pease

*Bitcoin ($BTC ) is currently trading around $88,573 USD*, with a modest 24-hour change of roughly +0.6% ¹ ² . The market cap sits at about *$1.76 trillion*, and the price is hovering near the $88k-$89k range after a brief dip below $86k earlier in the week ² ³ .

*Key points from the latest news & analysis:*

- *Options expiry pressure:* The Dec 26, 2025 expiry on Deribit carries $23.8 billion in open interest, creating a “gravity” that’s capping upside around $100k and keeping the market in a $85k-$100k consolidation band ⁴ .
- *Whale activity:* Large holders (“whales”) have been accumulating aggressively—over 54,000 BTC purchased in the past week, the strongest weekly buying pace since 2012, despite the price hovering around $85k-$86k ⁵ .
- *Institutional flows:* BlackRock’s IBIT ETF raked in $25 billion of inflows for 2025, even while Bitcoin posted a negative yearly return, showing that institutional “HODL” behavior remains strong ⁶ .
- *Technical outlook:* The 50-day moving average is declining, and the 200-day MA is also weakening, indicating short-term bearish momentum. Support sits near $85k, with resistance at $90k-$92k and a critical ceiling at $100k ⁴ ⁵ .

*Bottom line:* Bitcoin is trading in the high-$88k region with modest daily fluctuations. The market is being squeezed by a massive options expiry and mixed whale signals, while institutional investors continue to add exposure despite the recent price stagnation.
$BTC
{spot}(BTCUSDT)