Bitcoin Price Analysis: Analysts Doubt BTC Will Reclaim $90,000 This Year
Bitcoin’s (BTC) price action remains sluggish as it trades between $86,000 and $90,000. The flagship cryptocurrency briefly crossed $89,000 on Friday, reaching an intraday high of $89,496 before settling at $87,296.
The price recovered on Saturday before dropping marginally on Sunday, trading around $87,639.
Meanwhile, spot Bitcoin ETFs continued their five-day outflow streak, recording $83 million in net outflows on Boxing Day, losing over $750 million.
Google Search Volume For Crypto Plummets
Google search volume for the word “crypto” has plunged to a one-year low in the US as 2025 draws to a close. Google’s search volume scale ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the highest level of search volume. Search volume for “crypto” dropped to 26 on Monday, two points above the global 1-year low of 24. Search volumes had plunged back in April following the crypto market crash after President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on important trading partners, plunging the economy into disarray. Mario Nawfal stated on X,
There is close to no retail interest in crypto right now. Do we need to start pumping the dino coins again to get retail to come back? After the Trump-Melania memecoin drama, it seems that retail lost a lot of faith in the space. None of my normie friends or family ask me anything about crypto anymore.
Low search volume is an indicator of waning retail investor sentiment as the crypto market struggles to recover from the effects of October’s flash crash. The flash crash caused nearly $20 billion in leveraged liquidations and pushed Bitcoin from an all-time high to $80,000. The flagship cryptocurrency has struggled to regain momentum since and has traded between $80,000 and $90,000.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Record Substantial Outflows
Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded over $83 million in net outflows on December 26, extending their five-day outflow streak. Fidelity’s FBTC saw the biggest outflows with $74.38 billion, while Grayscale’s GBTC saw almost $9 million in redemptions. The remaining Bitcoin ETFs did not register any activity. As a result, total assets under management dropped to $113 billion, while cumulative total net inflows remained at $56 billion.
The current outflow streak began on December 18 with $161.32 million in outflows. Outflows continued on December 19 with $158.25 million before markets took a break for the weekend. Outflows resumed on Monday, December 22, with spot Bitcoin ETFs recording $142 million in redemptions, followed by $188 million on December 23 and $175 million on December 24. There was no post-Christmas cheer, as outflows resumed on December 26, with spot Bitcoin ETFs recording $83.27 million in outflows. The five-day outflow streak has seen over $750 million in net redemptions.
Bitcoin (BTC) Will See Strong Returns Over The Next Decade
Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan believes Bitcoin could see steady returns over the next decade, but is unlikely to post exceptionally large year-on-year gains. Hougan stated during an interview,
I think we’re in a 10-year grind upward of strong returns. It’s not spectacular returns, [but] strong returns, lower volatility, some up and down.
Hougan also doubled down on his prediction that 2026 will be a positive year for the flagship cryptocurrency, stating,
I think next year will be up.
Meanwhile, ReserveOne chief investment officer Sebastian Beau stated that Bitcoin’s four-year cycle may still be in play. Traders and market experts are divided about whether the cycle is still relevant, largely due to the timing of Bitcoin’s October rally mirroring previous cycle peaks. This has fueled speculation about a potential downturn in 2026. Beau stated,
All-time highs were 125,000, which was in early October; we are bordering on $87,000 today, down 30% relatively quickly, pretty painful.
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Analysis
Bitcoin (BTC) traders are worried institutional interest is fading as demand for Bitcoin futures dwindles. The flagship cryptocurrency faced another rejection after briefly crossing $89,000. The move surprised traders and led to the liquidation of over $260 million in leveraged Bitcoin futures positions. The Bitcoin futures open interest fell to an eight-month low of $42 million, indicating a leverage flush and not bearish bets.
While Bitcoin struggled, gold and silver surged to record highs as investors sought safety amid rising US debt levels. Demand for government-backed debt has surged, driving yields on the 10-year US Treasury to a three-week low.
However, some analysts believe Bitcoin’s current price structure indicates compression, not a collapse. Looking at the four-hour chart, it is evident that Bitcoin has been stuck in a descending channel, forming higher lows, indicating that buyers and sellers are canceling each other out for the moment. Analysts believe Bitcoin remains bullish as momentum indicators suggest a pause rather than a full-blown crash.
BTC started the previous week in bearish territory, dropping 1.99% to $86,417. However, it recovered on Tuesday, rising 1.66% to reclaim $87,000 and settle at $87,854. The price reached an intraday high of $90,336 on Wednesday but lost momentum after reaching this level and settled at $86,209. Bitcoin bulls made another attempt to breach the $90,000 ceiling as the flagship cryptocurrency reached an intraday high of $89,447. However, selling pressure at upper levels forced BTC into a retreat as it settled at $85,460, down almost 1%. Despite the overwhelming selling pressure, BTC recovered on Friday, rising over 3% to $88,092.
Source: TradingView
Price action remained positive over the weekend as BTC registered marginal increases on Saturday and Sunday, settling at $88,639. The flagship cryptocurrency reached an intraday high of $90,541 on Monday. However, it lost momentum after reaching this level and settled at $88,556, ultimately registering a marginal decline. Selling pressure persisted on Tuesday as the price fell by over 1% to $87,429. BTC registered a marginal increase on Wednesday but lost momentum on Thursday, dropping 0.50% to $87,171. The flagship cryptocurrency briefly crossed $89,000 on Friday, reaching an intraday high of $89,496 before settling at $87,296. Buyers retained control on Saturday as the price rose 0.59% to $87,808. BTC is marginally down during the ongoing session, trading around $87,616.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.