From Dec. 15 to Dec. 31, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $1.29 billion in net outflows, translating to about 14,500 BTC in selling pressure at a Bitcoin price near $89,000. Flows data show heavy redemptions spread across the complex, with IBIT making up nearly half of the net outflow, while just two sessions of strong inflows failed to offset several sharp withdrawal days amid thin year-end liquidity and macro uncertainty. The pattern has fueled debate over whether these ETFs function as long-term allocation vehicles or short-term trading tools as markets move into early 2026.

In late November, Coinbase’s large internal wallet migration distorted Bitcoin long-term holder metrics, making routine fund shuffling appear like renewed selling pressure. After adjusting for this effect, on-chain data suggests long-term holders are only modestly reducing sales, while ETFs and recent U.S. Federal Reserve moves continue to shape short-term market direction. Analysts outline multiple scenarios from stabilization to renewed distribution, emphasizing that any shift back to steady accumulation would likely take time to confirm.

An on-chain wallet known as "BitcoinOG" or "1011short" has shifted from its previously reported $197 million Bitcoin short on Hyperliquid to building a leveraged long portfolio across Solana, Ethereum and Bitcoin. Hypurrscan data shows the address opened 850 SOL perpetual longs within one hour on Dec. 25 around $123, funded by a net USDC inflow of roughly $291.5 million in December. The position now hinges on how funding costs and cross-asset correlations evolve, with scenarios ranging from a risk-on continuation to a correlation-driven drawdown.

According to CoinGlass order-book pressure data, Bitcoin has been constrained by dense sell-side liquidity while layered bids cushion dips. Since mid-November, price action has hovered in the high $80,000s as rallies meet resistance and pullbacks find support. Liquidity flashes near spot point to a controlled range marked by rapid order shifts rather than decisive trend.

Analyst Plan C, creator of the Bitcoin Quantile Model, has shared a new chart pack arguing that treating the current Bitcoin bull market as a repeat of past cycles could be a major error while BTC trades around $87,661. His framework highlights weak PMI-style business-cycle signals, persistent demand for hard assets such as gold, and quantile-based price bands that map potential paths between roughly $80,000 and $253,000 over 3-month and 1-year horizons. The charts also track Bitcoin’s performance versus gold and frame three macro regimes that could shape price action into 2026.

Bitcoin traded around $86,800 on Monday morning after fading a Sunday push above $90,000, per TradingView. An intraday snapshot showed WTI crude up about 1.77% and gold down about 1.74%, while a U.S. 10‑year rate gauge eased, reinforcing tighter financial conditions that could cap crypto.

On Dec. 23, Bitmain reduced prices across hydro and immersion rigs, with TheMinerMag citing container bundles near $4 per TH and some S19 Hydro quotes around $3 per TH, while S21 models were about $7–$8 per TH before coupons. Luxor data for November showed USD hashprice averaging $39.82 per PH per day and touching $35.06 on Nov. 22, pressuring margins and shaping buyer payback math.

On Dec. 27, 2025, Bitcoin block 929,699 was mined, raising a thought experiment about using block height as a universal New Year reference instead of the civil calendar. The proposal treats consensus-verified block counts as a shared time layer for cross-border settlement, but the stochastic nature of block discovery creates multi-day uncertainty bands around any “year-end” block target. While exchanges and custodians could anchor reports and proofs to specific block hashes, tax rules and statutory reporting remain tied to jurisdictional time, forcing users and institutions to navigate block time and wall-clock time in parallel.

On Dec. 27, CEO Brian Armstrong said Coinbase is working with Hyderabad Police in India after the arrest of a former customer support agent linked to an insider bribery and data theft scheme. Public filings show the breach was discovered in May 2025, ultimately affecting 69,461 people and leading Coinbase to recognize $355 million in related costs across Q2 and Q3 2025.