Cryptocurrency Markets Enter Turbulent Phase: Bitcoin Struggles While Altcoins Show Mixed Signals

The cryptocurrency landscape is experiencing intense fluctuations as winter holiday trading winds down and macro headwinds persist. Bitcoin’s recent performance has been particularly telling—the flagship asset attempted multiple breakouts above the psychological $90,000 resistance but failed to sustain momentum, instead retreating by thousands of dollars within mere minutes. This pattern has reinforced bearish sentiment across the market, with ripple effects extending to major altcoins that have faced renewed selling pressure.

Bitcoin’s Resistance Battle Around the $90K Zone

Bitcoin entered the final week of the year with considerable uncertainty. Price action revealed a familiar scenario: the asset climbed toward $90,400 in early week trading, creating brief optimism among bulls. However, this rally proved short-lived as supply overwhelmed demand. Within days, Bitcoin descended below $87,000, demonstrating the fragility of each recovery attempt. By late Friday trading, another assault on the $90,000 level materialized but once again collapsed before establishing dominance, with the price sliding to $86,500 in under an hour before partial recovery.

The current snapshot shows Bitcoin trading around $90.83K with a 24-hour loss of approximately -2.37%, while its market capitalization stands near $1814.59B. Bitcoin’s dominance ratio has stabilized around 57.5%, though the market value of the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem dipped below $3.04 trillion before rebounding. The persistent failure to establish a sustained position above $90,000 suggests that short-term sellers remain emboldened, making aggressive positioning risky.

The Altcoin Story: Divergence and Unexpected Winners

The broader altcoin complex mirrored Bitcoin’s weakness during recent sessions. Ethereum struggled against the $3,000 ceiling, trading closer to the $3.04K support level. XRP faced similar headwinds, briefly dipping below $1.90 support before stabilizing near $1.92. Among the largest cap alternatives, DogeCoin (DOGE) and Chainlink (LINK) emerged as notable losers, with DOGE posting a -2.03% loss and LINK declining -2.77%, reflecting the market-wide risk-off sentiment.

Yet the picture wasn’t uniformly bearish. ZCash (ZEC) defied the trend, though recent data shows -4.15% movement—suggesting earlier 13% gains may have already been partially retraced. Similarly, Hyperliquid (HYPE) exhibited volatility with a -7.20% recent adjustment, pointing to continued profit-taking after breakout moves. Monero (XMR) maintained relative stability, offering some refuge for selective buyers seeking alternatives with different risk profiles.

What Gives Markets a Lifeline

Despite the holiday-season selling and macro uncertainty, several factors provided backstop support. Spot Bitcoin ETF inflows accelerated on a weekly basis, with institutional allocators apparently using year-end portfolio rebalancing as a buying opportunity. This suggests that while retail sentiment appears cautious, larger players continue positioning for the medium term. Additionally, the cryptocurrency market’s ability to maintain valuation above the $3 trillion aggregate level, despite $40 billion in liquidations over 24 hours, indicates that foundational demand remains intact.

The current market dynamic illustrates a classic consolidation phase. Bitcoin’s repeated rejection at $90,000 isn’t necessarily bearish long-term—it may simply reflect the time needed for supply to be absorbed before the next leg higher. However, traders should anticipate continued fluctuations with low volume characteristic of year-end trading. Macro data releases and ETF developments will likely be the decisive catalysts determining whether Bitcoin can finally break through resistance or faces additional pullback.