Bitcoin’s Lightning Network has reached a record capacity of more than 5,600 BTC, ending a year-long decline in liquidity on the layer-2 payments system. While large exchanges and institutional players are adding significant Bitcoin to existing channels, the number of nodes and channels remains below prior peaks, highlighting stronger capitalization rather than broad user growth.

Crypto analyst Doctor Profit plans to accumulate Bitcoin around $86,000 as part of a short-term relief rally strategy, while keeping a broadly bearish outlook. He expects the BTC price could revisit the $97,000 to $107,000 area before another major downturn and continues to hold short positions aimed at lower levels such as $70,000. At the same time, another analyst warns that losing support near $87,000 might open the door for a deeper drop.

Bhutan has committed up to $1 billion in Bitcoin from its sovereign reserves to support the long-term development of Gelephu Mindfulness City in Southern Bhutan. The government plans to allocate as much as 10,000 BTC over time, with the vision guided by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and backed by state-run mining, renewable energy, and a partnership with Cumberland DRW. Additional renewable projects, including a 120-megawatt solar tender under the Solar Farm Expansion Project, are being advanced to reinforce the kingdom's clean energy-based digital asset strategy.

On 17 December 2025, Bitcoin was down more than a third from its cycle high earlier this year, with the drop attributed to tightening liquidity and aggressive deleveraging. Market participants point to the low-to-mid $80,000s as a potential stabilization zone linked to institutional ETF cost bases, while derivatives open interest has fallen sharply.

On Dec. 16, K33 reported that prolonged selling by long‑term bitcoin holders is close to saturation after roughly 20% of supply was reactivated over two years. The firm said about 1.6 million BTC ($138 billion) has moved since 2024 and expects the two‑year supply to recover, with selling easing in 2026.

As of December 17 2025, BTC is trading around $86,401.82, slightly above the $84,000 cost basis attributed to ETF buyers, while experiencing a multi‑week correction. Large miners, whales and new accumulation wallets are largely holding or adding to reserves, in contrast to ETFs and some institutions that are offloading BTC and contributing to selling pressure. On‑chain data shows miner reserves near 1.89M BTC and relatively stable holdings among large addresses, even as analysts warn of potential downside targets between $70,000 and $40,000 before a possible new bull phase.

On December 17, 2025, Whale Alert tracked a 3,000 BTC transfer worth $260,387,071 into Binance's "15KX2" deposit address. Arkham tied the sending wallets to Matrixport, and two Matrixport-linked wallets moved about 4,000 BTC ($347.56 million) to Binance the same day. Bitcoin hovered near $86,600, with no confirmed spot selling visible in the order book.

On 17 December 2025, Russian authorities restated that cryptocurrencies cannot be used for domestic payments, and the ruble remains the sole legal medium of exchange. According to Anatoly Aksakov, chair of the State Duma's Financial Markets Committee, digital assets may be held and traded as investments but will not be treated as money within Russia.