Bitcoin remains firm above $100K amid altcoin pullback, with analysts anticipating a strong crypto rally this summer.

Bitcoin rebounded above $103,000 on Thursday after briefly dipping below the $100,000 mark earlier in the day, marking a pause in the recent surge that pushed prices near all-time highs.

After weeks of sustained gains, traders took profits amid a mixed backdrop of U.S. economic data. Retail sales for April came in below expectations, producer prices rose less than forecasted, and jobless claims remained steady. Meanwhile, the NY Empire State and Philadelphia Fed manufacturing surveys indicated a slowdown in business activity. Despite this, U.S. equities showed resilience, with the S&P 500 rising 0.4% and the Nasdaq holding steady.

Bitcoin’s price retraced to around $101,000 during early trading hours before climbing back above $103,000. Over the past 24 hours, the cryptocurrency recorded a slight decline.

Altcoins experienced heavier losses. The CoinDesk 20 Index fell 3%, with tokens such as Aptos (APT), Avalanche (AVAX), and Uniswap (UNI) sliding between 6% and 7%.

Experts view this retracement as a healthy market correction rather than the start of a downward trend.

Ruslan Lienkha, head of markets at YouHodler, commented that the pullback reflects profit-taking after recent advances, influenced by easing momentum in equities following the U.S.-China tariff delay.

Kirill Kretov from CoinPanel explained that moves under 5% typically represent market noise intensified by low liquidity, where traders secure gains after strong rallies.

From a broader perspective, no signs point toward a market peak.

Vetle Lunde, senior analyst at K33 Research, highlighted that Bitcoin’s recent funding rates show cautious positioning among traders, resembling past periods of risk aversion rather than speculative excess.

“This cautious stance supports the view that Bitcoin may continue its upward trajectory without overheating,” Lunde noted.

Steno Research attributed the current crypto rally to a quieter but powerful driver: private credit growth in Western economies, rather than central bank liquidity injections which powered previous bull markets.

Samuel Shiffman of Steno Research emphasized that, while China’s liquidity moves have been in focus, the real catalyst lies in expanding credit from U.S. and European banks.

Looking ahead, improved global financial conditions—boosted by a weakening U.S. dollar—are expected to support Bitcoin prices through early summer.

“We anticipate favorable market dynamics to last until early July, but conditions may become more uncertain from August onward,” Shiffman said.