Bitcoin’s Critical Juncture: Navigating the $88K-$90K Support Battle
As Bitcoin hovers near the crucial $88,000-$90,000 support zone, the cryptocurrency market finds itself at a pivotal moment where short-term holder behavior could dictate the next major price movement. With recent buyers facing breakeven pressure, the battle between bullish stabilization and bearish acceleration intensifies—making this technical and on-chain confluence one of the most watched levels in recent trading history.
Bitcoin Tests Key Support as Fresh Buyers Face Breakeven Pressure
Bitcoin's slide below $90,000 has triggered a battle between bulls and bears, with the cryptocurrency now hovering NEAR critical on-chain support levels. Short-term holders who bought in the past month are at breakeven—a precarious position that could lead to either stabilization or accelerated selling.
Analyst Axel Adler identifies $88,000-$90,000 as a decisive zone where Bitcoin's realized price converges with the cost basis of recent buyers. The STH 0D-1D cohort ($89,800) and STH 1W-1M group ($90,000) now serve as the front line. A failure to hold risks cascading liquidations toward deeper supports.
Overhead resistance looms at $92,500 (1M-3M cohort) and $99,300 (aggregated STH realized price). Market structure suggests rallies may face exhaustion until these levels are reclaimed. Adler notes STH MVRV ratios approaching statistical extremes—a historically volatile inflection point.
Bitcoin Erases 2026 Gains Amid Market Turbulence
Bitcoin's 2026 performance has turned negative as geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic uncertainty weigh on crypto markets. The flagship cryptocurrency, which peaked at $120,000 in 2025, has now surrendered all year-to-date gains.
Market analysts point to President Trump's controversial Greenland acquisition proposal and shifting Fed policy expectations as key pressure points. The sell-off accelerated with $490 million fleeing US-listed bitcoin ETFs this week, according to Walter Bloomberg's market data.
Traders remain divided on BTC's near-term trajectory. While some see current levels as accumulation opportunities, others warn of further downside until macroeconomic clarity emerges. The market appears to be pricing in prolonged USD weakness and ongoing risk asset volatility.
Q4 2025 May Have Marked the End of Crypto Bear Market: Bitwise
The fourth quarter of 2025 could have quietly signaled the end of the crypto bear market, according to Bitwise's latest report. Despite lingering price weakness, underlying fundamentals across the sector showed marked improvement. On-chain activity, user engagement, and revenue metrics all trended upward, painting a bullish picture obscured by stagnant valuations.
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan draws parallels to early 2023, when crypto markets emerged from the FTX collapse. Bitcoin's rebound from $16,000 to $98,000 by 2025 began with similarly muted price action masking strengthening fundamentals. "The data was topsy-turvy then too," Hougan notes, "before two years of explosive growth."
Analysts remain divided on 2026's trajectory even as blockchain networks hit new activity highs. The current divergence between sentiment and on-chain health mirrors previous cycle inflection points where patience rewarded investors.
Ark Invest Forecasts $28 Trillion Crypto Market by 2030, Led by Bitcoin
Cathie Wood's Ark Invest has ignited market excitement with its "Big Ideas 2026" report, projecting a $28 trillion cryptocurrency valuation by 2030—a tenfold increase from current levels. Bitcoin is expected to dominate this growth, potentially capturing 70% of the market value.
The report outlines a base case scenario where Bitcoin's market cap reaches $16 trillion by 2030, translating to approximately $761,900 per BTC. In a bullish scenario, Wood reaffirms her $1.5 million price target, citing accelerated institutional adoption.
Corporate and ETF holdings now account for 12% of Bitcoin's supply, with institutional ownership surging 73% year-over-year. Declining volatility—below 50% annualized in 2025—signals Bitcoin's maturation as an asset class.
Nomura's Laser Digital Launches First Natively Tokenized Bitcoin Yield Fund
Laser Digital, the cryptocurrency subsidiary of Japanese investment bank Nomura, has unveiled a groundbreaking Bitcoin yield fund targeting institutional investors. The Laser Digital Bitcoin Diversified Yield Fund SP combines long BTC exposure with market-neutral strategies designed to outperform Bitcoin across all market conditions.
This marks the first Cayman-domiciled Bitcoin yield fund with native tokenization at the fund level, eliminating the need for special purpose vehicles. KAIO handles the tokenization while Komainu serves as custodian, enabling features like in-kind contributions and atomic settlement.
The fund represents an evolution of Laser Digital's Bitcoin Adoption Fund launched in 2023, positioning itself as a sophisticated tool for investors seeking both growth and income from their Bitcoin holdings. The structure allows simultaneous on-chain ownership alongside traditional share classes.
BlackRock Integrates Bitcoin Exposure into US Insurance Products Through Indexed Annuity
BlackRock is pioneering institutional Bitcoin access by embedding crypto-linked returns within regulated insurance frameworks. The asset manager's partnership with Delaware Life Insurance Company connects BTC exposure to fixed index annuities through a hybrid index combining S&P 500 ETFs with its $76 billion iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT).
This structural innovation bypasses direct crypto ownership, instead channeling Bitcoin's performance through insurance-compliant vehicles. The BlackRock US Equity Balanced Risk 12% Index now serves as conduit, merging traditional equity exposure with cryptocurrency participation under risk-managed parameters.
