Bitcoin, the most popular form of digital money called cryptocurrency (Bitcoin), is experiencing some challenges. Recently, its price has shown signs of weakness after falling below an important upward trend, known as a long-term bull market channel. A bull market channel is a type of chart pattern that shows a steady and gradual price increase over time. Breaking below this pattern might indicate that Bitcoin is struggling to maintain its upward momentum.
Since breaking below this pattern, Bitcoin has made several attempts to climb back up, but it has faced resistance each time. Resistance is a term in trading that refers to a price level where selling becomes strong enough to prevent the price from rising further (Resistance Levels). Bitcoin’s inability to break through this resistance area has left many investors wondering whether its price will recover or continue to fall as we approach the end of 2025.
Bitcoin’s Struggles Below the Bull Market Channel
For six weeks, Bitcoin has been trading below its long-term bull market channel, which it had followed for nearly two years. During this time, the price has tried three times to re-enter the channel but failed each time. The area just below the channel has now become a new resistance level. Bitcoin’s price is currently stuck just under this resistance, suggesting it might try again to re-enter the channel soon.
An analyst known as Titan of Crypto shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that how Bitcoin reacts from this point could determine its future direction. It might come back to the bull market channel, or it could continue to move down for a longer period. Titan of Crypto’s accompanying chart highlights these struggles (post on X).
Recent Patterns Similar to 2021
Another analyst, Crypto Tice, pointed out that Bitcoin’s price movements in 2025 look similar to its performance in 2021. Back in 2021, Bitcoin formed a rounded top pattern, where the price gradually curved downward before a significant drop. Rounded tops can signal the end of an upward trend and the beginning of a downward one (Rounded Top Pattern).
In both 2021 and now, Bitcoin saw its price drop after hitting a high, then briefly bounce back up, only to face ongoing selling pressure. This cycle is often where traders sell Bitcoin to each other, shifting who holds their positions. Tice added that while Bitcoin could still climb to prices between $100,000 and $105,000, this range might also signal a slowdown in excitement and a shift toward more caution among traders. Back in 2021, seeing a similar price pattern led to a big price fall afterwards.
Different Views on Bitcoin’s Future
Opinions vary on what might happen next with Bitcoin. A trader named Tardigrade noted a bearish pennant formation appearing on Bitcoin’s weekly price chart. A bearish pennant is a chart pattern that often predicts price drops. It shows a steep decline, followed by the price staying within two narrowing lines that form a triangle. If this pattern continues, Bitcoin’s price might fall further, possibly down toward $60,000 (Bearish Pennant Formation).
On the other hand, VanEck, an investment company, reported that Bitcoin’s network hashrate has dropped by about 4% recently. The hashrate measures the total computing power used by Bitcoin miners who process transactions and secure its network. In the past, such drops in hashrate have sometimes occurred when Bitcoin’s price was near its lowest point, making this decline a potential contrarian signal. A contrarian signal suggests the opposite of what most people expect might happen (Bitcoin Network Hashrate, Contrarian Signal).
Current Bitcoin Trends and Market Outlook
At the time of writing, Bitcoin’s price is approximately $87,100. It has dropped by 2% in the past day but is up by 2% over the past week. Despite the recent slight price increase, Bitcoin’s performance during the fourth quarter of 2025 has been weak, with a 22% decline so far. This marks Bitcoin’s worst fourth quarter since 2018. As the year closes, many will be watching closely to see if Bitcoin can recover or if its price continues to slide.