Bitcoin Slips Below Key Trend Line as ETF Outflows Continue

Bitcoin traded near $63,500 after confirming a weekly candle close below its 200-week moving average, copying the 2022 bear-market pattern as traders warned of further downside. Bitcoin ETFs recorded $390 million in net outflows last week, keeping bulls on the back foot despite a bounce tracking equity markets. Bitcoin options remained expensive despite summer calm, while the futures market showed characteristics of a crowded club with a tiny exit that could cause pain. Bitcoin's price action lost the 200-week trend line support level, marking a technical deterioration similar to the 2022 bear market period.

Strategy raised $334M through stock sales but purchased no Bitcoin, instead funding STRC dividends and share repurchases while adding $149.1 million to its US dollar reserve, which reached $4.8 billion. The corporate Bitcoin holder showed no change in Bitcoin holdings last week as it boosted its dollar reserve and bought back more STRC, its preferred stock. Strategy and Metaplanet are betting on math rather than price in their Bitcoin accumulation strategies, according to analysis of the two largest corporate holders. Greenlane saw its $70M BERA treasury end Q2 valued at just $16M after recording a $19.1 million noncash valuation loss as BERA's price fell nearly 76% year to date.

Bitpanda was fined €70,000 in Austria's first published MiCA enforcement case, with the Financial Market Authority stating the exchange breached MiCA rules on crypto white papers and marketing communications. The decision is now final, marking the beginning of enforcement under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation. Binance gave Russian authorities client data used in a terrorism financing case, with Reuters reporting that the exchange supplied transaction records and identity documents later used against Yuri Belenkiy. Goldman Sachs said a September Fed interest-rate increase is very unlikely, providing macro context for crypto markets.

Ethereum's next major upgrade has 66 proposals under consideration, including a major privacy fix, signaling continued development activity on the network. Harmony plans a rollback that would wipe 109,000 transactions after an exploit, stating that selectively restoring transactions could create inconsistent chain state, as Ravencoin faces a separate rollback dispute after its own exploit. Israel's largest crypto broker Bits of Gold was hit by a data breach affecting 200,000 customers. BitMart's Chinese-language account demanded an Aug. 19 repayment plan from founder Sheldon Xia, while Xia called claims of blocked withdrawals and non-payment of salaries fabricated rumors.

XRP traders bet on a rebound as price slipped to $1 amid surging bearish chatter, with options positioning suggesting expectations for recovery despite negative sentiment. The token faced downward pressure as broader crypto market weakness continued to weigh on altcoin performance.

This week's key events include the Coinbase-Circle USDC collaboration developments, release of FOMC minutes, and oil price dynamics following a lapsing US-Iran ceasefire that revived energy market threats. Traders are watching whether Bitcoin can reclaim its 200-week moving average or if the 2022 bear-market parallel will continue to play out. BitMart founder Sheldon Xia faces an Aug. 19 deadline to provide a repayment plan amid internal disputes over the exchange's financial status.