOMO-ing.

Santiment confirms this tension. At the price peak, 43.06% of all crypto discussions were about bitcoin. A record. The signal is clear: when everyone talks about an asset, a reversal is never far off.

And the consequences were swift. Since then, bitcoin has dropped to $116,000. No panic, says Michaël van de Poppe . According to him:

Staying above $108k and trend remains upwards. The bull market is here.

But when whales get active, it’s better not to ignore the current. Even if you still believe in the sun.

$114,000: this level Bitcoin might have to fill… properly

Euphoria has left a void. Literally. The latest surge in the BTC price created a gap in CME futures contracts, between $114,380 and $115,630. And in professional jargon, an unfilled “CME gap” is like a gaping hole in a well-aligned puzzle.

Analyst Mikybull Crypto bluntly reminds us:

Technically, it’s expected. Historically, these gaps are often filled. And in this particular case, the support lies just below the zone where the whales took action. Coincidence? Unlikely.

Simply put: bitcoin might take a breather, shake out the most emotional, before resuming its northward path. But those who believed the rise would be linear may need to rethink. Technical analysis never lies for long.

Crypto under pressure: altcoins waiting, social dominance at the ceiling

The flagship crypto casts a shadow. When bitcoin coughs, altcoins sneeze. It’s an old rule. But it’s being confirmed. The recent rally of secondary coins like ETH, SOL, XRP was mainly triggered by BTC’s momentum.

Basically, if BTC collapses, altcoins will fall just as fast as they rose. And for now, the support seems fragile.

Moreover, bitcoin’s social dominance, surpassing 43%, acts as a signal of emotional overheating. When everyone’s looking at the same thing, no one watches for the next trap.

Crypto in turbulence zone, the numbers:

• 1,800 BTC: volume deposited on Binance in a single day by whales;
• 43.06%: bitcoin’s share in crypto discussions at rally peak (source: Santiment);
• $114,380 – $115,630: CME gap identified by professional traders;
• >35%: share of BTC transfers over $1 million to Binance;
• $108,000: possible correction level without breaking the bullish trend

The crypto market is made of cycles, surprises, and traps too. But according to CZ, the former Binance boss, this bitcoin price remains a chance to buy before the next peak . And in this digital jungle, this kind of message is not just for whales. Those who can read between the lines might, this time, buy low.