Litecoin (LTC) has fallen back to a low of $140 after touching its highest price in over a year at $174
The price of Litecoin climbed to a new 52-week high near $174 during the first Asian trading session today. This upward move briefly allowed Litecoin to overtake Ripple (XRP) as the largest public blockchain project by market capitalization.
However, LTC/USD’s run toward its yearly highs stalled, and the pullback occurred as Bitcoin (BTC) retreated from highs near $34,800.
Bitcoin price action is currently testing support around $30,500 amid profit-taking. Litecoin is facing heightened selling pressure as bears appear ready to exploit any exhaustion among bulls to push the price lower.
At the time of writing, Litecoin trades around $150, up roughly 5% on the day and nearly 14% on the week. Despite those gains, LTC/USD remains about 59% below its all-time high, a stark contrast with Bitcoin, which has repeatedly set new records since surpassing $20,000.
While Litecoin could still reach the psychological $200 level, the current outlook points toward a downward move or an extended consolidation phase.
Litecoin Price Outlook
LTC/USD 4-hour chart. Source: TradingView
Litecoin has traded largely sideways in recent weeks, though the cryptocurrency showed renewed momentum over the Christmas and New Year period.
A breakout from the narrow channel that had capped prices around $120–$135 allowed bulls to push above $150 and test resistance at $174.
That upward momentum appears to have weakened in the past hours, with prices dropping sharply to a floor near $140. Bulls are battling sellers around $147 at the time of reporting. The 4-hour chart suggests LTC/USD could fall toward the 50-period simple moving average (50-SMA) if bears break the $140 support level.
The MACD remains in bullish territory but indicates waning bullish interest. A similar bearish signal comes from the RSI, which is sliding toward the midpoint. If these technical indicators continue on their current trajectory, LTC/USD could find support around $125.
LTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: TradingView
On the hourly chart, price remains above the 100-period simple moving average (100-SMA) near $136, but a sequence of lower highs and lower lows suggests the bullish trend may be breaking down. The hourly MACD has formed a bearish crossover and the RSI has dropped below the midpoint.
Further confirmation of these bearish signals would point to additional downside. In that scenario, Litecoin’s value against the US dollar could slide toward the critical $100 level.