Crypto Prices Today, 17 November 2025: Bitcoin Holds Near $95K as Fear Spikes and Altcoins Bleed

The crypto market is starting the week deep in “risk‑off” mode. On Monday, 17 November 2025, Bitcoin is hovering around $95,000, Ethereum is clinging to the $3,200 region, and many high‑beta altcoins are extending sharp weekend losses. At the same time, regulatory headlines from Japan and the U.S., plus a plunge in the crypto fear index, are shaping traders’ expectations for the days ahead. ^[1]

Market Snapshot: Crypto Prices & Sentiment Today

Global crypto market cap: About $3.25 trillion, down just under 1% over the last 24 hours. ^[2]
24h trading volume: Roughly $170+ billion, sharply higher than average as forced liquidations and panic selling push volumes up. ^[3]
Bitcoin dominance: Around 58–59%, underscoring that BTC continues to drive overall market direction. ^[4]
Crypto Fear & Greed Index: Down to 10 (Extreme Fear), the lowest level since mid‑2022, reflecting widespread risk aversion. ^[5]

A series of sharp drawdowns has already wiped out Bitcoin’s gains for 2025, according to multiple market updates, and nearly $900 million in leveraged positions were flushed out during the latest wave of liquidations. ^[6]

Bitcoin (BTC) Price Today and Short‑Term Outlook

Bitcoin price today – around $95K after a deep correction

At the time of writing on 17 November 2025, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading at roughly $95,600, with an intraday range between about $93,000 and $96,000 on major USD pairs. ^[7]

This comes after:

A steep slide from October’s peak around $125,000, as reported by regional financial media. ^[8]
A move earlier today that saw BTC briefly trade near $93,700, almost 2% lower on the session before buyers stepped in. ^[9]
A broader drawdown that has erased Bitcoin’s year‑to‑date gains, according to several market reports. ^[10]

Sentiment has turned sharply negative: outlets are describing “extreme panic” as BTC trades well below its recent highs and high‑risk coins revisit levels not seen since the pandemic. ^[11]

What’s driving BTC today?

Macro & tech‑stock correlation
Analysts note that Bitcoin is trading more like a leveraged tech stock than a hedge asset, tracking moves in growth equities and reacting to expectations for interest‑rate cuts. ^[12]
- Futures on major U.S. indices are firmer ahead of this week’s jobs data and Nvidia earnings, but crypto remains under pressure after its own speculative excess. ^[13]
Positioning & liquidations
After months of aggressive long positioning near six‑figure BTC prices, the market has seen roughly $900M in liquidations over the last couple of sessions, accelerating the downside move. ^[14]
Regulatory noise
A new wave of regulatory headlines (Japan’s proposed rules and fresh U.S. oversight discussions) is feeding the risk‑off mood, even though the details may take months to crystallize. ^[15]

Bitcoin price forecast – key levels to watch

This is market commentary, not financial advice.

Based on today’s price structure and news flow, traders are broadly focused on three zones:

Support area: $93,000 – $90,000
- Today’s lows near $93K are the first line of defense. ^[16]
- A clean break below the low‑$90Ks could open the door to a test of the mid‑$80Ks, especially if macro data disappoints or regulatory headlines worsen.
Pivot area: $95,000 – $98,000
- Options and prediction markets had been pricing a higher probability that BTC would end November 17 below $96,000 than above, illustrating how traders were braced for weakness coming into today. ^[17]
- Consolidation around mid‑$90K would suggest that the market is digesting leverage rather than entering full capitulation.
Resistance area: $100,000 – $102,000
- The six‑figure zone remains a psychological barrier. A swift reclaim of $100K+ would signal that dip buyers and institutional flows are absorbing supply.
- Without a strong catalyst, many desks expect range‑bound trade between $90K and $100K in the near term. (Scenario, not a guarantee.)

Ethereum (ETH) Price Today: Under Pressure but Holding $3,200

Ethereum (ETH) is trading just above $3,200, up slightly on the day but down from recent highs, with intraday swings between roughly $3,020 and $3,210. ^[18]

A market note from Bitget’s research arm highlights that ETH broke below a key support area around $3,100 earlier in the global session as the broader crypto sell‑off accelerated amid policy uncertainty. ^[19]

ETH price drivers today

Correlation with BTC: ETH continues to track Bitcoin’s direction but with slightly higher beta—larger percentage moves in both directions.
Macro & policy risk: Uncertainty about future U.S. digital‑asset oversight and global rules for DeFi protocols adds to the risk premium priced into ETH, which underpins much of the decentralized finance ecosystem. ^[20]

Short‑term ETH outlook

Again, this is general commentary, not investment advice:

Immediate support: The $3,000–$3,100 band. Continued closes above this zone would support a consolidation narrative. ^[21]
Resistance: The $3,300–$3,400 region, where sellers have previously capped rallies.
Scenario: If BTC remains stuck below $100K, ETH may continue chopping between $3,000 and $3,400, with sharper moves tied to any regulatory updates or large DeFi liquidations.

Altcoins Today: Alt Season in Reverse

The altcoin space is showing a mixed but mostly red picture on 17 November 2025, with a few notable outliers.

Solana (SOL), BNB, Dogecoin and Chainlink

Solana (SOL): Trading near $142, roughly flat on the day but down from recent highs alongside the broader risk‑asset sell‑off. ^[22]
BNB: Around $935, slightly lower over the last 24 hours as speculative activity cools following the broader market drawdown.
Dogecoin (DOGE): About $0.162, down around 1.6% today; local analyses note the memecoin is testing support even as some traders eye a potential bounce pattern. ^[23]
Chainlink (LINK): Recently slipped below the key $16 support area, triggering concern among short‑term traders about deeper downside before any retest of the mid‑$19s. ^[24]

A Bloomberg report adds that some of crypto’s riskiest tokens—typically DeFi, small‑cap and meme assets—have dropped back to pandemic‑era lows, highlighting how aggressive risk has been drained from the system. ^[25]

XRP and Zcash: Rare Bright Spots

Two names are standing out against the sea of red:

XRP (XRP):
- Trading around $2.27 today.
- Despite recent pullbacks, XRP is still up roughly 89% over the last 12 months, making it one of the best performers among major altcoins. ^[26]
Zcash (ZEC):
- Privacy coin ZEC has climbed close to its historical all‑time high near $671.82, bucking the broader downtrend and attracting attention as a potential hedge within the crypto complex. ^[27]

These pockets of strength suggest that while the market is broadly risk‑off, capital is rotating into themes such as payments‑focused coins and privacy assets rather than leaving the ecosystem entirely.

Key News Stories Moving Crypto on 17 November 2025

1. Regulatory Headlines: Japan and the U.S.

Japan’s FSA eyes tighter rules – and a lower tax rate

Japan’s Financial Services Agency is considering reforms that would:

Reclassify cryptocurrencies as financial products subject to insider‑trading and market‑abuse rules.
Apply the framework to roughly 105 listed crypto assets in the country, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Potentially reduce the tax rate on crypto profits, aiming to balance investor protection with innovation. ^[28]

This combination of stricter conduct rules and more favorable taxes could reshape Japan’s position as a major Asian crypto hub.

“Project Crypto” and U.S. oversight debate

In the U.S., a speech on “Project Crypto” by the SEC’s chair laid out the next phase of digital‑asset oversight, signaling more granular rules around token classification, disclosures and trading platforms. ^[29]

At the same time, a Brookings analysis argues that the SEC and CFTC should be merged to create a unified digital‑asset regulator—an idea that, while far from policy, underscores how unsettled the U.S. regulatory landscape remains. ^[30]

A global explainer from investigative journalists also notes that:

Crypto is mostly legal in around 45 countries,
Partially restricted in about 20, and
Largely banned in about 10,

highlighting the patchwork of rules that traders must navigate. ^[31]

2. Market Structure & Correlation Shifts

A detailed market study published today points out that Bitcoin’s correlation with U.S. tech stocks has strengthened, while its previously touted relationship with gold has faded. Analysts described BTC as behaving increasingly like a leveraged tech proxy, especially around major macro announcements. ^[32]

At the same time, a global market wrap shows stock futures rising on expectations for Nvidia earnings and key jobs data, even as crypto remains under pressure—an indication that crypto is now one of the first places investors trim risk when uncertainty spikes. ^[33]

3. Sentiment: From Euphoria to Extreme Fear

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index plunging to 10 marks an emotional whiplash from the optimism seen when BTC challenged all‑time highs only weeks ago. ^[34]
Coverage of “extreme panic” conditions and “crypto’s riskiest tokens plummeting” reinforces the narrative that speculative excess is being flushed out. ^[35]

This kind of sentiment reset has historically set the stage for both sharp relief rallies and, at times, deeper capitulation—one reason traders are cautious about calling a firm bottom.

Short‑Term Crypto Price Scenarios (Next Few Days)

These are scenarios, not predictions or recommendations.

Base Case: Choppy Range with Elevated Volatility

BTC: Holds roughly between $90K and $100K, with fast intraday swings around incoming macro data and regulatory headlines.
ETH: Trades in a $3,000–$3,400 band, with DeFi liquidations and funding rates driving short‑term spikes.
Altcoins: Continue to lag; capital rotates selectively into strong narratives (infrastructure, payments, privacy) rather than broad “alt season.”

This view lines up with the way derivatives and prediction markets had already priced a higher probability of BTC remaining below $96K for today. ^[36]

Bullish Surprise: Fast Short Squeeze

Better‑than‑feared macro data or a positive regulatory clarification could trigger a short squeeze, sending BTC quickly back above $100K and ETH toward the $3,500–$3,800 zone.
High‑quality altcoins (Layer‑1s, blue‑chip DeFi) would likely outperform in a relief rally, while the weakest meme and microcaps might lag on lower risk appetite.

Bearish Extension: Break of $90K

A decisive breakdown below $90K on BTC, especially on heavy volume, could spur another wave of forced selling and push the crypto fear index into single digits. ^[37]
In this scenario, dips toward the mid‑$80Ks become possible in the near term, with ETH potentially revisiting the $2,600–$2,800 region and illiquid altcoins suffering outsized drawdowns.

What Traders and Long‑Term Investors Are Watching

Regardless of time horizon, several catalysts stand out this week:

Regulatory signals
- Concrete proposals or timelines from Japan’s FSA. ^[38]
- Follow‑up speeches, draft rules or enforcement guidance tied to “Project Crypto” in the U.S. ^[39]
Macro data and earnings
- Jobs data releases and Nvidia’s earnings as key drivers of risk sentiment in tech and, by extension, crypto. ^[40]
On‑chain and derivatives metrics
- Funding rates, open interest, and liquidations—especially if another wave of leverage washes out. ^[41]
Narrative coins
- Whether standouts like XRP and Zcash can maintain strength, and if large‑cap altcoins such as SOL, LINK, and BNB can form stable bases after losing key supports. ^[42]

Final Word: Volatile, Not Dead

For 17 November 2025, the headline is clear:

Crypto is very much alive, but in a risk‑reset phase.

Bitcoin’s retreat from record highs, combined with extreme fear readings and tougher regulatory talk, has shifted the conversation from euphoria to survival. Yet deep liquidity, persistent institutional interest, and pockets of strength in assets like XRP and ZEC show that capital has not abandoned the space—only repriced risk. ^[43]

As always, anyone considering exposure to digital assets should: