Bitcoin pulled back toward the $95,000 mark after briefly surpassing $97,000, as key regulatory developments in the United States weighed on investor sentiment. The leading cryptocurrency was trading at $95,498, representing a retreat from its recent eight-week high of nearly $97,000.

Current Market Performance

The cryptocurrency market showed mixed performance with most major digital assets declining. Bitcoin fell 0.78% while Ethereum dropped 0.02% in the past 24 hours. Major altcoins including BNB, XRP, Solana, Dogecoin, Cardano, and Hyperliquid declined by up to 3% during the same period.

Weekly Performance and Market Dynamics

Despite the recent pullback, Bitcoin and Ethereum demonstrated strong weekly gains of 4.73% and 5.60% respectively. Among major altcoins, BNB, Solana, and Tron rose over 5%, while XRP, Dogecoin, Cardano, and Hyperliquid fell more than 4% over the past week.

The global cryptocurrency market capitalisation fell 0.65% to $3.22 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap, reflecting the broader market retreat from recent highs.

Institutional Demand and Technical Analysis

CoinSwitch Markets Desk reported that Bitcoin briefly pushed above $97,000 as institutional momentum strengthened, supported by continued inflows into US spot Bitcoin ETFs, which recorded around $1.50 million in net inflows over January 13-14. The desk noted that the $95,200-$95,500 zone remains a critical support level for Bitcoin, with holding this range potentially allowing consolidation or a rebound toward $96,200-$96,600.

Akshat Siddhant, Lead Quant Analyst at Mudrex, highlighted that strong institutional demand continues to support Bitcoin, with ETFs attracting over $1.70 billion in net inflows over the past three days.

Expert Market Outlook

Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst at Delta Exchange, observed that the market is holding near equilibrium after a sharp rebound, with most major assets drifting slightly lower as momentum pauses. She noted that on-chain data remains constructive for Bitcoin, with whales re-accumulating after the fastest sell-off since 2023, and long-term holders showing little intent to distribute into strength.

Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus, commented that price action suggests the market is trying to build acceptance above previous resistance, even as macroeconomic uncertainty keeps risk appetite measured.

Nischal Shetty, Founder of WazirX, noted that Bitcoin continues to trade at elevated levels, holding steady and reflecting stronger institutional participation and an improving market structure, while Ethereum and large-cap altcoins are consolidating after sustained rallies.

Bitcoin slipped back toward the $90,000 mark after a brief attempt to sustain levels above $92,000 on Tuesday. The pullback came after Trump announced a 25% tariff on any country trading with Iran, adding geopolitical uncertainty to cryptocurrency markets. The world's largest cryptocurrency was trading at $91,821 level on Tuesday.

Market Performance Overview

The cryptocurrency market showed mixed performance across major digital assets in the past 24 hours:

CoinSwitch Markets Desk noted that BTC briefly broke above $92,000 before pulling back toward $90,000. The comments by Trump announcing the 25% tariff on any country trading with Iran added geopolitical uncertainty into markets.

Safe-Haven Assets Rally Amid Uncertainty

Traditional safe-haven assets rallied sharply during the cryptocurrency pullback. Gold surged past $4,500 while silver also posted gains. This flight to traditional safe havens coincided with significant outflows from Bitcoin exchange-traded funds.

BTC ETFs recorded over $650 million in net outflows over the past week, effectively erasing much of the optimism seen at the start of the year, according to CoinSwitch Markets Desk. However, after several sessions of significant redemptions in early January, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net inflows of about $187 million on January 12.

Weekly Performance Analysis

The weekly performance data revealed divergent trends across major cryptocurrencies:

Expert Analysis

Vikram Subburaj, CEO of Giottus, observed that Bitcoin is trading around $91,000 on Tuesday to extend a phase of consolidation after the sharp volatility seen earlier this month. The world's largest crypto asset moved between $90,000 and $92,300 in the latest session, reflecting that the market is neither decisively risk-on nor meaningfully risk-off.

Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst at Delta Exchange, noted that Bitcoin and Ethereum remain stuck in a holding pattern as macro uncertainty continues to outweigh short-term bullish narratives. Bitcoin's brief push above $92,000 following headlines around a potential US Justice Department investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell failed to trigger sustained follow-through, highlighting how headline-driven rallies are struggling to gain traction without stronger underlying demand.

Market Outlook

The CoinDCX Research Team indicated that Bitcoin continues to consolidate within the same price range, appearing to be accumulating gains before the next price action. However, in the broader perspective, the cryptocurrency maintains a strong ascending trend. With US CPI data imminent, crypto markets appear positioned for volatility. Until macro clarity improves and fund flows stabilise, both Bitcoin and Ethereum are likely to remain range-bound, with any breakout requiring confirmation from renewed institutional participation rather than headlines alone.