Bitcoin hovers near $6,500, but will take months to repair technical damage, says chart expert

Major digital currency prices were mostly unchanged Monday to begin the week.

Bitcoin, the largest digital currency, which accounts for around 52% of the total share of digital currencies, remained stable, trading on either side of $6,500. In early Monday trading, bitcoin














BTCUSD, +0.17%












 fetched $6,570.30, up 0.1% since Sunday’s level at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the Kraken cryptocurrency exchange.

With the fourth-quarter under way, bitcoin bulls turned the calendar with renewed optimism based on seasonality patterns, but one technical expert says there is no quick-fix to pull cryptocurrencies out of their current bear markets.

“Given the technical damage that has developed in 2018, we expect most cryptocurrencies will likely require months of repair before a new bullish trend can develop,” wrote Rob Sluymer, technical analyst at Fundstrat Global Advisors, in a recent note to clients. “This is consistent with post-bear-market behavior that has developed in other asset classes following bear markets.”

Sluymer added that the first step in the right direction for bitcoin is the September high above $7,400, which is still 13% away from current levels.

Read: Bitcoin mining giant Bitmain says it booked $700 million first-half profit as it files for IPO

After a frantic week, altcoins slow out of the blocks

Altcoins, a catchall term for digital coins other than bitcoin, have begun the week on a quiet note, bucking recent trends that saw some coins trade in ranges of more than 30% over the past seven days. Bitcoin Cash














BCHUSD, +1.51%












is the best performing altcoin, trading at $534.30, up 2.1%, Ether














ETHUSD, -0.33%












was up 0.1% at $228.72, XRP














XRPUSD, -4.34%












was up 1.9% at 58 cents and Litecoin














LTCUSD, +0.02%












is trading at $60.91, up 1.1%.

Futures are underperforming spot markets in early Monday trading. The Cboe October contract














XBTV8, -1.18%












was down 1.1% at $6,565 and the CME Group October contract,














BTCV8, -1.50%












which is now the front contract was down 1.7% at $6,560.

Read: Ethereum technology could slice bitcoin’s market cap in half, says tech analyst

Providing critical information for the U.S. trading day. Subscribe to MarketWatch’s free Need to Know newsletter. Sign up here.