$5,200: Bitcoin Buoyant as Price Sets New All-Time High

Bitcoin has hit a new all-time high today, with prices reaching $5,226 on the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index.

At press time, the bitcoin-U.S. dollar (BTC/USD) exchange rate is trading at $5,200 levels. Week-on-week, BTC is up 18.75 percent, while month-on-month it's up 23 percent. The new record broke a previous all-time high of $5,013 set in September.

All in all, it's a sharp reversal of trend given the cryptocurrency dropped to a low of $2,980 in mid-September on the news China had banned token sales and that local cryptocurrency exchanges would shut in the aftermath. However, in subsequent days, bitcoin's price quickly regained, reportedly due to a pick-up in trading volumes in Japan, South Korea and other markets.

Increased institutional interest seems to have played a role in boosting bitcoin prices.

For example, a rumored "bitcoin desk" at Goldman Sachs would certainly be a game changer for the nascent market. Still, it's just the latest sign professional traders are increasingly interested in the market.

Further, even while skeptics continue to call the bitcoin rally a bubble, the price action analysis indicates no serious trouble ahead for the cryptocurrency.

Weekly chart

The chart above shows that:

• Bitcoin is chipping away at $5,154 – resistance offered by 161.8 percent Fibonacci extension of the move from the April low – June high – July low.
• The RSI is overbought, although it's not a cause for concern, as the indicator is still well below the highs seen in August and June.

Daily Chart

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• A break above $5,154 would open doors for $5,378.56.
• A healthy technical pullback cannot be ruled out, given the overbought conditions. On the downside, the key support levels to watch out for are $5,000, $4,809, $4,500.

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