Key points:

  • Bitcoin’s inability to surpass the $118,000 mark indicates significant selling pressure around that price.

  • Bitcoin ETFs have experienced continuous positive fund flows for six days, adding up to a substantial $2 billion.

  • A 30% increase in BTC held in strategic reserves and through ETFs during 2025 points to consistent demand from larger institutions.

Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have enjoyed a six-day streak of inflows. This surge has led analysts to speculate the digital currency’s value could jump to $118,000 ahead of anticipated announcements from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).

$118,000: A Critical Hurdle for Bitcoin

Bitcoin’s recent rebound, a 9% climb from its early September low of $107,270, met a roadblock near $118,000. This suggests significant selling interest defending that price point.

According to Michael van de Poppe, founder of MN Capital, Bitcoin is “consolidating nicely.” In a recent analysis posted on X, he identified $117,500 as a “crucial resistance” level.

“Clearing that level would put Bitcoin in a prime position for a potential new all-time high.”

BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Michael van de Poppe

As of Tuesday, Bitcoin was trading around $115,300. Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView indicated a tug-of-war between buyers and sellers, leaving the market direction unclear.

Many traders appear to be adopting a cautious stance, turning their attention to the minutes from the latest FOMC meeting and a speech scheduled by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday.

Bitcoin analyst AlphaBTC suggested the price could initially climb to $118,000, before a possible correction following the FOMC’s interest rate decision.

The BTC/USDT liquidation heatmap reveals a cluster of potential liquidations around the $118,000 level. This further solidifies the idea that it is a key point of resistance.

Traders should monitor this price closely. It could act as a magnet, attracting price action to trigger those liquidations before a possible reversal.

AlphaBTC commented on Tuesday that this area “looks really juicy from a liquidity point of view,” adding:

“I still expect we see a run to 118K sooner rather than later, BUT then we may see a further pull back post the Rate decision.”

Bitcoin liquidation heatmap. Source: CoinGlass

As reported by Cointelegraph, buyers need to push Bitcoin’s price above $117,500 to improve the chances of challenging the all-time high of $124,500.

ETF Inflows: A Positive Sign for Bitcoin’s Price

While Bitcoin’s traders are carefully analyzing its potential for recovery, consistent demand from Bitcoin-holding companies and spot Bitcoin ETFs could provide a boost.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs have enjoyed a strong run of inflows for six trading days in a row, starting with over $364 million on September 8th and continuing through the past Monday with an additional $260 million. In total, Bitcoin ETFs absorbed over $2 billion during that period.

Spot Bitcoin ETF flows table. Source: Farside Investors

Market analytics firm Glassnode noted on X that “US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw net inflows of ~5.9k BTC on Sept. 10, the largest daily inflow since mid-July.”

“This pushed weekly net flows positive, reflecting renewed ETF demand.”

According to data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET, collective holdings across strategic reserves and ETFs have increased by 30% in 2025, rising from 2.24 million BTC on January 1st to 2.88 million BTC as of Tuesday. This indicates a steady concentration of Bitcoin supply within major institutional and corporate hands.

BTC treasuries and ETF holdings reserve. Source: BitcoinTreasuries.NET

Additional data provided by CoinShares reveals Bitcoin dominated capital inflows into exchange-traded products (ETPs) last week. Bitcoin investment products attracted a combined $2.4 billion in inflows, demonstrating strong institutional investor enthusiasm for the digital asset.

This article should not be taken as investment advice. Trading and investing carries risk, and readers should perform thorough research before making any decisions.