Rongchai Wang
Dec 26, 2025 16:43
Bitcoin trades at $87,279.53 down 1.1% as massive options expiry threatens volatility while JPMorgan’s potential crypto pivot signals institutional shift.
Quick Take
• BTC trading at $87,279.53 (down 1.1% in 24h)
• $23 billion Bitcoin options expire today, potentially amplifying volatility
• JPMorgan considering institutional crypto trading services marks major policy reversal
• Bitcoin holding above critical support as traditional markets remain closed
Market Events Driving Bitcoin Price Movement
The cryptocurrency market faces a critical juncture today as approximately $23 billion worth of Bitcoin options are set to expire, creating potential for significant price volatility in thin holiday trading conditions. This massive expiry represents one of the largest options settlements of the year and comes at a time when many traditional market participants remain away from their desks.
Adding a contrasting narrative to the immediate volatility concerns, JPMorgan Chase’s reported consideration of offering cryptocurrency trading services to institutional clients has provided an underlying bullish sentiment throughout the week. This represents a dramatic shift from CEO Jamie Dimon’s historically critical stance on cryptocurrencies and signals growing institutional acceptance of digital assets among traditional financial powerhouses.
The combination of these factors has created a complex trading environment where short-term technical pressures from options positioning clash with longer-term institutional adoption narratives. The BTC price has shown resilience above the $86,000 level despite the looming expiry pressure, suggesting underlying demand remains intact.
Bitcoin Technical Analysis: Consolidation Phase
Price Action Context
Bitcoin currently trades below its key short-term moving averages, with the 7-day SMA at $87,900.11 and 20-day SMA at $88,820.53 acting as immediate resistance levels. The BTC price remains significantly below the 200-day moving average of $107,475.34, indicating the broader trend remains challenged despite recent institutional developments.
Trading volume on Binance spot market reached $1.6 billion over the past 24 hours, reflecting heightened activity ahead of the options expiry. This elevated volume suggests institutional participants are actively managing their positions rather than passive holiday trading.
Key Technical Indicators
The RSI reading of 42.46 places Bitcoin in neutral territory, avoiding oversold conditions despite the recent decline. The MACD histogram shows a bullish divergence at 173.9095, suggesting momentum may be shifting despite the negative MACD reading of -1,304.2480.
Bollinger Bands position Bitcoin at 0.3097, indicating the price sits in the lower third of the recent trading range but hasn’t reached extreme oversold levels that typically mark capitulation points.
Critical Price Levels for Bitcoin Traders
Immediate Levels (24-48 hours)
• Resistance: $89,567.75 (24-hour high and EMA 26 confluence)
• Support: $86,655.08 (24-hour low and psychological level)
Breakout/Breakdown Scenarios
A break below $84,450.01 immediate support could trigger a test of the strong support zone at $80,600.00, potentially coinciding with increased selling pressure from options settlement. Conversely, a move above $89,567.75 would target the immediate resistance at $94,588.99, where significant option strike concentrations likely exist.
BTC Correlation Analysis
Bitcoin technical analysis shows the cryptocurrency trading independently of traditional markets due to the holiday schedule, with most equity and bond markets closed. This isolation amplifies the impact of crypto-specific events like the options expiry and JPMorgan news.
The correlation with broader cryptocurrency markets remains strong, with Bitcoin continuing to lead sector sentiment despite recent underperformance relative to some alternative cryptocurrencies.
Trading Outlook: Bitcoin Near-Term Prospects
Bullish Case
Successful navigation of today’s options expiry without significant downside could clear technical overhead resistance and allow Bitcoin to challenge the $90,000-$94,000 range. JPMorgan’s potential entry into cryptocurrency services could catalyze additional institutional interest in early 2026.
Bearish Case
Heavy selling pressure from options settlement, combined with thin holiday liquidity, could drive BTC price toward the $80,000-$82,000 support zone. Year-end tax selling and profit-taking could exacerbate any technical breakdown.
Risk Management
Given the elevated volatility from options expiry, traders should consider reducing position sizes and implementing stop-losses below $84,000 for long positions. The daily ATR of $3,050.76 suggests significant intraday movement potential, requiring careful attention to position sizing and risk parameters.
Image source: Shutterstock
Source: https://blockchain.news/news/20251226-bitcoin-options-expiry-looms-as-23b-worth-set-to-expire
