Bitcoin approached $98,000 on Jan. 18 with pronounced sell pressure and a slight pullback, CoinKarma said via BlockBeats. The firm noted liquidity on both sides remains balanced and suggested early-year longs consider taking profits and wait for clearer signals before re-entering.

Bitcoin could trigger an estimated $645 million in cumulative short liquidations on major centralized exchanges if its price reaches $97,000, Coinglass data show. A drop below $93,000 would correspond to about $752 million in long liquidations across leading CEXs. The liquidation heatmap does not represent exact contract counts or precise liquidation values, but reflects the relative intensity of each liquidation cluster compared with adjacent clusters, with higher bars indicating stronger expected market reactions driven by liquidity shifts.

Dan Tapiero said on Jan. 18 that Bitcoin could reach $180,000 this cycle, citing demand growth and global monetary policy shifts, CoinDesk reports. He said a $10,000 crypto allocation in 2026 could go to Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, with splits left to personal preference.

Strategy founder Michael Saylor shared Bitcoin Tracker information on Jan. 18, adding "bigger orange," BlockBeats reports. The message referenced the Bitcoin Tracker theme. If prior patterns hold, Strategy discloses increased Bitcoin holdings the next day, BlockBeats noted.

The Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index remained negative for three consecutive days through Jan. 18, reaching -0.0397%, Coinglass data cited by BlockBeats show. The index has been negative on 28 of the past 30 days, indicating Coinbase's Bitcoin price has frequently traded below the global average. The index tracks the price spread between Coinbase and the global market, serving as a gauge of U.S. capital flows and institutional sentiment.

Bitcoin faces a key challenge at $101,000, the average cost basis for long-term holders who have held for 6"12 months, CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost said on Jan. 18. The $81,700 level, representing the average purchase price for the 12"18 month cohort, serves as important support where these holders are likely to defend their positions if the market pulls back. Resistance sits around $114,650, the cost basis for short-term holders with 3"6 months of holding time, where some investors who bought near recent highs may sell around breakeven, Darkfost said.

Tom Lee, BitMine Chairman and Fundstrat co-founder, said Bitcoin could reach a new all-time high this year and expects Ethereum to outperform Bitcoin, CNBC reported on Jan. 18. Lee cited strong gains in the first five trading days of January as a positive signal for the full year, with the S&P 500 target of 7,700 offering additional upside. He attributed recent volatility in financials and crypto partly to policy shifts, noting Washington's efforts to cap credit card interest rates could weaken banks' lending capacity if implemented. Lee views progress on the Clarity Act as a positive development for crypto, and after October's sharp decline, he expects substantial recovery over time, remaining bullish on Bitcoin and even more constructive on Ethereum.

Polymarket showed 43% odds of Bitcoin reaching $100,000 in January as of Jan. 18, BlockBeats reports. The platform also displayed 15% probability for Bitcoin hitting $105,000, 15% for dropping to $85,000, and 5% for falling to $80,000.

Bitcoin fell below $95,000 on Jan. 18, declining 0.49% over 24 hours, HTX data show. The move reflects short-term downside pressure on the leading cryptocurrency.