Bitcoin Price Prediction: Final Shakeout Underway as Analysts Eye $88K Support and $94K Rally Target

Bitcoin's final shakeout phase is here—and analysts are mapping the path forward.

The $88K Floor

Market watchers are zeroing in on the $88,000 level as critical support. This isn't just another number—it's the line in the sand separating a healthy correction from something more concerning. Hold above it, and the bulls keep breathing room. Break below, and the narrative shifts.

The Road to $94K

If support holds, the next target is clear: a push toward $94,000. That rally would signal a decisive breakout, confirming the shakeout did its job—flushing out weak hands and setting a stronger foundation. It's the classic 'wash and rally' playbook, just with a few more zeros on the price tag.

Timing the Move

These final shakeouts are notoriously volatile. They cut through sentiment, bypass hesitant traders, and reward those with conviction. The process feels brutal in the moment—like the market's punishing everyone for showing up. But that's the point. It separates the tourists from the residents.

One cynical note for the finance traditionalists watching from the sidelines: while they're still debating whether crypto is 'real,' the market is busy printing its own reality—one where a $6,000 swing is just another Tuesday.

Watch the levels. Ignore the noise. The setup is forming.

The move comes after Bitcoin failed to break above the $93,000–$94,000 resistance band, triggering renewed selling pressure and pushing prices back toward the heavily watched $88,000–$89,000 demand zone. Market observers note that this area could determine whether Bitcoin stabilizes for a recovery toward $94,000 or extends its correction toward the lower support region around $85,000.

Bitcoin Tests Crucial Levels After Failing to Reclaim Resistance

Bitcoin slipped back toward key support areas after another unsuccessful attempt to clear the $93,000–$94,000 resistance band. Bitcoin price today sits near $90,407, down 1.68% over the past 24 hours, with more than $55 billion in trading volume shaping intraday volatility across the market.

Bitcoin failed to reclaim $93K–$94K and now looks set to retest the $88K–$89K support zone before its next major move. Source: @TedPillows via X

Some analysts describe the pullback as consistent with ongoing liquidity rotation and macro-driven caution. Market commentator Ted (@TedPillows) noted that bitcoin “tried to reclaim the $93,000–$94,000 level but failed,” adding that a revisit of the $88,000–$89,000 support zone is increasingly likely. “If Bitcoin holds this level, another rally could happen. Otherwise, BTC will drop towards the $85,000 level again,” he said.

This projected retest already materialized as Bitcoin touched $89,459 on December 11, 2025. Several technical tools, including VWAP, the Fibonacci 0.50 retracement, and liquidity clusters visible on the BTC liquidation heatmap, converge around the $89,000 region.

This alignment matters because it historically marks areas where traders concentrate orders, making the level a potential inflection point. However, these indicators largely reflect short-term behavior and should be evaluated alongside Bitcoin’s broader structure and the rising BTC market cap.

Analysts Describe the Pullback as a ‘Final Shakeout’

Sentiment turned sharply after Bitcoin slipped below the psychological $90,000 threshold. According to trader Merlijn The Trader (@MerlijnTrader), known for tracking macro accumulation ranges, the current decline fits the “final shakeout” model he previously referred to as a “fear box.”

Bitcoin enters its final shakeout as panic rises, discounts grow, and smart money quietly buys the fear. Source: @MerlijnTrader via X

“The crowd is panicking. The chart is screaming discount,” he wrote, adding that experienced traders often accumulate during periods of forced selling. “Smart money isn’t buying the breakout. They’re buying the blood.”

His accompanying 3-day chart highlights Bitcoin trading inside a high-value discount zone between $87,000 and $90,000 after failing to hold above a major resistance trendline NEAR $92,000. While the language is typical of trader communities, the underlying idea reflects a well-documented market behavior: capitulation often marks the later stages of corrections.

Demand Zone and Trendline Support Continue to Hold

Despite elevated volatility, several analysts argue that Bitcoin’s technical framework remains constructive. TradingView analyst Heniitrading, who frequently analyzes mid-term BTC market structure, noted that Bitcoin continues to respect a major demand zone reinforced by a rising trendline that has shaped price momentum for weeks.

BTC is holding its key demand zone and rising trend line, signaling a potential bullish launch toward the $93,800 supply zone. Source: Heniitrading on TradingView

The analyst emphasized that buyers have “repeatedly defended this area,” signaling sustained interest from long-side participants. Although Bitcoin faced strong rejection from the supply zone near $93,800, the recent retracement brought the price back into a high-value confluence zone, where horizontal support, the trendline, and past reaction points overlap.

As long as Bitcoin maintains this structure, analysts expect a possible revisit to the $93,800 supply region, though that outlook depends on consistent volume support and resistance absorption. A confirmed breakout above this level would strengthen the case for medium-term upside and support broader bitcoin price forecast narratives pointing toward higher targets in 2025 and beyond.

Market Outlook: Is a Rally Toward $94K Back on the Table?

Bitcoin’s current setup presents a mix of near-term risk and longer-term opportunity. If the $88,000–$89,000 support region continues to act as a firm base, analysts believe Bitcoin could attempt to reclaim its short-term bullish structure and retest the $93,000–$94,000 resistance zone.

Bitcoin was trading at around 90,407, down 1.68% in the last 24 hours at press time. Source: Bitcoin price via Brave New Coin

Institutional sentiment remains cautiously optimistic. Standard Chartered recently reiterated its $100,000 year-end target, citing improving long-term demand dynamics, steady accumulation trends, and growing interest in products such as the BlackRock Bitcoin ETF, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, and Fidelity Bitcoin ETF. These vehicles have become significant contributors to BTC liquidity, and inflows typically precede periods of upward momentum.