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Bitcoin price today is trading in a familiar end-of-year tug-of-war: buyers are trying to push BTC back above $89,000, while sellers and market structure keep the market pinned below the psychologically important $90,000 level.
As of the latest readings on Friday, December 26, 2025, Bitcoin was around $88,700–$89,200, up roughly 1%–2% on the day depending on venue, after moving between the high-$86,000s and the high-$89,000s intraday. [1]
That range-bound action is not happening in a vacuum. Today’s coverage converges on three forces shaping “Bitcoin price today” headlines: thin holiday liquidity, ongoing spot Bitcoin ETF outflows, and a major year-end options expiry that can mechanically compress price movement until contracts roll off. [2]
Bitcoin price today: the key numbers traders are watching
Bitcoin moves 24/7, but Friday’s tape still has clear reference points:
- Current price (spot): roughly $88.7K–$89.2K in the latest checks
- Intraday range: roughly $86.9K low to $89.4K high
- 24-hour high/low (broad market trackers): about $86,866–$89,459
- Market cap (approx.): about $1.77 trillion
- 24-hour volume (approx.): about $33 billion [3]
Several outlets reporting on December 26 echoed the same theme: Bitcoin is holding up, but it’s doing so in muted, choppy conditions typical of the last week of the year. [4]
Why Bitcoin is stuck below $90,000 today
A clean break above $90,000 would be an easy headline. The more interesting story is why that hasn’t happened (yet).
1) Holiday liquidity is thin — and thin markets behave weirdly
Across global markets, December 26 is a classic “half-the-world is away from the desk” session. Reuters’ broader markets reporting highlights thin trading conditions with several major markets closed or quieter than normal, which can make moves look sharper and conviction look weaker at the same time. [5]
That dynamic shows up directly in crypto coverage today. Investing.com described Bitcoin climbing back toward $89,000 but staying capped below $90,000 as year-end liquidity thins and traders keep positions tight. [6]
Even the Associated Press’ global market wrap noted light post-holiday volumes while citing Bitcoin rising to around $89,705 in early trading. [7]
In plain English: fewer active traders means less depth in the order book, and that often leads to range-bound price action punctuated by sudden wicks.
2) ETF flows are still a headwind into year-end positioning
Spot Bitcoin ETFs remain one of the biggest “real money” pipes for BTC exposure, and today’s reporting repeatedly points to outflows weighing on sentiment.
Investing.com specifically flagged “continued exchange-traded fund outflows” as a key reason investors stayed cautious even as Bitcoin bounced. [8]
For the most concrete data point available heading into today, Farside Investors’ ETF flow table shows that Dec. 24, 2025 (the last widely reported U.S. session ahead of the Christmas holiday) saw net outflows of roughly $175 million across spot Bitcoin ETFs, including redemptions in several major products. [9]
Because U.S. markets were closed on Dec. 25, the “freshest” ETF flow numbers can lag the live BTC price—one reason Bitcoin can drift sideways even while the market waits for the next ETF print.
3) A record-sized options expiry can “pin” price until it’s over
Today’s December 26 coverage heavily emphasizes derivatives—specifically a large year-end options expiry that traders expect could amplify volatility once it clears.
The Economic Times reported that around $28 billion in crypto options (including roughly $23.7 billion in Bitcoin options) are set to expire, and described the common market-maker hedging dynamic that can keep BTC moving sideways near key levels ahead of expiry. [10]
Moneycontrol reported similar figures and quoted market commentary suggesting BTC may remain range-bound until the expiry passes, with support near $87,000 and resistance near $89,000–$90,000 highlighted as near-term guideposts. [11]
This matters because options markets don’t just predict volatility—they can create it. When dealers hedge large options positions, their hedging flows can dampen price movement inside a band; when those positions expire, that dampening effect can fade quickly.
BusinessToday (Malaysia) also pointed to a “record Boxing Day options expiry” as a potential volatility catalyst later today, reinforcing how widely that narrative is being watched across outlets. [12]
The macro backdrop: rate-cut expectations, a softer dollar, and a “real gold” rally
Bitcoin doesn’t trade in isolation from macro sentiment—especially in late 2025, when many desks increasingly treat BTC as a high-beta liquidity proxy.
Economic Times explicitly framed crypto as intertwined with monetary policy, currency markets, and liquidity expectations, arguing that short-term moves can be driven more by liquidity expectations than by slow-moving “fundamental” adoption stories. [13]
Meanwhile, traditional markets offered an eye-catching contrast today: precious metals surged again, with Reuters highlighting record highs in silver and gold amid expectations for further U.S. rate cuts, a weaker dollar, and thin year-end liquidity. [14]
That matters for the Bitcoin narrative because BTC is still often described as “digital gold.” On days when gold is ripping and Bitcoin is stuck in a narrow range, it can shift investor attention—especially in the final week of the year when portfolios get rebalanced and risk is managed tightly.
How far is Bitcoin from its 2025 peak?
Bitcoin’s December consolidation looks calmer when you zoom out—and more frustrating if you bought the top.
Major price trackers put Bitcoin’s all-time high around Oct. 6, 2025, near $126,000, leaving BTC roughly ~30% below that peak as of Dec. 26. [15]
That drawdown context is part of why $90,000 has become such a psychological line: it’s a round number, it’s been repeatedly tested, and reclaiming it would signal (at least technically) that buyers are regaining control after the post-October cool-down.
What’s happening in the rest of crypto today?
Bitcoin rarely moves alone. Today’s reporting broadly describes an altcoin market that’s mixed and mostly range-bound.
Investing.com noted Ethereum holding near (but under) $3,000 and described major tokens trading without strong conviction—another sign of holiday tape. [16]
Economic Times and Moneycontrol similarly showed small, mixed moves across majors like ETH, SOL, XRP and others, consistent with a market waiting on the options expiry and the next clean liquidity impulse. [17]
What happens next: the scenarios traders are focused on
No one gets a crystal ball (the universe hates spoilers), but today’s news coverage clusters around a few practical “next steps” for Bitcoin price action:
If BTC breaks and holds above $90,000:
That would be a psychological win and could force short-term positioning to reset, especially if it happens after the options expiry pressure lifts and if ETF flows stabilize or improve. [18]
If BTC loses the mid-to-high $87,000s:
Several reports point to the $87,000 area as a key support zone during the current holiday range. A decisive break below could trigger stop-loss selling in thin conditions, where slippage can be harsher than traders expect. [19]
If BTC stays stuck between ~$87K and ~$90K:
That’s basically the “base case” described across multiple December 26 reports: price remains pinned until (1) options expiry passes, (2) liquidity returns after the holidays, and (3) the ETF flow tape gives a clearer signal. [20]
Bottom line on Bitcoin price today
Bitcoin price today (Dec. 26, 2025) is telling a classic year-end story: BTC is resilient near $89,000, but it’s also boxed in by thin liquidity, a cautious institutional flow backdrop, and a massive derivatives event that can compress price action until it clears. [21]
The next meaningful move may have less to do with a sudden change in Bitcoin’s long-term narrative—and more to do with something far less romantic but extremely real: when liquidity comes back and hedges come off.
References
1. coinmarketcap.com, 2. www.investing.com, 3. coinmarketcap.com, 4. m.economictimes.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.investing.com, 7. apnews.com, 8. www.investing.com, 9. farside.co.uk, 10. m.economictimes.com, 11. www.moneycontrol.com, 12. www.businesstoday.com.my, 13. m.economictimes.com, 14. www.reuters.com, 15. coinmarketcap.com, 16. www.investing.com, 17. m.economictimes.com, 18. www.investing.com, 19. www.moneycontrol.com, 20. m.economictimes.com, 21. www.investing.com