🔴📉 MARKET MOVE UPDATE — Bitcoin

$BTC is showing clear structural weakness, currently trading around $66,300 (Feb 18, 2026). Price remains trapped in a high-tension consolidation after a multi-week decline from the October peak near $126,000.

Sentiment sits deep in “Extreme Fear” (Index 8–9) as Bitcoin struggles to reclaim key psychological levels amid cooling institutional participation.

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🔍 Quick Technical Breakdown

• Trend Bias: Bearish

• Pattern: Bearish pennant forming on the daily timeframe

• Moving Averages: Trading below the 50-day and 100-day EMAs

• Key Resistance: $70,000–$72,000 (multiple rejections)

• Recent High: $68,561 (failed to hold momentum)

• Institutional Flows: ~$500M+ outflows

• Futures OI: Contracted to ~$40B → signals deleveraging

📉 The broader structure remains a consolidation inside a macro downtrend.

Invalidation Level for Bears: A strong daily close above $72,000.

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🔱 THE NEXT MOVE 🔱

🩸 Bearish Scenario — “The Flush”

• Breakdown below $65,000 likely triggers acceleration.

• Immediate downside target: $60,000 psychological level.

• If $60K fails → next major demand: $56,000–$58,000.

⚠️ Relief Rally Scenario — “The Trap”

• Bulls must reclaim $71,000 and hold it as support.

• Any low-volume spike into $70K risks being a liquidity grab.

• Without strong volume confirmation, upside moves may fade quickly.

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🧊 Bottom Line

Bitcoin remains in a fragile structure.

The $66,000 pivot is critical — failure to hold confirms continued bearish control in the 2026 cycle.

High risk environment. Manage exposure accordingly.