Bitcoin Rallies to $90,000 Amid Aggressive Spot Buying and Short Liquidations
On December 17, 2025, Bitcoin's price surged to $90,000 from an intraday low near $86,200, driven primarily by aggressive spot buying and the liquidation of over $110 million in short positions. Most of these liquidations occurred on BTC trading pairs within the past hour, reflecting a significant squeeze on bearish bets. Despite the price rally, bitcoin futures open interest showed only a muted change, indicating that the move was largely fueled by spot market activity rather than leveraged trading.
During the rally, Bitcoin's cumulative volume delta increased by 1,100%, a sign of aggressive buyers overpowering sellers—a pattern not observed since December 1. Meanwhile, Bitcoin dominance rose toward 60% as altcoins lagged, up from 56.7% in September.
Market analyst Julien Bittel of Global Macro Investor highlighted that Bitcoin's oversold relative strength index (RSI) suggests an extended bull market is underway. He also noted that the traditional four-year Bitcoin cycle may no longer apply due to changing liquidity dynamics, projecting a bullish outlook extending into 2026. Additionally, data from Velo shows that Wednesday has been the strongest performing weekday for Bitcoin over the past year.
