Bitcoin (BTC) dropped below $87,000 following the Wall Street open on Monday as sellers liquidated $200 million of BTC longs.
Key points:
Bitcoin dipped to $86,625, with a wave of selling coinciding with Wall Street’s return.
Market consensus suggests new lows are likely before recovery can occur.
Strategy reveals an additional purchase of 10,000 BTC, this time at prices exceeding $92,000.
Bitcoin longs face the consequences as market declines rapidly
Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed a tumultuous start to the US trading week.
Sell pressure surged at the opening bell, with analysts pointing to Binance and Wintermute as significant sources of supply.
🚨 BREAKING:
BINANCE AND WINTERMUTE DUMPING MILLIONS OF $BTC
THEY LIQUIDATED OVER $100M LONG POSITIONS IN 5 MINUTES
THIS IS PURE MANIPULATION!! 👀 pic.twitter.com/0dliky4ypv
— ᴛʀᴀᴄᴇʀ (@DeFiTracer) December 15, 2025
Liquidations of long positions escalated rapidly, exceeding $200 million within just over an hour, according to data from CoinGlass.
Commenting on the situation, bearish traders expressed skepticism about any impending trend reversal or substantial relief rally.
“My only concern now is that selling volume is low, suggesting a potential bounce around 84k,” trader Roman stated in an X update.
“Even if we do bounce, I still anticipate we’ll hit 76k eventually.”
Traders analyzed order-book data, with Daan Crypto Trades noted the current price movement as a “massive liquidity hunt.”
“I anticipate more erratic movements leading into the new year,” he predicted, alluding to a chart pattern where prices oscillate sharply before reverting.
Despite prices nearing new month-to-date lows, AlejandroBTC remained cautiously optimistic about the eventual trajectory.
“We’ve finally broken out of the range that had been established since early December. This indicates we may explore the next set of lows while still operating within a larger range,” he informed his X followers.
“Nothing has altered. The short-term direction remains unclear, but I still foresee a push towards 100K–105K once this range resolves.”
Strategy measures BTC “buy” at $92,000
In typical fashion, the downturn in BTC prices increased as Strategy, the public firm with the largest Bitcoin treasury, disclosed another acquisition.
Related: Bears dominate below $90K? 5 insights into Bitcoin this week
A recent filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) indicated the firm acquired 10,645 BTC at an average price of $92,098 per coin.
Saylor can buy $10 billion and the price would still plummet because they aren’t unloading actual Bitcoin.
Happy Monday US market open. pic.twitter.com/wE78IZVdiM
— WhalePanda (@WhalePanda) December 15, 2025
As reactions lamented the negative effect on price trends, on-chain analysis suggested that a long-term bottom was forming.
“As expected, the premium that Bitcoin longs are paying to shorts on leveraged trades reversed at the peak of the descending pattern we’ve observed since July,” On-Chain College commented in an X post regarding Bitcoin futures markets’ funding rates.
“This chart implies that a bottom is being established, but we anticipate further declines in both price and funding rates temporarily.”
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