Alex Thorn, Galaxy Digital's head of firmwide research, expects Bitcoin to reach $250,000 by the end of 2027. He cautioned that 2026 is hard to forecast and said options markets currently assign equal odds of $50,000 or $250,000 by the end of next year, reflecting heightened near‑term uncertainty.

Wang Chun, co-founder of Bitcoin mining pool F2Pool, recounted a 2024 incident where he reportedly sent 500 BTC into a wallet he believed was compromised to test if it was under hacker surveillance, resulting in the loss of 490 BTC. He shared this story after a separate December 20 phishing case in which a user mistakenly transferred about 50 million USDT in an address poisoning attack and is now working with law enforcement to recover the funds. The Ethereum Community Foundation has urged wallets and explorers to stop truncating addresses with dots, arguing that this interface choice unnecessarily increases the risk of such scams.

On December 21, Bitcoin fell 0.21% over 24 hours and traded at $87,844. The hourly setup shows pressure near $87,576 support, with a possible move toward $87,000 next week if no rebound. Broader charts suggest low volume and likely consolidation in the $85,000–$95,000 range through month-end.

On 21 December 2025, Bitcoin was trading near $88,296 and on course to finish the year with a negative yearly candle. Long-term price records indicate the asset has never logged two consecutive red yearly closes, with past down years such as 2014, 2018, and 2022 each followed by recoveries. If this pattern persists, the current setback could again precede a rebound after 2025, although future performance remains uncertain.

Several major crypto research desks outlined sharply different Bitcoin projections for 2026, with targets ranging from a pullback toward $60K–$65K to a potential move toward $250K. Around $23 billion in BTC options expiring on 26 December and recent ETF outflows near $500 million could shape short‑term volatility around the $85K–$90K range.

After reaching the $120,000-$125,000 range in October 2025 and then dropping to the mid-$80,000s, Bitcoin is trading around $87,700 as traders eye profit-taking into January. Historical monthly data show January has often delivered positive returns for BTC, with notable gains in 2020, 2023 and 2025, even though some past years posted steep losses. The analysis suggests that if BTC enters January below its 2025 high and under the $90,000 mark, the greater risk could be exiting too late rather than too early.

On Sunday, Bitcoin hovered near $88,000 into the weekly close as traders positioned for volatility. Some analysts outlined a relief rally toward $98,000–$100,000 and even $150,000 targets, while others warned of a slide toward the $70,000–$72,000 zone amid rising Binance inflows and a technical break below $90,000.

Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan anticipates Bitcoin will set new all-time highs in 2026, even as the current market appears bearish. He argues that the traditional four-year cycle is weakening, while institutional adoption, lower volatility, and reduced correlation with equities are reshaping BTC's market profile.