Bitcoin Price Today Near $90,000 as Fed Meeting, ETF Flows and Mega Buys Shape BTC Outlook (December 9, 2025)

Bitcoin is trading around the $90,000 mark today, December 9, 2025, after briefly pushing above $92,000 earlier in the week. Real‑time market data shows BTC hovering near $89,800–$90,500, down roughly 1–2% over the last 24 hours, with today’s intraday range stretching from just under $89,700 to above $92,000. ^[1]

This comes only two months after Bitcoin’s all‑time high above $126,000, and roughly 10–12% above the late‑November lows near $80,500, underscoring how volatile 2025’s “post‑halving” cycle has been. ^[2]

Key takeaways

Price today: BTC is trading just above $90,000, having slipped around 1–2% in the last 24 hours after failing to hold above the $92,000 resistance zone. ^[3]
Macro focus: Traders are laser‑focused on tomorrow’s Federal Reserve decision, with markets pricing in another 25 bps rate cut and a shift from quantitative tightening to a more neutral or even liquidity‑adding stance. ^[4]
Institutional demand:MicroStrategy just bought 10,624 BTC (~$963 million) at an average price of $90,615, bringing its stash to 660,624 BTC and reinforcing the $90k area as a psychological support zone. ^[5]
Derivatives say “caution”: Options and futures data show bearish positioning and demand for downside protection, with analysts warning that BTC could remain range‑bound between $90,000 and $93,000 in the short term. ^[6]
Forecasts are wildly split: Short‑term models cluster around $90k–$92k for December, while long‑term forecasts for 2026 range from “cycle top is already in” to targets as aggressive as $150,000–$180,000 per BTC. ^[7]

Bitcoin price today: Range‑bound around $90,000

As of this afternoon, Bitcoin (BTC) is trading close to $90,000, slightly below yesterday’s highs and modestly red on the day. Real‑time quotes put BTC around $89,868, roughly 1.9% lower than the previous close, with today’s high near $92,203 and a low just under $89,700.

Other market trackers show a similar picture: TradingEconomics lists BTC/USD near $90,483, down 0.17% on the session — a small move that masks big underlying tension ahead of tomorrow’s Fed meeting. ^[8]

Short‑term context:

Over the last week, Bitcoin has chopped mostly between $88,000 and $92,000.
According to CoinCodex, BTC’s seven‑day change is around +3.5%, but technical sentiment is still strongly bearish, with roughly 87% of indicators flashing “sell” as of early December 9. ^[9]
Changelly’s dashboard likewise shows “extreme fear” on the crypto Fear & Greed Index (around 20/100), despite a spot price just above $91,000 earlier today. ^[10]

In other words, price is stable, but nerves are not.

Why Bitcoin is stuck: Fed rate cut, liquidity shift and data gaps

The Fed meeting is the main event

Markets are now fixated on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision scheduled for Wednesday, December 10. Economists and traders overwhelmingly expect the Fed to cut rates by another 25 basis points, bringing the policy rate into the 3.50–3.75% range. ^[11]

A widely read analysis from MEXC argues that Bitcoin tracks global liquidity (M2 money supply) more closely than interest rates themselves, noting:

Global M2 across major central banks hit a record above $105 trillion in November 2025, signaling a synchronized easing cycle.
The Fed ended quantitative tightening (QT) on December 1, redirecting $15–20 billion per month of mortgage‑backed security paydowns into short‑term Treasuries rather than allowing balance‑sheet runoff.
Historically, Bitcoin has followed changes in global liquidity with a 60–90‑day lag, pointing to a potential inflection window around late January to early February 2026. ^[12]

This helps explain why Bitcoin’s reaction so far has been muted rather than euphoric. The widely expected 25 bps cut is already in the price; traders care more about:

How aggressive the Fed’s 2026 rate path (the “dot plot”) looks
Whether Chair Jerome Powell hints at further balance‑sheet support
How the Fed talks about growth and labor data, which are still distorted by recent government data delays ^[13]

Monday’s rally above $92,000

On Monday, Bitcoin briefly surged past $92,000, extending a weekend rebound. The Economic Times linked that move to expectations of a “dovish surprise” from the Fed, where policymakers could effectively “turn the money printers on” via creative bond purchases that boost banking‑system liquidity, even without a formal QE program. ^[14]

The same report highlighted:

Traders betting on easier monetary policy to lift risk assets
Recent approval by the CFTC for spot crypto products on regulated exchanges, widening access for U.S. investors
A broader crypto market that remains relatively firm, with Ethereum above $3,000 and XRP above $2 despite Bitcoin’s choppiness ^[15]

But that optimism faded as BTC again failed to hold above resistance in the low $92,000s, sliding back toward $90,000 today.

Institutions are still buying: MicroStrategy, ETFs and “smart money”

MicroStrategy’s $962 million bet at $90k

One of the biggest stories around Bitcoin price today is MicroStrategy’s latest mega‑buy.

On December 8, Michael Saylor confirmed that the firm acquired 10,624 BTC for roughly $962.7 million, at an average price of $90,615 per coin. That brings MicroStrategy’s total to 660,624 BTC, acquired for about $49.35 billion at an average cost basis of $74,696 per Bitcoin. ^[16]

Commentary from MEXC and FXLeaders frames this as a “whale signal”:

The purchase size (~$1 billion) is large even by crypto standards.
The timing — during macro uncertainty and a steep drawdown from the $126k top — suggests MicroStrategy views $90,000 as long‑term value.
Large, price‑sensitive buys at well‑defined levels can turn those levels into support zones, because other institutions take their cue from the biggest corporate holder on the planet. ^[17]

CryptoNews notes that Saylor has been pitching Bitcoin to sovereign wealth funds, banks and over 100 institutional investors, and that his latest purchase coincides with whales opening tens of millions of dollars in new BTC long positions in derivatives markets. ^[18]

ETFs: Flows cool, structure evolves

ETF flows are more mixed:

An Alphanode analysis reports that BlackRock’s IBIT spot Bitcoin ETF has become the asset manager’s single largest revenue contributor, after amassing around tens of billions in AUM. ^[19]
At the same time, headlines about several billion dollars of net outflows from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs spooked retail investors. MEXC’s breakdown argues that most of those outflows were basis‑trade unwinds (short‑term arbitrage exploiting futures/spot spreads), not long‑term holders dumping BTC. ^[20]
Vanguard has reportedly opened access to Bitcoin ETFs for more than 50 million customers, further integrating BTC into mainstream investment platforms. ^[21]

So while ETF flows are no longer one‑way bullish, the infrastructure and institutional plumbing around Bitcoin keeps deepening, even during this consolidation near $90,000.

What derivatives and technicals say about BTC right now

Short‑term traders are watching derivative markets and key chart levels very closely.

Options: Paying up for downside protection

FXLeaders’ December 9 analysis points to a notably bearish skew in the options market:

On Deribit, 30‑day BTC options show traders willing to pay a double‑digit premium for puts over calls, signaling strong demand for downside insurance.
Stablecoins like USDT in China are trading at a discount to the official USD rate, which historically aligns with local selling pressure in crypto markets. ^[22]

CoinCodex and Changelly both classify overall BTC technical sentiment as “bearish”, with only a small minority of indicators flashing buy signals, reinforcing the picture of a cautious market. ^[23]

Futures and order books: Heavy selling above $90k

Order‑book data cited by FXLeaders suggests:

Thick sell walls starting near $90,000 and intensifying between $94,000 and $95,000.
Smaller traders (0–100 BTC) are actively trading around these levels, but larger players (1,000–1,000,000 BTC) appear to be selling into rallies in the $90k–$93k region. ^[24]

Their base case: Bitcoin remains range‑bound between $90,000 and $93,000 unless a major macro surprise or data release changes the mood.

CoinNews’ Saylor‑focused analysis adds another important detail:
there is a CME futures “gap” around $85,000–$86,000 that remains unfilled. Some traders expect price to dip toward that zone to “close the gap” before any sustained move back above $94,000 and toward six figures. ^[25]

Bigger picture: Has Bitcoin already topped this cycle?

A DailyForex weekly analysis notes that:

BTC has already fallen about 36% from its 2025 high above $126,000 to a low near $80,500.
Price is now roughly 14% above that low, in what looks like an early‑stage recovery.
If historical patterns repeat, a 67% rally from current levels could eventually propel BTC toward ~$133,900, but only if bulls can reclaim the yearly open above $93,000 and the 50‑week moving average near $102,200. ^[26]

In contrast, a widely shared Seeking Alpha article argues that Bitcoin “likely peaked” in this price cycle around $126,000, pointing to the absence of a classic blow‑off top and less extreme overbought readings than in previous bull markets. ^[27]

Short‑term forecasts for December 2025

Despite the drama of 2025, most short‑term models see limited upside or downside from today’s levels.

Quant/indicator‑based forecasts

Changelly projects that for December 2025, Bitcoin will trade mostly in a band between roughly $90,000 and $92,100, with an average price around $91,000 — implying only fractional returns from here. ^[28]
CoinCodex is similarly conservative, expecting BTC to fluctuate this month between about $90,093 and $91,345, with short‑term targets over the next five days clustering near $91,300 (only about 1–2% above spot). Their technical dashboard also labels sentiment as bearish (87% of indicators). ^[29]
A prediction‑market contract on Polymarket that asked “What will the Bitcoin price be on December 9?” showed its highest probabilities in the $88,000–$92,000 ranges, which is precisely where spot has ended up today. ^[30]

Legacy forecasts vs reality

Earlier in the year, some research shops and exchanges were significantly more optimistic:

A CoinDCX forecast published earlier this cycle argued that structural factors and institutional inflows could push Bitcoin to around $111,500 by December 2025, about 22% above then‑current levels. With BTC now near $90k, that target has not materialised, illustrating how quickly conditions changed after the October peak. ^[31]
Analysts at Standard Chartered had once floated a $200,000 year‑end 2025 target, driven largely by spot ETF flows. More recent coverage now frames 2025 as a “rollercoaster that may end on a low,” given the sharp drawdown from $126k and softening flows. ^[32]

The bottom line for December:
Most near‑term models now expect modest, choppy price action around current levels, with more dramatic moves likely delayed until after the Fed decision and into Q1 2026.

2026 and beyond: Ultra‑bulls vs cycle‑top skeptics

If short‑term predictions look boring, the longer‑term outlook is anything but. Forecasts for 2026 and later span an enormous range.

The ultra‑bull camp

Brad Garlinghouse (Ripple CEO)
- Speaking at Binance Blockchain Week, Garlinghouse predicted that Bitcoin could hit $180,000 by December 31, 2026, citing:
  - Ongoing regulatory progress in the U.S.
  - The proposed CLARITY Act, which would define digital‑asset rules and clarify SEC/CFTC roles
  - Growing institutional adoption and the entrance of giants like Vanguard and Franklin Templeton into the Bitcoin ETF arena. ^[33]
Bernstein (global brokerage and research firm)
- Bernstein’s latest note puts a $150,000 Bitcoin target for 2026, arguing that the traditional four‑year halving cycle has broken down.
- They describe the current environment as an “elongated bull market” driven by sticky institutional buying, which may offset retail panic selling. ^[34]
Macro‑liquidity bulls
- MEXC’s macro study suggests that if the correlation between Bitcoin and global M2 holds, continued liquidity expansion could support targets between $100,000 and $170,000 over the next cycle, especially if the post‑QT regime turns into outright balance‑sheet expansion. ^[35]
Long‑horizon modelling (Coinspeaker, others)
- A multi‑year forecast from Coinspeaker places Bitcoin’s average 2026 price around $102,000, rising to $140k–$170k by 2030–2035, based on historical cycles, tightening supply and broader adoption. ^[36]

Several mainstream investing outlets, such as The Motley Fool, have also floated $130,000‑ish targets for 2026, framing BTC as a “digital cousin of gold” with finite supply. ^[37]

The cautious and bearish camp

On the other side, a cluster of analysts warn that the top may already be behind us:

The Seeking Alpha piece arguing that Bitcoin has “likely peaked in this price cycle” at ~$126k points to a cooling of on‑chain and momentum indicators compared with prior bull‑market climaxes. ^[38]
A Coindesk market note from December 8 describes Bitcoin near $90,500 as being in a “fragile setup to shocks,” with thin liquidity and weak ETF inflows leaving BTC vulnerable to downside surprises. ^[39]
FXLeaders’ coverage of today’s price action emphasizes weak futures premiums, persistent selling pressure above $90k and options markets that are heavily skewed toward protective puts — hardly the signs of a euphoric bull phase. ^[40]

The market itself is sending a mixed signal:
price is well off the 2025 highs, but institutions are still quietly accumulating and macro liquidity is turning more supportive.

Key levels to watch in the days ahead

Across today’s research notes, several price zones keep coming up:

Immediate support:
- $90,000 – psychological level, MicroStrategy’s latest buying zone, and a line the bulls are highly motivated to defend. ^[41]
- $87,900–$88,000 – recent weekend low that held and triggered the rebound above $91k. ^[42]
- $85,000–$86,000 – CME futures gap area that some analysts expect to be retested before a sustained push higher. ^[43]
Near‑term resistance:
- $92,000–$92,250 – zone where Monday’s rally stalled and where today’s attempts have repeatedly failed. ^[44]
- $93,660 – next major resistance on some trading desks’ charts. ^[45]
- $96,500 – a break above here would likely invalidate the current descending trend from the 2025 top and open the path toward $100k. ^[46]
Bigger‑picture levels:
- $100,000 – a psychologically crucial number and prior resistance from earlier in 2025. ^[47]
- $102,200 – 50‑week moving average and structural pivot in some long‑term technical setups. ^[48]
- $126,000+ – current all‑time high; whether BTC revisits or exceeds this level may define whether the “cycle‑top” or “elongated bull market” thesis wins. ^[49]

For now, most short‑term analysts agree: a clean break above $93k–$96k or a decisive loss of $90k is needed to resolve the current stalemate.

What today’s Bitcoin price means for investors

For traders and investors looking at Bitcoin price today, a few practical themes stand out:

Macro is in the driver’s seat.
Tomorrow’s Fed decision, and especially its guidance on 2026, is likely to matter more than any particular chart pattern in the next few days.
Institutions are buying dips, not chasing highs.
From MicroStrategy’s billion‑dollar buy at $90k to sovereign‑wealth‑fund conversations and mainstream ETF adoption, the structural bid under Bitcoin remains visible, even while retail sentiment is in “extreme fear.” ^[50]
Short‑term models see sideways action.
Quant forecasts for December cluster tightly around current prices; they do not see a high‑probability, near‑term blast back to $120k or a crash to $50k — though either is always possible in a market as volatile as BTC. ^[51]
Long‑term uncertainty is huge.
Credible analysts and firms are publishing targets ranging from “cycle top already in” to $180,000 by 2026, which tells you less about which number is “right” and more about how uncertain and path‑dependent crypto markets remain. ^[52]

Important: Nothing in this article is investment advice. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and speculative. You should do your own research and, if needed, consult a qualified financial professional before investing.