Bitcoin briefly pushed toward $90,000, triggering a cluster of short liquidations around $89,500 to $90,500 before price quickly reversed below $87,000. With major long-liquidation pools concentrated between $84,000 and $80,000 and momentum indicators weakening, downside liquidity now appears more significant than resistance overhead.

Analysts say Bitcoin's recent weakness could extend into the $65,000–$75,000 area, but they view a potential move to $70,000 as part of a broader macro reset rather than the start of a new bear market. Traders are tracking a possible three-day bullish divergence and past recoveries after oversold RSI readings, while long-term models still outline a potential price path toward $300,000 by 2029. In this view, deeper pullbacks are interpreted as building the base for the next structural uptrend.

Bitcoin traded near $89,000 after its 14-day relative strength index dropped below 30 in mid-November, a level many traders treat as a capitulation signal. An event-study chart shared by Julien Bittel compares this oversold break with the previous five such instances and sketches an average path toward roughly $180,000 about 90 days later, implying about a 105% gain if repeated. Analysts now focus on key levels such as $106,400, ETF flow trends, and liquidity conditions to gauge whether the current rebound can evolve from a range-bound bounce into a sustained advance.

On December 17, Bitcoin spiked about $3,300 in 30 minutes and then fell $3,400 within 45 minutes, triggering widespread liquidations. More than 120,000 traders saw nearly $400 million wiped out in 24 hours, including $310 million over the last 4 hours. The move ranged from $87,100 to $90,300.

On December 17, 2025, analyst Benjamin Cowen told his 969,000 YouTube followers that Bitcoin's bull phase is likely over. He cautioned a bear market could persist into October 2026 and projected a move toward $60,000–$70,000, citing the 200‑week Simple Moving Average. Cowen noted past cycle gains favored buyers from late 2022.

In the past 30 days, Bitcoin has fluctuated between $85,000 and $94,000, staying below the key $100,000 mark while analysts monitor signs of a possible rebound. Tom Lee views Bitcoin as extremely oversold, pointing to an RSI under 30 and historical patterns that have previously led to average rebounds of about 25% within 60 days. With BTC recently trading around $89,972.73 and volatility driven by whale activity, market participants are watching whether support near $85,000 and a recovery before year's end can hold.

Russia's 2020 legislation classifies cryptocurrencies as property, allowing buying, selling, and holding while banning their use for domestic payments. The ruble remains the sole legal tender, and violations can lead to fines. Authorities permit limited crypto use for international settlements under an experimental framework, while the digital ruble advances to strengthen oversight.

On December 17, Bitcoin saw a rapid 30-minute price spike, jumping from around $87,000 to slightly above $90,000 before easing to roughly $89,950. Over the same window, its market capitalization increased from about $1.745 trillion to around $1.80 trillion, adding roughly $55 billion as 24-hour gains exceeded 3% amid elevated trading volumes.