Bitcoin price today is hovering around the $92,000–$93,000 zone as markets digest the Federal Reserve’s latest rate cut, renewed tech-sector jitters sparked by Oracle’s outlook, and a major crypto options expiry scheduled for 08:00 UTC. [1]
While BTC has rebounded from this week’s sub-$90,000 wobble, the broader picture remains a tug-of-war between macro tailwinds (easier policy and a softer dollar) and year-end headwinds (thin liquidity, profit-taking, and fragile risk sentiment). [2]
Bitcoin price today: where BTC is trading on December 12, 2025
Across widely followed price indices, Bitcoin is trading around $92.3K–$92.6K early on Friday:
- Investing.com reported BTC up about 2.5% at $92,579.6 in early U.S. hours (01:51 ET / 06:51 GMT). [3]
- Reuters’ global markets wrap put bitcoin near $92,455, describing crypto as still “under pressure.” [4]
- MarketWatch’s CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index showed BTC around $92,312 (early U.S. time). [5]
- CoinDesk’s price page listed BTC around $92,517 with 24-hour volume data. [6]
The day-to-day tape may look calm, but the context matters: multiple outlets note bitcoin is still roughly 29% below its October record above $126,000 and is down around 3% for 2025—a stark contrast to the “straight up” narratives that dominated earlier in the year. [7]
Why is bitcoin moving today?
Today’s bitcoin price action sits at the intersection of three stories that also shaped stocks, bonds, and FX this week:
1) The Fed cut rates, but the market didn’t get a “risk-on party”
Investing.com notes the Fed delivered a 25-basis-point cut this week—its third reduction of the year—but signaled a cautious approach to further easing. [8]
That aligns with the theme seen across market coverage: traders had largely priced in the move, and the “guidance” mattered more than the cut itself—limiting the boost that rate cuts often provide to speculative assets. [9]
2) Risk sentiment got rattled by fresh AI-spending concerns
Reuters flagged renewed jitters in global markets after Oracle shares plunged (about 13%), reviving doubts over how quickly massive AI/data-center spending will pay off. [10]
For crypto, that matters because bitcoin has spent much of 2025 trading like a high-beta macro asset—reacting to equity sentiment, real rates, and “risk appetite” shifts (even when there’s no major crypto-native headline). [11]
3) The dollar softened—but crypto didn’t fully capitalize
Reuters also highlighted the U.S. Dollar Index near a two‑month low and shifting rate expectations for 2026. Normally, a weaker dollar is a supportive ingredient for BTC’s “store of value” narrative. [12]
But December has still been a grind. Investing.com describes bitcoin as rangebound, oscillating inside roughly $88,000 to $93,000 for most of the month—suggesting traders are waiting for a stronger catalyst than “slightly easier money.” [13]
Today’s biggest crypto-specific catalyst: $4.5B options expiry at 08:00 UTC
A key reason bitcoin can feel “stuck” even when headlines pile up: derivatives flows can temporarily dominate spot direction—especially in thin year-end liquidity.
Multiple reports today point to a large expiry on Deribit:
- About 39,826 BTC options are expiring, representing roughly $3.7B notional. [14]
- The max pain level is widely cited near $90,000. [15]
- The put-to-call ratio is around 1.10, implying slightly heavier put positioning than calls. [16]
Why traders care: when open interest clusters around a level like $90K, price can sometimes “magnet” toward it into expiry, or snap away from it afterward depending on how hedges are unwound. The coverage today broadly frames positioning as cautious and “contained,” which fits the recent $88K–$93K chop. [17]
Spot bitcoin ETFs: flows remain a key swing factor into year-end
If 2024 was the year ETFs arrived, 2025 has been the year the market learned how much daily ETF flows can steer short-term price.
One detailed market analysis from Investing.com argues that fund flows and regulation are increasingly important for bitcoin’s next directional move—sometimes more than macro signals alone. [18]
On the data front, Farside Investors’ daily U.S. spot bitcoin ETF flow table shows a sharp reversal in the last two reported sessions:
- Dec 10: net + $223.5M total, driven primarily by IBIT +$192.9M and FBTC +$30.6M. [19]
- Dec 11: net – $77.5M total, despite IBIT +$76.7M—dragged down by FBTC –$103.6M and several other negatives. [20]
Because Dec 12 flows typically publish after the U.S. session, today’s “ETF story” is less about fresh numbers and more about whether liquidity returns after expiry—and whether dip buyers show up through the ETF channel next week.
“Bitcoin proxy” stocks are back in focus: Strategy and index rules
Another theme that keeps resurfacing in late 2025 is whether equity-market plumbing (indexes, passive flows, inclusion rules) can indirectly influence bitcoin sentiment—especially through “bitcoin treasury” companies.
Strategy and the Nasdaq 100 reshuffle
Reuters reported that analysts are debating whether Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) could be removed from the Nasdaq 100 in the annual reshuffle, with a decision expected after markets close Friday (Dec 12) and any changes effective Dec 22. [21]
The practical reason markets care: a removal could trigger roughly $1.6B of passive fund outflows, potentially pressuring Strategy’s stock and—by extension—one of the market’s most visible corporate bitcoin “beta plays.” [22]
MSCI’s proposed exclusion rules for crypto-heavy companies
Separate from Nasdaq, MSCI has been weighing index treatment for companies with very large crypto exposure. Business Insider reported that a proposed MSCI move to exclude firms with over 50% of assets in bitcoin/crypto has drawn criticism from crypto industry figures, with a decision expected in January. [23]
Why this matters for BTC “price today”: even though these are equity-index decisions, they can affect the financing ecosystem around corporate BTC buyers and the broader narrative of institutional acceptance—both of which can influence sentiment at the margin.
Technical analysis snapshot: key levels traders are watching
Market coverage today is unusually consistent on one point: bitcoin is consolidating rather than trending.
The “rangebound” framing
Investing.com calls out the December band clearly: roughly $88,000–$93,000 has defined most of the month. [24]
The “pivot and breakout” framing
An Investing.com technical analysis piece describes BTC as moving inside a $91,000–$94,700 zone, with:
- A crucial pivot near ~$90,987–$91,000
- Resistance near $94,700
- A psychological upside target at $100,000 if price can sustain above resistance
- Downside markers near $89,300, then $85,000, and a lower support zone around $75,000–$78,000 if the structure breaks down [25]
FXStreet’s technical coverage echoes the same core ideas: BTC was rejected around $94,253 (a Fibonacci retracement level) and then rebounded after retesting $90,000, with price hovering around $92,000 on Friday. [26]
Indicators: mildly constructive, not euphoric
Investing.com’s real-time technical page shows many common indicators and moving averages leaning “buy”/“strong buy” at the snapshot time, while also flagging some overbought readings (a typical feature of range markets that bounce hard off support). [27]
Forecasts and outlook: what analysts are saying heading into year-end
Forecasts for bitcoin into late 2025 have converged dramatically compared with the “moonshot” calls earlier this year.
The $100,000 line is the new battlefield
Barron’s highlighted a key takeaway from strategist commentary: the Fed’s cautious tone and limited future-cut outlook contributed to a more risk-off feel, complicating bitcoin’s path back toward $100,000 in the near term. [28]
Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick—one of the most quoted institutional bulls—recently cut his year-end targets sharply, revising the bank’s end‑2025 target to $100,000 (down from $200,000) and trimming 2026 projections as well, citing weaker demand from “digital asset treasury” buyers and greater dependence on ETF flows. [29]
That’s a meaningful shift in market psychology: instead of debating whether BTC hits $200K, many forecasts now revolve around whether BTC can simply reclaim/hold six figures sustainably—especially with year-end liquidity thinning.
Media narratives are turning from “digital gold” to “gold vs bitcoin”
Two widely circulated Dec 12 pieces underscore the narrative pivot:
- An Australian outlet argued gold has outperformed bitcoin in 2025 and framed bitcoin’s volatility as a disadvantage versus traditional safe-havens. [30]
- Another headline roundup emphasized how many extreme 2025 bitcoin predictions have not materialized, with BTC trading around $92K and the year tracking close to flat. [31]
Whether or not one agrees with the framing, it reflects what often happens late in a choppy year: the market stops rewarding the most bullish stories and starts demanding clearer proof of renewed demand.
What to watch next (and what could change the bitcoin price “today” narrative fast)
With BTC consolidating, the next break is likely to come from a catalyst that changes positioning, liquidity, or institutional flow direction. Traders and analysts are focusing on:
- Post‑expiry volatility: whether the 08:00 UTC options expiry leads to a “pin” near max pain or a release move afterward. [32]
- ETF flow re-acceleration: whether the next U.S. sessions show sustained inflows (like Dec 10) or continued bleed (like Dec 11). [33]
- Equity-index decisions: Strategy’s Nasdaq 100 outcome (announced after the close) and ongoing MSCI index-rule debate—both of which can affect broader institutional narratives around crypto exposure. [34]
- Macro risk appetite: tech-sector confidence (after Oracle), the dollar, and the market’s interpretation of how much more easing is actually coming in 2026. [35]
Bottom line
Bitcoin price today is best described as stabilizing—but not escaping: BTC is holding the low-$90Ks, yet still trapped in the month’s well-defined range as traders weigh the Fed’s “cut but cautious” message, fragile risk sentiment, and a large derivatives expiry. [36]
For now, the market’s posture suggests a simple test: can bitcoin reclaim the mid-$94Ks convincingly, or does it drift back toward $90K as year-end liquidity fades? [37]
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
References
1. www.investing.com, 2. www.investing.com, 3. www.investing.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.marketwatch.com, 6. www.coindesk.com, 7. www.barrons.com, 8. www.investing.com, 9. www.investing.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.investing.com, 14. www.tradingview.com, 15. www.tradingview.com, 16. www.tradingview.com, 17. www.tradingview.com, 18. www.investing.com, 19. farside.co.uk, 20. farside.co.uk, 21. www.reuters.com, 22. www.reuters.com, 23. www.businessinsider.com, 24. www.investing.com, 25. www.investing.com, 26. www.fxstreet.com, 27. www.investing.com, 28. www.barrons.com, 29. www.marketwatch.com, 30. www.theaustralian.com.au, 31. www.news.com.au, 32. www.tradingview.com, 33. farside.co.uk, 34. www.reuters.com, 35. www.reuters.com, 36. www.investing.com, 37. www.investing.com
