Currently, this sideways consolidation is essentially a breath during a decline, far from a reversal. Many people tend to mistake this technical pause for a bottom signal, but that's overthinking it.

Why is now not the bottom? Let's look at a few aspects.

**Trading volume is the most straightforward indicator.** A true bottom requires a clear increase in buying volume, but currently, trading volume continues to shrink. This only indicates that selling pressure has temporarily eased, with no active buying coming in. Such volume contraction during a downtrend usually signals further downside potential.

**Price structure has not been repaired.** The downward momentum starting around 3350 still dominates the market, and the 3100 level is just a technical support. To confirm a bottom, the price must at least break below and then hold above the key resistance at 3220. Currently, it can't even recover back above 3180, so talking about building a bottom is premature.

The market's true bottom typically requires two patterns: either a prolonged oscillation that erodes bullish confidence or a sharp decline that clears out leveraged longs. At present, this deadlock is likely to lead to another dip toward the 3050-3080 range.

**In terms of trading strategy, caution is still advised.** Don't try to catch the bottom on the left side. If you really want to add to long positions, wait for the price to break through the 3180-3200 zone with volume, and then pull back to test and hold above that level. Only then can it be considered a tentative right-side signal.

The current strategy is simple: once a rebound near 3170 shows signs of weakness, the downtrend is likely to continue. In a descending channel, every so-called "bottoming" pattern is often a trap—save your ammunition and wait until the price effectively tests the support strength.