Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your important summary of the key developments in crypto for the upcoming day.
Grab a coffee, for after weeks of consolidation, pioneering cryptocurrencies have reclaimed $90,000. Technical breakouts, impending options expirations, and ETF positioning are working together to pave the way for a potentially volatile but positive sprint towards Bitcoin's price.
Today's crypto news: Bitcoin breaks $90,000 in line with technical developments and market dynamics as the year comes to a close
Bitcoin has climbed back above $90,000 and revived positive momentum across the crypto market as technical breakouts, derivative positioning, and ETF-related incentives interact during thin liquidity at year-end.
The move places Bitcoin at a critical crossroads, where analysts are divided between expectations of short-term volatility and a broader bet on six-figure prices.
From a technical perspective, momentum appears to be decisively positive, with the Bitcoin price establishing an important chart development on the daily timeframe. On the daily chart, Bitcoin is pushing out of a downward triangle that is transforming into a downward wedge. This occurs simultaneously as momentum increases above the $90,000 threshold.
In technical analysis, downward triangle breakouts upward are often seen as continuation signals, suggesting that Bitcoin is in an emerging recovery rally.
On-chain valuation metrics also indicate room for further upside, where Bitcoin's realized price, an indicator reflecting the average price at which BTC was last traded, remains well below current market levels.
Historically, Bitcoin has faced resistance near the mid-band and cycle tops closer to the upper band. This suggests that even though BTC is trading above its intrinsic value, it is still far from the levels typically associated with cycle tops.
However, short-term volatility risks are rising, with a significant derivative catalyst ahead. On Friday, 50% of Deribit's open interest expires, equivalent to about $24 billion in Bitcoin options and other contracts.
According to Nic Pucrin, CEO and co-founder of Coin Bureau, options traders may try to place prices around Bitcoin's maximum pain level of $96,000 to maximize losses for options holders. Such dynamics could amplify price swings during low liquidity holiday trading hours.
Institutional positioning via spot Bitcoin ETFs is also shaping market psychology. According to Glassnode data, ETF flows create strong incentives for a year-end rally, with an average price for ETF buyers around $83,000.
Against this backdrop, analyst Ran Neuner states that Bitcoin could end the year very close to, if not above, $100,000.
At the same time, liquidity dynamics suggest an important battleground ahead, where Bitcoin liquidity builds up around the threshold of $90,800. According to analyst Lennaert Snyder, a rejection from this area could trigger short opportunities unless Bitcoin can reclaim resistance near $94,000.
Beyond the immediate noise, analyst Michael van de Poppe framed the move as part of a larger cycle shift.
"Bitcoin held above a critical support level at $86,500 and continues to rise," he said, arguing that the case for a test of $100,000 strengthens and that the market may be entering the early stages of a broader bull market.
If altcoins perform better than Bitcoin next, he added, it could determine how this rise develops over the coming weeks.
Today's chart
Here’s a summary of more US crypto news to follow today:
Ethereum hit harder than Bitcoin as $952 million leaves crypto funds—Here's why.
What awaits Bitcoin in 2026? These old economic models may hold the answer.
Why analysts believe that altcoins are in the final phase of the bear market.
Galaxy Digital issues a Bitcoin forecast for 2027 as the outlook for 2026 remains unclear.
AAVE price drops by 10% as DAO governance dispute triggers selling.
Hyperliquid denies insider trading allegations as a HYPE burn vote approaches.
Fed to inject $6.8 billion into the markets in first repo since 2020 — Why crypto is paying attention.
Overview of crypto stocks before the market
CompanyAt the end of December 19Pre-market OverviewStrategy (MSTR) $164.82 $168.60 (+2.29%)Coinbase (COIN) $245.12 $250.00 (+1.99%)Galaxy Digital Holdings (GLXY) $24.00 $24.79 (+3.29%)MARA Holdings (MARA) $10.18 $10.41 (+2.26%)Riot Platforms (RIOT) $14.50 $14.77 (+1.86%)Core Scientific (CORZ) $15.60 $15.90 (+1.92%)
Open race in the market for crypto stocks: Google Finance
