Grayscale Research projects bitcoin will reach new record prices in 2026, rejecting the traditional four-year cycle theory. Vanguard reversed its stance on digital assets, enabling clients to trade ETFs holding BTC, ETH, XRP, and SOL starting Tuesday. Bank of America will permit portfolio allocations of 1% to 4% in crypto assets.

Large Bitcoin holders moved hundreds of millions of dollars in BTC from cold storage to exchanges throughout November and early December. Bitcoin price remains range-bound between $83,000 and $86,000, with the Crypto Fear and Greed Index falling to 9—its lowest level in years. Market participants debate whether whale movements signal distribution or strategic positioning ahead of potential liquidity expansion.

American Bitcoin (ABTC) shares fell 51% within 30 minutes on December 2, triggering multiple trading halts. The mining company, co-founded by Eric Trump, declined as Bitcoin retreated more than 30% from its October peak. The previous day saw nearly $1 billion in leveraged crypto positions liquidated across the market.

Bank of America has authorized more than 15,000 wealth advisers to recommend Bitcoin exchange-traded funds to clients, the bank told Yahoo Finance. Starting January 5, clients at Merrill, Bank of America Private Bank, and Merrill Edge can access four spot Bitcoin ETFs. The bank recommends a 1–4% crypto allocation for suitable investors, marking a significant expansion of regulated digital asset products within traditional banking channels.

Bitcoin reached an intraday high of $91,107 after falling below $84,000 earlier this week, data show. The recovery reversed losses triggered by hawkish Bank of Japan remarks and fresh Chinese regulatory actions. Institutional moves, including Vanguard's cryptocurrency ETF access and Bank of America's Bitcoin allocation policy, supported the rally.

The cryptocurrency market added approximately $200 billion in capitalization over 24 hours, lifting total market cap to $3.08 trillion from $2.88 trillion. Bitcoin contributed roughly $120 billion to the rally, approaching $91,000 in its strongest daily performance since May 2025. Short position liquidations totaling $140 million in one hour accelerated the move, adding over $75 billion to Bitcoin's market value in 10 hours.

Bitcoin rose above $91,000 on December 2, 2024, posting its largest single-day percentage gain since May. The rally forced liquidations of more than $300 million in short positions within 24 hours, CoinGlass data show. The advance followed a drop below $84,000 the previous day.

Early December trading revealed institutional anxiety centered on potential MSCI index changes rather than Bitcoin's price movement. Public companies holding significant BTC reserves face possible exclusion from global indexes due to balance sheet concentration. This structural uncertainty created more concern among professional asset managers than short-term price fluctuations.