TAO Falls 8% After $180 Rejection — Will $165 Support Hold or Break Toward $160?

• TAO rejected the $180 S/R flip zone, triggering an 8% decline on the 4-hour chart.

• The token trades at $168.07, down 5.5% in 24 hours, holding just above $165.45 support.

• A break below $165.45 exposes $160, while recovery targets $175–$178.82 resistance.

Bittensor’s TAO token extended its short-term decline after rejecting a key resistance zone highlighted on the four-hour chart. TAO/USDT is trading at the price of $168.07, which represents a decline by 5.5 percent in the last 24 hours.

The two are also exchanging at 0.002562 BTC which gains 2.1 percent compared to Bitcoin. The latest price movement depicts that there was a decisive rejection of the price at the support-turned-resistance zone of $180 then an 8 per cent fall at 180. It is important to note that the chart structure coincides with an S/R flip area which serves as a technical pivot.

$180 S/R Flip Triggers 8% Decline

The four-hour chart shows TAO climbing toward the $180 region before facing repeated selling pressure. Price attempted to reclaim that level but failed to secure a sustained close above it. Consequently, sellers regained control near the marked S/R flip zone.

Long upper wicks near $180 indicate rejection at resistance. Shortly after, momentum shifted downward as consecutive bearish candles formed. The pair then dropped toward the $170 area, completing an 8% move from the highlighted short zone.

$TAO S/R Flip Played Out 📉

We highlighted the $180 S/R flip zone as a short area — price has now dropped 8% since that call.

Clean rejection from resistance, momentum followed through.

Expecting it to go down further to $160 area 👀 pic.twitter.com/FEYiNv9Cao

— CryptoPulse (@CryptoPulse_CRU) February 23, 2026

This rejection established $178.82 as the immediate resistance level. In the meantime, the 24-hour range is an affirmation of pressure in a shrinking band between the resistance of $178.82 and support of $165.45.

Current Price Structure and Key Levels

TAO is trading at $168.07, which is slightly above its level of $165.45 support. Nevertheless, the price short-term dropped to the $167 mark during the recent sell-off. In the chart, the highs and the lows on the four-hour time scale are falling.

This trend indicates long term weaknesses. Also, the failure to recapture the lost $180 keeps the sellers busy around the point of resistance. This negative momentum is enhanced by the 24-hour loss of 5.5%.

The new defensive line has been established at $165.45. When the price comes back to this point, the traders will be looking at how the buyers take in the selling pressure.

Intraday Scenarios: $160 Test or $175 Rebound

In case TAO starts falling below the $165.45 mark, the price can spread to the 160 region indicated on the chart. The estimated downside objective coincides with the latest bearish continuation trend. A move toward $160 would maintain the existing lower-high structure.

However, if buyers defend $165.45 and push price higher, TAO could retest $175 intraday. A stronger recovery would then challenge $178.82 resistance again.

The bearish case today puts TAO within the range of $160 and 165. Bullish scenario, on the other hand, lies between $172 and 175 in case it is supported.