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Bitcoin price fell back below $80,000 after stronger-than-expected US employment data lifted Federal Reserve rate-hike expectations, while technical charts showed the rally had already met resistance near $82,500.
Bitcoin price falls below $80,000
According to data from crypto.news, Bitcoin ($BTC) price traded near $79,600 at the time of writing, down about 1.5% over 24 hours. The asset had reached an intraday high near $81,370 before sellers pushed it as low as $78,723.
The pullback followed an earlier rally that carried Bitcoin above $82,000, its highest level since May. Buyers failed to sustain that move, leaving the price below a major resistance zone visible on the daily chart.
Bitcoin’s daily candle showed the asset trading near $79,613 after touching a session high of $79,763. The price remained below horizontal resistance at approximately $82,504, a level that also sits close to the May swing high.
The rejection interrupted a sharp recovery from the August range near $62,500. Bitcoin gained roughly 30% during that advance and broke above several previous lower highs, but the $82,000–$82,800 region has stopped two recent attempts to extend the rally.
Strong US jobs data triggered the pullback
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in August, well above the average monthly gain of 31,000 recorded over the previous 12 months. The unemployment rate held at 4.1%.
Employment increased by 59,000 in food services and drinking places, while local government education added 42,000 jobs. The information sector lost 23,000 positions.
The report led traders to raise the probability of a Federal Reserve rate increase at its Sept. 15–16 meeting. According to Reuters, the implied probability rose to 61% from 52% before the employment data.
Citigroup consequently moved its forecast for the Fed’s next rate cut to June 2027 from October 2026. Higher rate expectations also pushed Treasury yields upward and supported the dollar, creating pressure on non-yielding and risk-sensitive assets.
Analyst Rain said the employment report was the immediate trigger for Bitcoin’s decline, but argued that the technical setup preceded the release. Rain noted that $BTC had been rejected around $82,400 several hours before the data arrived.
The analyst said the strong jobs reading removed part of the Fed’s case for lowering rates, forcing markets to reprice the probability of tighter policy rather than changing Bitcoin’s longer-term investment case.
Bitcoin technicals keep $82,500 in focus
Bitcoin’s daily relative strength index stood at 66.28, below the overbought threshold of 70. The RSI had recently moved above 70 during the rally but turned lower as the price struggled below resistance, showing that upward momentum had cooled.
The Aroon indicator offered a more constructive signal. Aroon Up measured 85.71%, compared with an Aroon Down reading of 7.14%, indicating that recent highs remain more influential than recent lows despite the pullback.
On the 4-hour chart, Bitcoin continued to trade above the Supertrend line at $78,190. The indicator remains bullish while the price holds above that level, making the $78,000–$78,200 area the first technical support zone.
The 4-hour Chaikin Money Flow reading of 0.19 also remained above zero. The indicator points to net buying pressure over its measurement period, although it does not rule out another short-term test of support.
A daily close above $82,504 would clear the immediate resistance and weaken the bearish rejection setup. Reuters’ technical analysis identified the broader May resistance near $82,793 and said a confirmed breakout could expose $90,000, followed by Bitcoin’s 2026 peak near $97,867.
Failure to defend the 4-hour Supertrend would shift attention to approximately $77,000. Below that area, the next visible supports sit near $75,700 and $71,800.
Liquidation heatmap shows pressure on both sides
The one-week CoinGlass liquidation heatmap showed a dense concentration of leveraged positions close to $80,000. Another large liquidity band appeared between roughly $81,800 and $82,300, placing potential short liquidations directly below the daily resistance area.
A move through $80,000 could therefore draw the price toward the upper cluster, although heatmap levels identify estimated liquidation concentrations rather than guaranteed price targets.
On the downside, the strongest nearby pool appeared around $78,000, with additional concentrations between $76,000 and $77,000. Losing $78,000 could expose leveraged long positions and accelerate a drop toward the lower liquidity bands.
The location of those clusters leaves Bitcoin between competing liquidation zones. The $78,000 support and $82,000 resistance areas could produce sharper moves if either side gives way.
Analysts warn of a possible Bitcoin bull trap
Trader Gerla said Bitcoin’s structure has improved, but warned that momentum has repeatedly reversed after the daily RSI entered overbought territory during the current cycle.
Everyone is calling the $BTC structure flipped and saying the bull run has started.
— Gerla (@CryptoGerla) September 5, 2026
But I’m watching one thing closely.
Every time $BTC pushed RSI into the overbought zone during this cycle we saw a major correction right after. We’ve seen it 3 times already and the drawdowns… https://t.co/Wsn9zV3CE0 pic.twitter.com/nFCTqqtGR9
Gerla identified $82,000–$84,000 as the invalidation area for the bearish setup. According to the analyst, a strong close above that range, supported by high trading volume, would reduce the risk that the latest rally is a bull trap.
Until such a breakout occurs, the analyst sees a risk that another rejection could force leveraged buyers out of the market and produce a larger correction.
US inflation data now provides the next major test. The August consumer price index is scheduled for Sept. 11, five days before the Fed’s rate decision. A hotter reading could reinforce expectations of a hike, while softer inflation could lower those odds and give Bitcoin another opportunity to challenge $82,500.