Key takeaways:
Bitcoin’s inability to surpass $118,000 indicates significant resistance in this region.
Bitcoin ETFs experienced six consecutive days of inflows amounting to $2 billion.
BTC strategic reserves and ETF holdings increased by 30% in 2025, indicating sustained institutional interest.
Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have reported six straight days of inflows, leading traders to speculate that its price might reach $118,000 ahead of the FOMC.
Bitcoin’s “key resistance” at $118,000
Bitcoin’s 9% surge from its September 1 low of $107,270 halted around $118,000, indicating that sellers are firmly defending this level.
“Bitcoin is still showing solid consolidation,” noted MN Capital founder Michael van de Poppe in his recent analysis on X, highlighting that “key resistance” is at $117,500.
“If that breaks, we will enter a favorable zone for a potential new ATH.”
As of Tuesday, Bitcoin was trading at $115,300, lacking a clear directional trend as bulls and bears contended for dominance, according to data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView.
Traders seemed to adopt a wait-and-see strategy, turning their focus to the post-FOMC meeting minutes and Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming speech on Wednesday.
Bitcoin analyst AlphaBTC predicted the price could climb to $118,000 within the next 24 hours before potentially retreating following the FOMC rate decision.
📈#Bitcoin LTF game plan 📈
No change to my plan, I still believe that 118K level will be reached in the next 24-48hrs, then we’ll see how much conviction or selling pressure arises as the FOM Rate Decision is confirmed.
Can #Bitcoin maintain 115K after the decision? Or will it drop… https://t.co/7JleDfrKgR pic.twitter.com/x6d9EB9pTW
— AlphaBTC (@mark_cullen) September 16, 2025
The BTC/USDT liquidation heatmap indicated a significant number of liquidations around $118,000, implying it is a crucial resistance level.
Traders should monitor this area, as it may attract price movement to tap into this liquidity before experiencing a pullback.
This zone “looks very appealing from a liquidity perspective,” observed AlphaBTC on Tuesday, adding:
“I still anticipate a move to 118K sooner rather than later, BUT we may see a further pullback after the Rate decision.”
As reported by Cointelegraph, buyers need to elevate the BTC price above $117,500 to boost the likelihood of retesting the $124,500 all-time high.
Consistent spot ETF inflows bullish for BTC price
With Bitcoin traders evaluating the possibility of resuming their recovery, ongoing accumulation and purchases from Bitcoin treasury companies and spot BTC ETFs could offer supportive momentum.
Related: Strategy’s Bitcoin stash reaches $73B with 638,985 BTC in treasury
Spot Bitcoin ETFs have experienced robust inflows for six consecutive trading days, initially recording more than $364 million on September 8 and continuing with an additional $260 million through Monday. Overall, over $2 billion has entered Bitcoin ETFs during this timeframe.
“US spot Bitcoin ETFs achieved net inflows of approximately 5.9k BTC on September 10, marking the largest daily inflow since mid-July,” stated market intelligence firm Glassnode in a Monday X post, adding:
“This resulted in positive weekly net flows, indicating renewed ETF demand.”
Data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET demonstrated that the combined assets of strategic reserves and ETFs surged by 30% in 2025, jumping from 2.24 million to 2.88 million BTC as of Tuesday. This rise highlights a steady consolidation of BTC supply in the portfolios of major institutional and corporate entities.
Further data from CoinShares indicates that Bitcoin led capital inflows into exchange-traded products (ETPs) last week, with BTC investment products garnering a total of $2.4 billion in inflows, showcasing strong institutional investor demand for the asset.
This article does not provide investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading action carries risk, and readers should perform their own research before making decisions.
