Everyone is watching $ZEC, but could $XMR be preparing for a period of relative outperformance? The XMR/ZEC pairing has spent much of 2026 in a significant downtrend, with Monero consistently losing ground against Zcash. However, two interesting technical developments are beginning to emerge: Firstly, the pairing is attempting to break above a descending trendline that has capped price since March. Secondly, following a breakdown below the major 0.50 support level, XMR/ZEC has recovered strongly from its lows and is now attempting to reclaim that same level. Could it be a bullish range deviation? A sustained reclaim of 0.50–0.51 would strengthen that possibility and suggest a shift in relative momentum. The EMA's have also started turning higher, providing another early indication of improving momentum. With so much attention focused on ZEC, it's worth asking whether Monero could be approaching a period of relative strength. Is the XMR/ZEC trend finally beginning to turn?

The S&P 500 opens the week green, despite geopolitical tensions, inflation fears and uncertainty surrounding FOMC. Will that give crypto the short term boost it needs to prevent a breakdown of $80k?

Don't let a few green candles sway your thinking. Zoom out. What is the $BTC 4H chart actually telling us? A clear downtrend, with price continuing to print lower highs and lower lows. Bitcoin has failed to meaningfully reclaim the $80–81K support zone. Instead, the recent bounce looks more like a retest of former support, potentially confirming it as resistance. Meanwhile, the Trend Worm continues to slope downwards and act as dynamic resistance overhead. Until buyers can reclaim these levels and break the sequence of lower highs, there's little reason to change the short-term bearish bias. A sustained reclaim of $82K would be the first meaningful sign that the structure is shifting. Keep it simple. Expect further downside until price gives us a reason to think otherwise.

Before you take another $BTC trade this week, look at the weekly chart 🚨 Bitcoin has failed to sustain its weekly breakout above $82K, followed by two consecutive bearish weekly closes back inside the range. The next major support levels to watch are $76.5K, $74K and $72.5K. Meanwhile, the weekly Stochastic RSI is showing signs of fading momentum, with a bearish cross. Given the current structure, it makes more sense to maintain a short-term bearish bias until price gives us a reason to reconsider. For bulls, that starts with a sustained reclaim of $82K, which would begin to challenge the bearish outlook. Until then, the weekly structure favours caution over optimism.

Bitcoin contunues to repeat 2023 price structure 📈 We've been tracking this fractal since August, and the similarities continue to show. Both periods saw BTC sweep the range lows, before an impulsive recovery carried price towards major resistance. Both then broke above that resistance, only to fail to sustain the breakout. Interestingly, the Trend Worm provided dynamic support throughout much of both recoveries, before price began losing that support as momentum weakened. Even the RSI tells a similar story, with declining momentum accompanying the deterioration in price structure. But there's one important difference, so far. In 2023, Bitcoin swept the previous swing lows before reversing sharply higher. In 2026, the equivalent lows around $74–75K remain unswept. With BTC momentum struggling, could another liquidity sweep be developing?