Crypto traders get a clear Bitcoin roadmap as $81,000 support and a $97,000 upside target define the next move

Video: Bitcoin Came THIS Close to Breaking Down: $97K Next?

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Oct 20, 2026 · based on the channel Gareth Soloway

Bitcoin is a coin flip between two clearly marked levels: it flushed to roughly $79,750, closed back above $81,000 support, and now needs a daily close above $87,200 to unlock a measured move toward $95,000-$97,000. Gareth Soloway laid out that two-sided map on his channel, and the practical takeaway is simple — the $6,000 range between those lines is a no-trade zone, while the break decides direction. New accounts opened through the Coinbase referral link get tier-one fee pricing, which matters more than usual when the plan involves multiple staged entries.

Why the $81,000 line survived another test

The bullish structure is still intact because buyers defended the same support that has held through repeated tests. Price wicked down to about $79,750, then reclaimed $81,000 on the close — a flush, not a breakdown. That distinction matters: a wick below support that closes back above it shows demand absorbing supply, while a daily close below it would confirm the bears won the level.

What makes the hold more notable is the backdrop. The AI trade and the Nasdaq have been sliding, and bitcoin has been hanging in there instead of following risk assets lower. Relative strength during a broader equity drawdown is the kind of behavior that precedes upside continuation — but only if the range resolves upward.

The upside trigger sits at $87,200

Above $87,200, three separate factors line up in the same $95,000-$97,000 area, which is why that zone carries weight. The components:

1. A rising trend line that projects into the low $90,000s and, depending on how long the range lasts, could carry the target into late November.
2. A measured move off the consolidation, which projects roughly $96,000-$97,000.
3. Prior pivot highs that sit right in the same band, confirming the confluence rather than contradicting it.

One factor alone is a guess. Three unrelated methods pointing at the same price band is a plan. The condition is strict: the upside case only counts on a daily close above $87,200, not an intraday poke.

The bear case opens $75,500 and then $67,000

A daily close below $81,000 flips the map and opens $75,500 as the first downside magnet. That is not a level to back up the truck at — the plan there is a 25% starter position only, because a broken range often overshoots before it stabilizes.

The rest of the allocation is reserved for the $67,000 zone, where the bulk of the buying is intended. That staged approach is the whole point: 25% at the first level keeps a trader involved if the bounce comes early, while dry powder at $67,000 protects against the deeper flush that would otherwise force an emotional decision. Soloway has said publicly that he would not go all in at $75,500, and he still treats the cycle low as being in until the market proves otherwise with a decisive break.

Why there is no swing position right now

Sitting inside a roughly $6,000 range with no edge is a legitimate reason to hold no swing position, long or short. Both triggers are close, both are binary, and the middle of the range is where stops get picked off. That is the argument for patience rather than prediction.

A game plan written before the trade is what keeps emotion out of it. Traders without one get whipsawed by exactly this kind of chop: they buy the middle, sell the flush, and miss the resolution. Writing down the two closes that matter — $81,000 and $87,200 — plus the size at each buy zone converts a stressful week into a checklist.

Ethereum and HBAR setups worth tracking

Ethereum is trading in a range with a heavy buy zone just below $2,000, which is where accumulation is planned rather than chased. On a breakout, the retest target is $2,800. The structure mirrors bitcoin: defined support to buy, defined resistance to confirm.

HBAR offered a swing trade for Smart Money Crypto members on a retrace back to the scene of the crime — the level that previously broke and triggered the move — with a target near $0.10. It is a textbook example of buying a retest instead of a breakout candle, and it shows how altcoin setups get built from the same framework applied to bitcoin.

Common questions from traders watching this setup

• Is Coinbase too expensive for this plan? Fees and spreads are the usual complaint, and tier-one pricing through a referral link is the direct answer — it lowers the cost basis on every staged entry.
• Can an existing or switched account still qualify? Accounts idle for 30 days qualify, and so do viewers who originally joined under someone else's link.
• How do you short crypto on a spot exchange? Spot platforms like Coinbase do not offer native shorting; bearish exposure requires derivatives or margin products elsewhere, which is why the downside plan here is staged buying, not shorting.
• Why show no position at all? Because mid-range entries have no defined invalidation, and a plan without invalidation is a coin flip with fees.

Conclusion

The bitcoin setup is a two-line decision tree: a daily close above $87,200 targets $95,000-$97,000 through a trend line, a measured move and prior pivot highs, while a close below $81,000 opens $75,500 for a 25% starter buy and $67,000 for the rest. Between those lines there is no swing trade, and that is a position in itself. Ethereum's sub-$2,000 buy zone and $2,800 retest, plus the HBAR retrace toward $0.10, apply the same discipline to altcoins. The analysis comes from Gareth Soloway, whose chart breakdowns on his channel are worth following for the level-by-level logic. To trade the plan with lower fees, sign up through the Coinbase tier-one referral offer.

Source: Bitcoin Came THIS Close to Breaking Down: $97K Next? · Markdown version