Crypto market cap slips over 2%; Bitcoin near $87,000, Ethereum at $2,930 amid thin year-end volumes

The crypto market capitalisation has slipped over 2%, with Bitcoin and Ethereum trading at $87,331 and $2,952 respectively, mirroring weakness across global risk assets as year-end volumes thinned. In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin and Ethereum fell 2.88% each. Among the major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Tron, Dogecoin, Cardano, and Hyperliquid edged down up to 8% in the past 24 hours. The global crypto market capitalisation edged down 2.76% to $2.96 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.

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Riya Sehgal, Research Analyst at Delta Exchange, said that the risk-off tone reflects a mix of macro caution and technical resistance. Asian equities eased after a seven-day rally, while investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s December meeting minutes for clues on 2026 rate policy.


Sehgal added that precious metals also corrected sharply after hitting record highs, signalling broader profit-taking across markets. Heading into 2026, analysts expect consolidation to persist until liquidity and institutional inflows return, with macro policy signals and ETF flows likely to set the tone for Q1.

Bitcoin and Ethereum fell 0.94% and 1.28%, respectively, in the past week. Among the major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Dogecoin, and Cardano corrected nearly 7% in the past week, whereas Tron and Hyperliquid were up by 0.30% and 6.74%, respectively, in the same period.

The CoinDCX Research Team said the bears have yet again restricted the Bitcoin price rally below $90,000, as the token maintains its trade around $87,000 after a rejection. After the recent pullback, the crypto market cap shed nearly $100 billion, dropping from a $3.02 trillion peak to $2.93 trillion.

Here is what other analyst say

CoinSwitch Markets Desk

CoinSwitch Markets Desk noted that BTC slipped after another failed attempt to hold above the $90K level, triggering a wave of long liquidations as overleveraged traders were forced to exit. The rejection near resistance, combined with thin liquidity, accelerated the downside move towards the $87K zone. Immediate support lies around $87,000–$87,300.

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In the short term, BTC is likely to trade range-bound between $87K and $89K. A break below support could invite a further dip, while a clean reclaim of $88.8K–$89.5K may trigger a short squeeze. Traders should reduce leverage, respect key levels, and wait for confirmation.

Nischal Shetty, Founder, WazirX, said that over the past 24–25 hours, global markets have remained firmly in macro-watch mode, with investors reacting more to liquidity signals and geopolitics than asset-specific narratives. Traditional markets have absorbed most of the immediate capital rotation. Gold and silver saw sharp moves followed by cooling, equities remained range-bound, and FX volatility stayed contained. This backdrop has kept crypto in consolidation mode, with traders reluctant to commit heavily until a clearer macro direction emerges.

Crypto markets are digesting global liquidity signals, waiting for volume and conviction to return before the next directional move.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)