Market Overview: Bitcoin/Tether (BTCUSDT) – 24-Hour Summary (2025-09-18)

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• BTC/USDT opened at $115,789.39, reached $117,800.00 (high), tested $114,720.81 (low), and closed near $117,063.40.
• Price surged on heavy volume in late ET, with 24-hour volume hitting 14,166 BTC and turnover exceeding $1.65B.
• A bullish break above $116,300 confirmed momentum, with RSI at ~65 suggesting moderate overbought conditions.
• Bollinger Bands widened sharply post-18:00 ET, signaling heightened volatility and consolidation at upper band.
• A morning reversal and late consolidation suggest short-term indecision but remain bullish on key resistances.

The 24-hour period for BTC/USDT, from 12:00 ET–1 on 2025-09-17 to 12:00 ET on 2025-09-18, opened at $115,789.39, touched a high of $117,800.00, and a low of $114,720.81, before closing at $117,063.40. Total volume reached 14,166 BTC, with a notional turnover of approximately $1.65B, reflecting strong on-chain activity during late ET trading hours.

Structure & Formations

Price formed a bullish flag pattern between $115,500 and $116,300 before breaking out to the upside. A key resistance was identified at $116,300, which was decisively taken out by 22:00 ET. A long lower shadow at the $114,720.81 low indicated rejection of a short-term bearish move. The $116,300–$116,500 area appears to be a critical support-turned-resistance zone.

Moving Averages

The 20-period and 50-period EMA on the 15-min chart both trended higher during the session, supporting the bullish bias. On the daily chart, the 50-EMA at $115,300 appears to be a key support level, with price closing comfortably above it.

MACD & RSI

MACD remained above the signal line, with a positive crossover reinforcing the bullish momentum. The 15-min RSI reached ~65 by 09:00 ET, suggesting moderate overbought conditions. However, price continued higher, indicating strong conviction.

Bollinger Bands

Volatility expanded sharply after 18:00 ET as the Bollinger Bands widened. Price traded near the upper band for most of the session, suggesting a bullish trend. A contraction near the $114,720.81 low followed by a reacceleration indicates a potential reversal pattern.

Volume & Turnover

Volume spiked sharply between 18:00 ET and 00:00 ET, with the largest bar occurring at 18:15 ET (1,341.84 BTC). Notional turnover rose in tandem with price, confirming strength in the move above $116,300. No divergence between price and volume was observed, reinforcing the bullish case.

Fibonacci Retracements

Fibonacci levels drawn from the swing low at $114,720.81 and the swing high at $117,800.00 identified key levels. The 61.8% retracement at ~$116,500 was tested multiple times during the session. Price may find support at the 38.2% retracement (~$116,150) if it pulls back.

Backtest Hypothesis

A potential backtest strategy for BTC/USDT could involve a long-bias system that enters on a close above the 50-EMA and exits on a close below the 20-EMA, with a stop-loss placed just below the prior 15-minute swing low. This approach could have captured the 18:00 ET breakout and held through the consolidation phase. The strategy’s viability would depend on its performance during similar high-volatility and high-volume conditions, as seen in the data provided.