Bitcoin declined approximately 5% within 24 hours to $86,415.88 as weakening technical momentum met deteriorating market liquidity. The several-thousand-dollar drop occurred without news catalyst, exposing fragile liquidity conditions and record-high leverage that have defined this year's trading environment. Weekend sessions have repeatedly produced unusually large price swings, with thin order books allowing modest selling to trigger cascading liquidations.

Bitcoin dropped below $86,000 on December 1, 2025, marking its steepest decline in recent weeks and erasing prior gains. The downturn triggered more than $400 million in liquidations across leveraged cryptocurrency futures positions. Global digital asset market capitalization contracted approximately 4% to around $3 trillion, according to market data.

Bitcoin dropped to $86,053 during Asian trading on Monday, declining 5.4%, while Ethereum fell 6.1% to $2,819. Data show approximately $608 million in cryptocurrency liquidations occurred over the past 24 hours, with long positions accounting for more than $535 million of the total.

Michael Saylor departed from his year-long Sunday routine of posting orange dots that preceded Bitcoin purchases, instead introducing green dots on November 30, 2025. The change has sparked debate over whether Strategy might pursue stock buybacks or alter its Bitcoin holdings. The company's stock has fallen 38% year-to-date, limiting its ability to raise capital through share issuance.

BitMEX founder Arthur Hayes warned that a roughly 30% decline in Bitcoin and gold holdings could eliminate Tether's equity buffer, potentially rendering USDT theoretically insolvent. Tether reported $181 billion in assets against $174 billion in USDT liabilities as of Q3, with $139 billion held in cash and cash equivalents. The warning follows S&P Global Ratings' negative assessment of USDT stability, citing increased exposure to Bitcoin and gold.

Bitcoin's price trajectory in 2025 mirrors its 2022 bear market behavior with monthly correlation reaching 98%, according to network economist Timothy Peterson. The cryptocurrency trades approximately 36% below its all-time high as the year ends, contradicting earlier forecasts of strengthening momentum through December. Historical data indicates that negative November performance typically leads to December declines, though usually smaller in magnitude.

Bank of America Global Research has placed Bitcoin alongside breakthrough technologies spanning 1,000 years of global disruption. Daily momentum indicators have fallen to their weakest levels in nearly two years. Price action is testing overhead resistance following a weekend rebound from the low-$80,000 range.

Bitcoin is testing resistance between $91K and $93K after rebounding from the $80K–$83K demand zone. The cryptocurrency remains confined within a descending channel, with key moving averages declining and serving as dynamic resistance. On-chain data shows additional selling pressure near $96K–$97K, where realized prices of multiple investor cohorts converge.