Bitcoin and Ethereum Christmas Silent Fluctuation Awaiting Directional Choice
During the Christmas holiday of 2025, the cryptocurrency market is caught in a stalemate, with Bitcoin and Ethereum displaying a highly correlated weak fluctuation trend. After testing a recent low of $86,375, Bitcoin rebounded, fluctuating narrowly around the $87,600 midpoint, with a daily amplitude of only 1.61% and trading volume shrinking over 45% compared to usual, highlighting the characteristics of holiday liquidity exhaustion. Ethereum mirrored the fluctuating market, rebounding to $2,976 before retreating near $2,940, consistently failing to break through the resistance at the $3,000 integer mark.
The current core contradiction in the market lies in the intertwining of three pressures: the macro suppression of a globally high interest rate environment, the liquidity trap of the Christmas holiday, and the technical disturbances from the expiration of $23.7 billion Bitcoin options on December 26. From a technical perspective, Bitcoin is under pressure from a descending trend line, forming a bearish rising wedge pattern, with the $86,000-$86,500 area becoming a short-term lifeline; Ethereum is contending in the $2,880-$3,000 range, with significant short-term moving average pressure.
Market sentiment remains gloomy, with the Fear and Greed Index maintaining at 24 in the "Extreme Fear" range, and institutional funds are in a strong wait-and-see atmosphere. However, from a long-term perspective, the wave of tokenization and clearer regulations still provide support for the industry. Institutional figures like Tom Lee maintain a bullish outlook, believing that Ethereum will become the infrastructure of the global financial system.
In the short term, low liquidity during the holiday may amplify fluctuations, and the true directional choice may need to wait until early 2026 when institutional funds return. Investors should adhere to a range trading strategy and strictly control positions to manage potential risks.
$BTC