Bitcoin Falls Below $80,000, Will Tomorrow's CLARITY Act Review Be the Key to a Rebound?

▲ Bitcoin (BTC), decline, bear market / ChatGPT generated image ©

As Bitcoin (BTC) repeatedly failed to break through the $82,200 resistance and fell below the psychological support level of $80,000, the cautious stance of U.S. investors and profit-taking sales have emerged as key variables that will determine the short-term direction of the market.

According to cryptocurrency media outlet Finbold on May 13 (local time), the price of Bitcoin (BTC) has fallen by approximately 3% over the past seven days and is currently trading around $79,340. Notably, on Wednesday alone, over $2,176 per coin evaporated, marking the lowest point in the past week. During this process, according to Coinglass data, over $91.5 million in liquidations occurred within 24 hours, with more than $77.5 million of this concentrated on long-position traders who had anticipated price increases, adding to the shock.

The primary cause of the price drop is attributed to selling pressure from U.S. investors, who have adopted a wait-and-see approach ahead of the CLARITY Act review scheduled for the 14th. According to CryptoQuant data, the 'Coinbase Premium Gap,' which indicates the price difference between U.S. Coinbase and global exchange Binance, has consistently been negative over the past 24 hours. This means that U.S. investors are selling even at prices lower than the global market rate, fully reflecting the cool sentiment in the local market.

Concerns about a potential flood of profit-taking sales also persist. According to CEX.io analysis, approximately 71% of Bitcoin's short-term holders are currently in profit, which is the highest level since October 2025. This analysis suggests that selling pressure could continue as these holders are increasingly likely to take profits whenever prices rebound. The fact that U.S. investors utilizing BlackRock's Bitcoin spot ETF (IBIT) and Ethereum spot ETF (ETHA) are leading the charge in locking in profits during the recent relief rally is also adding to the burden.

The fact that previous attempts to break through $82,200 were driven by leverage-based traders rather than actual demand is also cited as one of the technical reasons for this decline. With robust spot buying not supporting the market, prices crumbled weakly as selling pressure intensified. Experts are continually warning that if Bitcoin demand in the U.S. market does not recover in the future, further bearish trends could follow.

In conclusion, Bitcoin is facing a double challenge of legislative uncertainty and profit-taking sales. Although some positive signals are being detected across the virtual asset space, such as news that an international financial bank has confirmed XRP (Ripple) as a payment network, for Bitcoin to reclaim the $80,000 level, a recovery in demand from institutional and individual investors within the U.S. must be a prerequisite.

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