Bitcoin (BTC)
price broke above $90,000 early Monday, 29 December 2025, picking up momentum
as traders positioned for a potential new year rally after the cryptocurrency
sat out Wall Street’s recent record-setting run.
The largest
digital asset by market value rose as much as 3.1% to $90,200 in Singapore
trading before pulling back slightly to $89,615, according to Bloomberg data.
Other major cryptocurrencies followed suit, with Ethereum climbing 4% past
$3,000, while XRP and Solana each gained 3% or more.
Bitcoin
largely ignored the S&P 500’s push to record highs in the days before
Christmas, still nursing wounds from a brutal October selloff that wiped out
$19 billion in leveraged positions. That liquidation event left traders
gun-shy, with few willing to rebuild significant positions. Until now.
In this
article, I examine why Bitcoin and XRP are rising and provide a technical
analysis of the XRP/USDT and BTC/USDT charts, drawing on my more than a decade
of experience as an analyst and investor.
Funding Rates Signal
Shifting Sentiment
Monday’s
move “appears somewhat driven by short term retail traders taking on
growing positions in futures,” said Sebastian Bea, Chief Investment
Officer at ReserveOne Inc., a crypto treasury firm.
The Bitcoin
funding rate – which measures the cost of holding long positions in perpetual
futures – reached its highest point since October 18, according to CryptoQuant
data. That signals growing appetite for bullish bets, though open interest in
futures remains “well below recent peaks that coincided with bitcoin’s
recent highs in October,” Bea noted. The token hit an all-time high of
$126,251 on October 6.
Joel
Kruger, crypto strategist at LMAX, suggested the quiet conditions may be
deceptive. “Bitcoin, in particular, has already repriced meaningfully
higher this year and may now be absorbing supply as longer-term holders remain
patient,” he said. “The market’s ability to hold elevated levels
despite quiet conditions arguably reinforces the view that the marginal buyer
remains intact, even if currently inactive.”
Please also check my previous cryptocurrency analyses:
Geopolitical Tensions
Support Risk Assets
The crypto
rally coincided with rising oil prices as hopes for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal
dimmed. West Texas Intermediate crude jumped 1% to $57.24 per barrel, while
Brent crude rose 0.80% to $60.81.
Russia
attacked Ukraine’s Kherson Combined Heat and Power Plant on Sunday, causing
significant damage to infrastructure that provides heating for tens of
thousands of residents. Ukraine responded by striking the Syzran oil refinery
in Russia’s Samara region, damaging the facility’s only primary processing
unit.
The attacks
complicated diplomatic progress, even as President Donald Trump and Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated headway on a 20-point peace plan. The
nearly four-year conflict has contributed to persistent global inflation
pressures.
Bitcoin And XRP Price
Technical Analysis
Bitcoin Under Pressure
According
to my technical analysis, Bitcoin is consolidating within a range last seen in
April. The upper boundary sits between $90,000 and $92,000, reinforced by the
50-day exponential moving average and a 110% Fibonacci extension. The lower
limit rests at the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement and a $86,000-$84,000 zone
that’s been actively tested since late November.
The medium
and long-term setup remains bearish, with the moving average configuration
suggesting a downtrend. I continue to target a decline toward $74,000 – this
year’s April lows – where I expect stronger institutional accumulation. Until Bitcoin
breaks decisively from this consolidation, extended sideways movement likely
persists through the turn of the year.
Until Bitcoin
breaks decisively from this consolidation, extended sideways movement likely
persists through the turn of the year. The current range represents the same
level of volatility compression last observed in April, suggesting a
significant move may be building.
Why Bitcoin price is going up today? Source: Tradingview.com
XRP In Bearish Trend
For XRP,
the picture looks similarly challenging. While the token tested $1.92 on Monday
before settling around $1.90, it faces resistance at a local level marked by
June lows and retested in November. The bearish moving average setup –
particularly the 50-200 EMA death cross that formed in early November –
suggests further downside. Initial support sits at $1.80, then $1.70-$1.61,
with an ultimate target around $1.25.
The chart
shows a network of significant resistance levels ahead, including the current
local zone being tested. I expect further depreciation, potentially before
year-end. Initial support sits at $1.80, representing this month’s lows,
followed by the $1.70-$1.61 zone marked by April’s lows. My ultimate target
sits around $1.25 – the flash crash lows from October 10 – which would
represent a decline of several dozen percentage points from current levels.
The price
currently trades below both key moving averages, which reinforces the bearish
outlook in the medium term.
Why XRP price is going up today? Source: Tradingview.com
Waiting for January
Catalysts?
Despite
growing institutional adoption and policy wins under the pro-crypto Trump
administration, Bitcoin has slipped roughly 4% in 2025. Many traders now look
to January for fresh catalysts as liquidity returns to markets.
“Looking
ahead, crypto’s calm may prove temporary once liquidity returns and macro
narratives reassert themselves in the new year,” Kruger said. “Should
easing expectations firm or risk appetite broaden further, Bitcoin and Ethereum
could re-engage from a position of relative balance rather than excess. In that
sense, the more subdued tone may be laying the groundwork for a more durable
[move] into the new year.”
Asian
equity markets traded quietly on Monday, with thin year-end volumes keeping
activity muted. South Korea’s KOSPI index provided an exception, rallying 1.7%
on gains in chipmaker stocks.
Crypto Price Analysis FAQ
Why did Bitcoin go up
today?
Bitcoin
rose over 2% on Monday as funding rates reached their highest level since
October 18, signaling renewed demand for bullish positions in perpetual futures
markets. The move appears driven by short-term retail traders rebuilding
leveraged positions after October’s $19 billion liquidation event. Rising
geopolitical tensions from renewed Russia-Ukraine attacks also pushed investors
toward alternative assets.
Will Bitcoin go up in
2025?
Bitcoin has
declined roughly 4% in 2025 despite hitting an all-time high of $126,251 in
October. Analysts surveyed by CNBC predict prices could reach $150,000 to
$200,000 by year-end, driven by institutional adoption, favorable regulations
under the Trump administration, and growing corporate treasury strategies.
However, technical analysis suggests near-term consolidation with potential
downside to $74,000 before a sustained rally materializes.
Is Bitcoin a good
investment now?
Bitcoin
faces mixed signals in late 2025. While institutional inflows continue and 61
major US firms have adopted Bitcoin treasury strategies, the cryptocurrency
trades in a bearish technical pattern with resistance at $90,000-$92,000.
Volatility remains high, with historical corrections of 70-80% from peaks.
Long-term investors betting on continued institutional adoption may find
current levels attractive, but near-term traders should expect extended
sideways movement through early 2026.
What factors affect
Bitcoin’s price?
Bitcoin’s
price responds primarily to three forces: global liquidity measured by money
supply (M2), which explains over half of price variance; leverage in the
futures and derivatives markets; and on-chain fundamentals like mining
difficulty and holder behavior. Additional factors include institutional ETF
inflows, regulatory developments, geopolitical tensions affecting risk
appetite, and supply constraints from the halving cycle.
Bitcoin (BTC)
price broke above $90,000 early Monday, 29 December 2025, picking up momentum
as traders positioned for a potential new year rally after the cryptocurrency
sat out Wall Street’s recent record-setting run.
The largest
digital asset by market value rose as much as 3.1% to $90,200 in Singapore
trading before pulling back slightly to $89,615, according to Bloomberg data.
Other major cryptocurrencies followed suit, with Ethereum climbing 4% past
$3,000, while XRP and Solana each gained 3% or more.
Bitcoin
largely ignored the S&P 500’s push to record highs in the days before
Christmas, still nursing wounds from a brutal October selloff that wiped out
$19 billion in leveraged positions. That liquidation event left traders
gun-shy, with few willing to rebuild significant positions. Until now.
In this
article, I examine why Bitcoin and XRP are rising and provide a technical
analysis of the XRP/USDT and BTC/USDT charts, drawing on my more than a decade
of experience as an analyst and investor.
Funding Rates Signal
Shifting Sentiment
Monday’s
move “appears somewhat driven by short term retail traders taking on
growing positions in futures,” said Sebastian Bea, Chief Investment
Officer at ReserveOne Inc., a crypto treasury firm.
The Bitcoin
funding rate – which measures the cost of holding long positions in perpetual
futures – reached its highest point since October 18, according to CryptoQuant
data. That signals growing appetite for bullish bets, though open interest in
futures remains “well below recent peaks that coincided with bitcoin’s
recent highs in October,” Bea noted. The token hit an all-time high of
$126,251 on October 6.
Joel
Kruger, crypto strategist at LMAX, suggested the quiet conditions may be
deceptive. “Bitcoin, in particular, has already repriced meaningfully
higher this year and may now be absorbing supply as longer-term holders remain
patient,” he said. “The market’s ability to hold elevated levels
despite quiet conditions arguably reinforces the view that the marginal buyer
remains intact, even if currently inactive.”
Please also check my previous cryptocurrency analyses:
Geopolitical Tensions
Support Risk Assets
The crypto
rally coincided with rising oil prices as hopes for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal
dimmed. West Texas Intermediate crude jumped 1% to $57.24 per barrel, while
Brent crude rose 0.80% to $60.81.
Russia
attacked Ukraine’s Kherson Combined Heat and Power Plant on Sunday, causing
significant damage to infrastructure that provides heating for tens of
thousands of residents. Ukraine responded by striking the Syzran oil refinery
in Russia’s Samara region, damaging the facility’s only primary processing
unit.
The attacks
complicated diplomatic progress, even as President Donald Trump and Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated headway on a 20-point peace plan. The
nearly four-year conflict has contributed to persistent global inflation
pressures.
Bitcoin And XRP Price
Technical Analysis
Bitcoin Under Pressure
According
to my technical analysis, Bitcoin is consolidating within a range last seen in
April. The upper boundary sits between $90,000 and $92,000, reinforced by the
50-day exponential moving average and a 110% Fibonacci extension. The lower
limit rests at the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement and a $86,000-$84,000 zone
that’s been actively tested since late November.
The medium
and long-term setup remains bearish, with the moving average configuration
suggesting a downtrend. I continue to target a decline toward $74,000 – this
year’s April lows – where I expect stronger institutional accumulation. Until Bitcoin
breaks decisively from this consolidation, extended sideways movement likely
persists through the turn of the year.
Until Bitcoin
breaks decisively from this consolidation, extended sideways movement likely
persists through the turn of the year. The current range represents the same
level of volatility compression last observed in April, suggesting a
significant move may be building.
Why Bitcoin price is going up today? Source: Tradingview.com
XRP In Bearish Trend
For XRP,
the picture looks similarly challenging. While the token tested $1.92 on Monday
before settling around $1.90, it faces resistance at a local level marked by
June lows and retested in November. The bearish moving average setup –
particularly the 50-200 EMA death cross that formed in early November –
suggests further downside. Initial support sits at $1.80, then $1.70-$1.61,
with an ultimate target around $1.25.
The chart
shows a network of significant resistance levels ahead, including the current
local zone being tested. I expect further depreciation, potentially before
year-end. Initial support sits at $1.80, representing this month’s lows,
followed by the $1.70-$1.61 zone marked by April’s lows. My ultimate target
sits around $1.25 – the flash crash lows from October 10 – which would
represent a decline of several dozen percentage points from current levels.
The price
currently trades below both key moving averages, which reinforces the bearish
outlook in the medium term.
Why XRP price is going up today? Source: Tradingview.com
Waiting for January
Catalysts?
Despite
growing institutional adoption and policy wins under the pro-crypto Trump
administration, Bitcoin has slipped roughly 4% in 2025. Many traders now look
to January for fresh catalysts as liquidity returns to markets.
“Looking
ahead, crypto’s calm may prove temporary once liquidity returns and macro
narratives reassert themselves in the new year,” Kruger said. “Should
easing expectations firm or risk appetite broaden further, Bitcoin and Ethereum
could re-engage from a position of relative balance rather than excess. In that
sense, the more subdued tone may be laying the groundwork for a more durable
[move] into the new year.”
Asian
equity markets traded quietly on Monday, with thin year-end volumes keeping
activity muted. South Korea’s KOSPI index provided an exception, rallying 1.7%
on gains in chipmaker stocks.
Crypto Price Analysis FAQ
Why did Bitcoin go up
today?
Bitcoin
rose over 2% on Monday as funding rates reached their highest level since
October 18, signaling renewed demand for bullish positions in perpetual futures
markets. The move appears driven by short-term retail traders rebuilding
leveraged positions after October’s $19 billion liquidation event. Rising
geopolitical tensions from renewed Russia-Ukraine attacks also pushed investors
toward alternative assets.
Will Bitcoin go up in
2025?
Bitcoin has
declined roughly 4% in 2025 despite hitting an all-time high of $126,251 in
October. Analysts surveyed by CNBC predict prices could reach $150,000 to
$200,000 by year-end, driven by institutional adoption, favorable regulations
under the Trump administration, and growing corporate treasury strategies.
However, technical analysis suggests near-term consolidation with potential
downside to $74,000 before a sustained rally materializes.
Is Bitcoin a good
investment now?
Bitcoin
faces mixed signals in late 2025. While institutional inflows continue and 61
major US firms have adopted Bitcoin treasury strategies, the cryptocurrency
trades in a bearish technical pattern with resistance at $90,000-$92,000.
Volatility remains high, with historical corrections of 70-80% from peaks.
Long-term investors betting on continued institutional adoption may find
current levels attractive, but near-term traders should expect extended
sideways movement through early 2026.
What factors affect
Bitcoin’s price?
Bitcoin’s
price responds primarily to three forces: global liquidity measured by money
supply (M2), which explains over half of price variance; leverage in the
futures and derivatives markets; and on-chain fundamentals like mining
difficulty and holder behavior. Additional factors include institutional ETF
inflows, regulatory developments, geopolitical tensions affecting risk
appetite, and supply constraints from the halving cycle.
