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Bitcoin Rallies Above $102K After Panic Sellers Dump Into War Fears

Bitcoin fell to $101K before reversing sharply with high-volume support, as hedge fund James Lavish rebukes war-driven selling.

Updated Jun 22, 2025, 3:22 p.m. Published Jun 22, 2025, 7:32 a.m.
Bitcoin price chart showing low of $100,962, high of $103,970, and last price above $102,800
Bitcoin traded between $100,962 and $103,970 over the past 24 hours, closing above $102,800

What to know:

  • BTC dropped 2.9% from $103,970 to $100,962 before rebounding above $102,800.
  • Buying pressure intensified with volume peaking at 17,906 BTC during the midnight recovery.
  • Hedge fund manager James Lavish warned that selling BTC on war fears signals a deep misunderstanding of the asset.

Bitcoin rallied above $102,000 after briefly falling below $101,000 in a volatile session marked by unusually heavy trading, according to CoinDesk Research's technical analysis model.

Market participants reacted swiftly to the dip, which pushed BTC near the bottom of its month-long trading range.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
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The reversal gained momentum as volume accelerated, leading to a strong rebound. The move coincided with a sharply worded post from James Lavish, a Managing Partner of the Bitcoin Opportunity Fund, who wrote on X: “If you are selling Bitcoin because of the possibility of the world going to war, you have absolutely no idea what you own.”

The $100K–$110K range has contained price movement for nearly a month. On-chain metrics suggest a balanced market with neither excessive profit-taking nor aggressive accumulation, while derivatives data indicates cautious sentiment with continued demand for downside protection.

Technical Analysis Highlights

  • A midnight push lifted BTC above $102,800 with trading volume peaking at 17,906 BTC.
  • Between 05:57 and 06:00, BTC climbed from $102,767 to $102,912, supported by volume spikes over 150 BTC per minute.
  • Peak recovery-period volume hit 184.24 BTC, helping drive price toward $102,990.
  • Minute-level consolidation around $102,680–$102,720 preceded the breakout.
  • A higher support level began forming near $102,870 as volatility decreased.

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.

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