Bitcoin Price Prediction: Expert Predicts BTC at $96K as Futures OI Jumps 13%

Key Insights:

• Bitcoin price prediction to soar to $96,000 says top analyst.
• Derivatives data shows Bitcoin futures open interest is up by 13%.
• Analysts said the jump points to improving risk appetite as confidence returns.

A leading crypto analyst revealed in a Bitcoin price prediction that the crypto recently dipped into a well-watched rising trendline and grabbed liquidity, but buyers stepped in fast.

The price of BTC USD pushed lower briefly, then snapped back above the intraday low, keeping the market’s pattern of higher lows alive.

As long as that trendline holds, the move looks more like a normal pullback from the inflection point than real weakness. Hence, a rebound could carry the largest cryptocurrency back toward the $94.5K–$96K resistance zone.

However, the tone of the market could easily turn bearish if the digital asset loses support.

At the same time, activity in the derivatives market picked up again following heavy deleveraging in the fourth quarter of 2025. Bitcoin futures open interest started soaring in January.

Futures OI is up nearly 13% since the start of the year, a shift which the experts claim points to a slow return of risk appetite.

Expert Reveals Bitcoin Price Prediction of $96,000

Bitcoin price is starting to shape up like a bounce setup, and the chart is giving traders a clear line in the sand.

As per crypto analyst Crypto Busy, Bitcoin USD price was hovering around $92,600 when a quick dip swept nearby liquidity and tagged a rising trendline that buyers have defended multiple times.

That area carries weight as a crucial inflection point for Bitcoin price action, because it overlaps with a previous demand zone where bids showed up in size.

What stands out is the quick pace at which the market snapped back. Sellers pushed the price lower, but the move didn’t stick, and BTC USD reclaimed the intraday low soon after.

When that kind of rejection shows up, it usually signals that buyers are still willing to step in and absorb pressure

So far, the structure is still constructive during press time. The market continues to print higher lows on the local timeframe.

On the 1-day chart on TradingView, Bitcoin USD price action looks calmer and more controlled. It resembles base-building more than a full reversal, but at least the market is no longer in free fall.

The indicators look better, but they’re not shouting breakout. RSI is around 52, which is basically neutral. It means momentum isn’t weak, but it’s not strong either. MACD is also starting to turn up again, which suggests buyers are slowly coming back.

Still, this setup falls apart quickly if $91,000 gives way for BTC USD price. However, the Bitcoin price prediction would turn bearish if it loses the $90,000 support level ahead.

At that point, the market likely reopens the door to $88,000 and potentially the mid-$80,000s.

Bitcoin (BTC) Futures Open Interest Rebounds 13%

According to derivatives data aggregator CoinGlass, Bitcoin futures open interest climbed nearly 13% since the start of the year. It indicates that more traders are stepping back into the derivatives market.

Analysts said the jump points to improving risk appetite as confidence returns. This rebound comes after a brutal reset late last year.

From October through December, the market went through heavy deleveraging, with traders cutting exposure as Bitcoin slid during a wider correction. Now, with leverage rebuilding, futures activity is starting to look alive again.

Bitcoin futures open interest shrank sharply over the last three months, dropping 17.5% from 381,000 BTC to 314,000 BTC.

The decline followed a steep pullback in Bitcoin USD price of about 36% from early October. CryptoQuant analyst Darkfost said the move looked like a clear risk-off phase, as traders reduced exposure and unwound leveraged bets.

However, that deleveraging wave may be easing. Darkfost said a rebound in open interest now appears to be taking shape. CoinGlass data showed that BTC USD futures OI rising from an eight-month low near $54 billion on Jan. 1 to above $61 billion by Jan. 19.

The recovery also had a stronger burst in the middle of the month. Open interest climbed to about $66 billion on Jan. 15. That was the highest level in roughly eight weeks, before it eased a bit.

Even so, the bigger picture looks positive. Darkfost said open interest is rising gradually, which suggests traders are coming back and taking on more risk.