On Dec. 26, 2024, Bitcoin closed at about $95,714. On Dec. 26, 2025, it traded near $88,500; at 10:24 am UTC the price was $88,694.67, up 1.51% over 24 hours with a market capitalization of $1.77 trillion and 24 hour volume of $33.4 billion, according to the article. The year end pattern suggests sentiment cooled from 2024 despite support from ETF flows.

On December 26, 2025, analyst James Van Straten said Bitcoin has limited structural support between $70,000 and $80,000. Citing five years of CME futures and Glassnode on chain data, he noted only 28 CME sessions in $70,000–$79,999 and fewer than 50 in $80,000–$89,999, with BTC around $88,500.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has flagged a potential AI sector correction in 2026 as a major risk for Bitcoin, warning that a downturn in debt-fueled equity markets could spill over into crypto. Several analysts expect BTC’s decline to be milder than previous bear markets, with projections ranging from $60,000–$65,000 to a possible floor near the $71,000–$75,000 production cost band.

According to analysis by Axel Adler Jr., the Bitcoin network is currently experiencing sustained capital outflows, with the 7-day net flow average stuck at −$160M despite some positive daily readings around December 20–25. Elevated supply activity over the last 180 days, combined with predominantly loss-making sales, keeps the market in a risk-off regime until the 7-day moving average of net flows recovers to at least zero.

In Lugano, Switzerland, a 2022 partnership between the city and Tether has turned Bitcoin and USDT into daily payment options for everything from fast food to municipal taxes. By October 2025, the Plan ₿ initiative had equipped hundreds of merchants with Lightning-enabled terminals, integrated tax and fee payments via QR codes, and attracted over 110 crypto startups and 4,000 forum attendees. The city converts incoming crypto instantly to Swiss francs via Bitcoin Suisse, while a CHF-pegged LVGA loyalty token offers up to 10% cashback and can be used for public services. Local critics, however, warn about custodial risks and note that many residents still see Bitcoin more as an investment than a currency.

On 26 December 2025, Strategy CEO Phong Le said Bitcoin’s underlying setup improved throughout 2025 despite a retreat from autumn highs. He emphasized the firm’s quantitative approach, noted a widening discount between Strategy’s equity value and its reserves of over 670,000 BTC, and pointed to more constructive signals from regulators and banks heading into 2026.

In late 2025, on-chain data indicated that Bitcoin holders with 100–1,000 BTC sharply increased their balances, while BTC’s price moved sideways between $85,000 and $92,000 after dropping from above $110,000. Over the same six-month span, gold gained about 38% and silver roughly 107%, contrasting with Bitcoin’s 17% decline despite its market capitalization remaining near $1.8 trillion.

On Dec 24, according to TradingView, a brief plunge on Binance drove BTC from an $87k open to $24k before rebounding, stirring "manipulation" debate. Despite a 0.82% market dip wiping nearly $30 billion, Bitcoin posted a 2.20% intraday gain toward the $90k "FOMO" zone, with $85k acting as support.