Price Predictions 3/17: BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL and More

Bitcoin price action kicked off the week with a surge straight into the $74,508 resistance wall — a level that will define whether this is a genuine trend reversal or just another bull trap. The move dragged major altcoins with it, and several are now pressing against their own overhead resistance zones. The charts across the top 10 cryptocurrencies look more constructive than they have in months. But this is exactly where things get tricky: every level mentioned below has sellers waiting behind it.

Macro Markets: SPX and DXY Set the Stage

Before anyone dives into BTC, the macro picture deserves attention. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) turned lower from its 20-day exponential moving average at 6,799 on Tuesday — not an encouraging sign for risk assets broadly. The index could slide to 6,550, a level that will say a lot about near-term sentiment. A sharp bounce from 6,550 keeps the index trading inside the 6,550 to 7,002 range. A clean break below it deepens the correction toward 6,350. A close above the moving averages would flip the script and signal the index might hold the upper end of that range.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) is moving in the opposite direction, which creates friction for crypto. It tagged the 100.54 resistance on Friday — a critical level to watch. The rising 20-day EMA at 98.76 and an RSI pushing toward overbought together suggest the path of least resistance for the dollar is still upward. A breakout above 100.54 targets 102 and then 103.54. A stronger dollar has historically pressured crypto risk appetite. If DXY can't hold above its moving averages on any pullback, the index could settle back into the 95.50 to 100.54 range for an extended period — which would relieve pressure on digital assets.

Is the Bitcoin Bull Market Back?

What does Bitcoin's $74,508 level mean for the bull market?

Bitcoin is the story of the week. After grinding higher for several sessions, BTC pushed to $74,508 on Monday — a resistance level that could complete a bullish ascending triangle pattern if bulls manage to close above it. A confirmed breakout above this level targets $84,000 and would suggest the broader downtrend from the cycle peak is over. That's a significant structural signal, not just a bounce.

The data backing the bulls is real. Crypto sentiment platform Santiment flagged that wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC have started accumulating — behavior that has historically preceded price rallies. Bitcoin ETF inflows posted five consecutive positive days last week, the first such streak in 2026. Bernstein's Monday research note added that corporate buyers — Strategy chief among them — have been steadily soaking up supply, which has made the current market structure more resilient during sell-offs than in previous cycles.

But Material Indicators cofounder Keith Alan didn't exactly pop champagne. His assessment: BTC is still in a bear market, and the $60,000 support zone could be retested before any durable bottom forms. The bears need to pull BTC below the 20-day EMA at $70,028 and then below the ascending triangle's support line to shift the advantage firmly back in their direction. Until that happens, the structure remains tentatively bullish — emphasis on tentatively.

Sustained inflows into BTC ETFs and steady corporate buying by companies such as Strategy have strengthened BTC's long-term holder base, contributing to a more stable market structure during periods of stress.

ETH and BNB: Breakouts That Need Follow-Through

Ethereum did something notable over the weekend — it broke out of the $1,750 to $2,111 consolidation range it had been trapped in for weeks. The moving averages are crossing bullishly and the RSI is back in positive territory, suggesting buyers have reasserted control. If ETH holds the 20-day EMA at $2,072 as support on any pullback, the next realistic targets are $2,600 and then $3,450. A weekly close above $2,111 would be the confirmation bulls need. A drop back below the 20-day EMA flips the tone and brings $1,916 back into focus — not a disaster, but a signal that the breakout lacked conviction.

BNB is in a slightly more precarious spot. It closed above the $670 resistance zone on Sunday but struggled to push convincingly higher in the days that followed. The 20-day EMA at $646 is the make-or-break support line. A bounce off that level with real volume could take BNB to $730 and then $790. Lose it, and BNB risks sliding back into the $570 to $670 chop zone that consumed the better part of the past several weeks. The setup is fine — but it needs follow-through, and so far that's been the missing ingredient.

XRP and Solana Price: High-Stakes Resistance Tests

XRP moved above the 50-day simple moving average at $1.46, which is a meaningful development. It shows buyers are defending higher levels rather than simply fading rallies. The next major target is the $1.61 breakdown level, a zone that previously served as support and will likely attract heavy selling on the first test. If XRP can hold the 20-day EMA at $1.41 on any pullback, the broader structure remains bullish and a push to the descending channel's upper boundary becomes probable. A rejection from the overhead resistance followed by a break below the 20-day EMA signals that sellers are still in control and the pair remains rangebound.

Solana is arguably the more interesting chart in the group right now. SOL has reached the $95 breakdown level — the exact price zone where it cracked lower earlier this year, making it a magnet for sellers with inventory to offload. Punch through $95 cleanly and the path to $117 opens up. Clear $117 with buyers still engaged, and $147 becomes a real conversation. The Solana price setup is high-stakes either way — a rejection here that drags SOL below the 20-day EMA at $87 would trap recent buyers and push the range back to $76–$95 for a potentially extended stay.

DOGE, ADA and HYPE: Altcoin Signals Worth Watching

Dogecoin crossed the 50-day SMA at $0.10 — a signal that bearish momentum is at least stalling. The $0.12 breakdown level is where things get interesting; sellers who got caught on the wrong side will be looking to exit near there. A clean close above $0.12 opens the door to $0.16, a level expected to act as stiff resistance. A rejection at $0.12 sets up a new range between $0.09 and $0.12 in the near term. Not thrilling, but not broken either.

Cardano pushed above the 50-day SMA at $0.28 and is now probing the descending trendline — the most significant resistance in its current structure. If ADA bulls can break through, the near-term targets are $0.37 and then $0.44. A rejection at the trendline followed by a move below the moving averages would keep ADA trapped in its descending channel. Given the broader market attempting a recovery, a failure here for ADA would be a notably weak signal.

Hyperliquid (HYPE) had the most interesting weekend session of the group. Sellers made a concerted run at pulling it back below the $36.77 breakout level on Sunday and failed — the bulls held the line. That's a constructive sign, suggesting the $36.77 level is transitioning from resistance to support. If that holds, HYPE could push to $43 and then $50. The first real danger is a clean break below the 50-day SMA at $31.56, which would signal the breakout above $36.77 was rejected and put $29 back in play.

Wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 BTC have started accumulating, which in the past was a bullish sign.

What Does This Mean for Crypto Traders This Week?

The honest read here is that the market is at a genuine inflection point — and that phrase gets thrown around constantly, but this time the chart evidence backs it up. Bitcoin price sitting at a multi-week resistance level while ETH breaks out of consolidation, XRP holds above its 50-day, and SOL tests its breakdown level — that's not noise. That's a coordinated attempt by buyers to reclaim lost territory across multiple assets simultaneously.

The counterargument is equally valid. Every level described above is resistance for a reason. Keith Alan's bear case isn't fringe thinking — it's based on structure. A BTC rejection at $74,508 followed by a close below the 20-day EMA at $70,028 would change the narrative overnight, potentially sending BTC down toward $60,000 and pulling altcoins back to their range lows. The altcoin breakouts in ETH, XRP, and DOGE don't mean much if BTC rolls over from here.

If you're positioned long through this stretch, the $70,028 BTC EMA is the line you're watching. Everything above that is a recovery. Everything below it reopens the bear market thesis that Keith Alan is running. The week's early price action will tell you which side actually has conviction — and this market has a habit of making that answer brutally clear.