Bitcoin is back in the spotlight after another sharp slide that has traders watching whether the flagship crypto can claw its way back above the $90,000 line. Recent U.S. macroeconomic developments have pummeled the market, but some analysts insist the downturn is temporary — even a tactical buying opportunity for long-term holders. Market veteran Tom Lee has been among the more bullish voices. Lee frames the sell-off as "engineered liquidation" rather than a collapse of fundamentals, saying a modest further pullback would actually be healthy as "smart money keeps buying the blood." He has also laid out an aggressive upside view, predicting Bitcoin could reach $180,000 by the end of January 2026 and suggesting that a break above $125,000 would upend the conventional four-year cycle narrative. CoinCodex’s technical models paint a mixed picture: they currently classify sentiment as bearish and point to extreme fear in the market, but still forecast upside in the months ahead. Key points from CoinCodex’s latest update (Dec 17, 2025, 06:21 AM GMT+5): - Near-term: Bitcoin could test roughly $88,000 before year-end. - Medium-term: A forecasted rise of 18.26% to reach $103,469 by March 15, 2026. - Market metrics: Fear & Greed Index at 11 (Extreme Fear); 13 of the last 30 days were green; 30-day price volatility around 2.69%. The debate now centers on timing: will Bitcoin recover lost momentum and recapture major price levels before year-end — or will macro pressures prolong the pullback? With polarized signals from sentiment gauges and bullish forecasts from high-profile analysts, traders and investors will be watching flows and on-chain activity closely for clues about where the next major move could come from. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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