Why Is Bitcoin Falling? Price Tumbles 16% from Monthly High Before New Year

Bitcoin has entered a significant slump, dipping below $92,000, the lowest since breaking through $100,000 in early December. As 2024 draws to a close, profit-taking by long-term holders and macroeconomic factors could be driving the largest cryptocurrency to its lowest point in weeks.

Investors, particularly those holding Bitcoin for extended periods, could also be seizing the opportunity to cash out after a remarkable year of growth that saw the digital asset surge by more than 100%.

Profit-Taking and Market Sentiment

Bitcoin’s ongoing price fall, at $93,594 at the time of publication, represents a 16% decline from its peak of $108k on December 17, data from CoinMarketCap shows. The sell-off, which has also impacted other cryptocurrencies like Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL), comes amid broader financial market pressures.

Fundamentally, the main factor for Bitcoin's downturn is profit-taking by long-term holders, who have benefited from the cryptocurrency’s significant price increase this year.

While profit-taking is a key factor, macroeconomic conditions are also playing an important role. The uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy, especially as it’s likely to pause rate cuts until March 2025, has added to investor caution.

As U.S. markets retreat, with indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq down over 1%, sentiment in the cryptocurrency space remains fragile. Despite substantial acquisitions from major players like MicroStrategy and Tether, Bitcoin’s technical indicators suggest the price could face further declines.

MicroStrategy just bought 2,138 more BTC, bringing its total holdings to 446,400 BTC. Tether, too, has continued to build its Bitcoin reserves, now holding over $7.7 billion worth of the cryptocurrency.

MicroStrategy has acquired 2,138 BTC for ~$209 million at ~$97,837 per bitcoin and has achieved BTC Yield of 47.8% QTD and 74.1% YTD. As of 12/29/2024, we hodl 446,400 $BTC acquired for ~$27.9 billion at ~$62,428 per bitcoin. $MSTR https://t.co/58aXM7g6u2

However, even with these acquisitions, Bitcoin's price has continued its downward trend, signaling that the market may not be ready for a rebound just yet. Technical analysis reveals that Bitcoin is struggling to maintain key support levels.

Bitcoin’s Technical Outlook

On the daily chart, the cryptocurrency flipped the 50-day Exponential Moving Average into resistance and tested the crucial $91,883 support level before rebounding to $94,325. However, BTC remains above the $200 moving average, which is acting as support.

It is important to note that if the price drops below the $91k support level, it could decline further before any change of trend can be seen. In this case, potential levels to watch are $72,341, $67,928, or $61,152. Additionally, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is above the oversold zone at 44, meaning that the price could further go down, at least in the short term.

As we move into 2025, Bitcoin's outlook remains uncertain. While the cryptocurrency has seen impressive gains in 2024, the market may be entering a phase of consolidation or a bear market. The path ahead is less clear for the top digital asset, with the potential for further volatility in 2025.