Bearish ‘Death Cross’ Price Patterns Loom for Both Bitcoin and US Stocks

Both bitcoin and the U.S. stock markets are staring at a “death cross” – a widely tracked, bearish chart indicator – having suffered sharp losses over the last five weeks.

For bitcoin (BTC), the pattern is arising as the 50-day moving average (MA) moves to cross below the 200-day MA, likely in the next day or two. If confirmed, it would be the first death cross since Oct. 26, 2019, according to Bitstamp data.

Meanwhile, similar crosses are forming on Wall Street equity indices, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S&P 500.

The death cross is a long-term bear market signal, according to technical analysis theory. Despite the scary name, it’s based on backward-looking moving average data and is the product of a recent notable price drop.

For example, the impending bitcoin death cross is preceded by the decline from $10,500 to $4,000 in the four weeks to March 13. The massive sell-off has caused the 50-day average to turn lower and drop to the 200-day average.