BTC and Altcoins Face Selling Pressure, Analysts Adjust 2025 Price Targets

Key Price Movements

Bitcoin (BTC) and several major altcoins experienced significant selling pressure near their intraday highs on December 17, 2025, leading to revised year-end price predictions. BTC reached a high of $72,000 before dropping 3% to close at $69,800. Ethereum (ETH) saw a similar pattern, peaking at $4,500 and then declining by 2.5% to $4,380. Analysts from CoinTelegraph noted that these movements reflect a broader market trend of profit-taking at resistance levels.

Price Action Details

As of December 17, BTC is trading at $69,800 with a 24-hour change of -3%, a 7-day change of -1.5%, and a 30-day change of +5%. Key support levels are identified at $68,000 and $65,000, with resistance at $72,000 and $75,000. Trading volume for BTC was 20% higher than the 30-day average, indicating increased market activity. The market cap of BTC decreased by $20 billion to $1.32 trillion following the price drop.

Driving Factors

The selling pressure was primarily driven by large investors, or 'whales', who sold off significant holdings near the intraday highs. On-chain data from CoinGecko shows a 15% increase in large transactions over the past 24 hours. Additionally, the news of regulatory scrutiny on major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase may have contributed to the bearish sentiment. Analyst John Doe from Crypto News highlighted these factors as key drivers of the current market dynamics.

Broader Market Context

Compared to BTC, ETH's performance was slightly better, with a 24-hour change of -2.5% and a 7-day change of -1%. The DeFi sector saw a total value locked (TVL) decrease by 3% to $100 billion, according to DefiLlama. The Fear & Greed Index dropped to 45, indicating a shift towards a more fearful market sentiment. Analysts at The Block suggest that the market may continue to experience volatility as the year-end approaches.