Ki Young Ju: “Bitcoin likely to trade rangebound for now… dull market conditions may persist”

Bitcoin’s price may remain stuck in a range for the time being, with no clear direction, according to a new outlook. With capital inflows slowing, some investor attention is shifting back to traditional assets, the analysis said.

According to a Jan. 8 (local time) report by Cointelegraph, Ki Young Ju, CEO of CryptoQuant, said, “Funds that had been flowing into Bitcoin have now effectively dried up,” adding that “investor interest is moving back to traditional assets such as stocks and gold and silver.”

Ju said he sees a low likelihood that Bitcoin will shift into a sharp downturn as it has in the past. “This is different from previous cycles, when we saw a rapid collapse after the peak,” he said, adding that “over the next few months, a dull sideways market is likely to persist.” He therefore forecast that Bitcoin’s price could move within a limited range in the first quarter of 2026.

This view somewhat runs counter to Bitcoin’s historical seasonal pattern. Statistically, Bitcoin’s average return in January has been relatively mild at 3.81%, but in February and March it has posted average gains of 13.12% and 12.21%, respectively. Ju’s outlook suggests a trajectory may emerge that diverges from that historical pattern.

Market uncertainty is also reflected in sentiment gauges. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has been oscillating between the “Fear” and “Extreme Fear” zones since early November last year, and stood at 28 as of the day. This indicates that a wait-and-see stance among market participants remains strong.

Still, some indicators are sending mixed signals. According to the report, spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded net inflows of $925.30 million over the first three trading days of 2026.