rewrite this title Behind Bitcoin’s Sideways Grind, 10x Research Identifies Conditions For A Major Move

by
Alisa Davidson

Published: December 26, 2025 at 7:17 am Updated: December 26, 2025 at 7:17 am

by Ana

Edited and fact-checked:
December 26, 2025 at 7:17 am

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10x Research, a firm providing digital asset analysis for wealth managers and cryptocurrency service providers published a new report examining current market dynamics. According to the analysis, Bitcoin has experienced several weeks of sideways movement, creating frustration for both bullish and bearish investors, while underlying forces appear to be quietly shifting.

The report highlights a rare convergence of factors, including options positioning, volatility compression, and technical exhaustion, which historically have had more importance than news headlines. The analysts suggest that the absence of capital flows is not due to a lack of opportunities, but rather timing, and as year-end positioning transitions to new risk budgets, a number of previously overlooked signals are beginning to align. This convergence may indicate that the market is approaching an inflection point sooner than price movements alone would suggest.

The report notes a bearish formation in Bitcoin’s structure, but questions whether this is the correct setup to focus on. Since the October 10th Bitcoin crash, market structure has been notably impaired, with Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) outflows accelerating following the hawkish FOMC meeting on October 29th. By November 22nd, the initial sell-off appeared technically exhausted, yet a rebound did not occur, not because prices were unattractive, but because capital was not rotating into underperforming assets. Investors instead continued reallocating toward top-performing assets into the end of the year, leaving Bitcoin without additional support.

10x Research emphasizes that charts and indicators will be crucial to monitor in order to anticipate Bitcoin’s next multi-week movement.

Bitcoin Near $90,000, Analysts Eye Potential Breakout

As of the writing time, Bitcoin was trading at $88,665, reflecting a gain of more than 1.41% over the previous 24 hours. Data from CoinMarketCap showed an intraday low of $86,897 and a high of $89,411.

Short-term price action was described as largely range-bound, making both long and short positioning difficult to assess. Despite this, a move toward the $90,000 level triggered liquidations exceeding $200 million within a 24-hour period, according to figures from CoinGlass.

Market analysis account Crypto Ideology noted that the daily closing price remains a critical signal, pointing out that Bitcoin was attempting to break out of a two-month downward trend. It suggested that a confirmed breakout could open a path toward $95,000, which it described as a key resistance level, and that sustained trading above $95,000 could potentially lead to a move toward the weekly 50-period moving average, near the $100,000 region.

TradingView data indicated that the BTC/USD pair gained more than 2% on Friday, with buying momentum continuing through the Asian trading session. Before the opening of US markets, participants were closely watching a major Bitcoin options expiration event valued at nearly $24 billion, which many viewed as an opportunity for the market to reset and potentially support further price strength.

Commenting on the development, trader BitBull stated on X that as these options contracts expire, the hedging pressure that had been constraining price movement begins to fade, allowing market behavior to more accurately reflect actual positioning rather than derivatives-related mechanics. He noted that this shift often makes the overall price direction easier to interpret.

Cryptocurrency trader, analyst, and entrepreneur Michaël van de Poppe also shared his view that conditions for digital assets could improve after the start of the new year.

Writing on X, he observed that January typically marks a period of asset reallocation by fund managers and suggested that, based on current charts, traditional commodities and technology stocks appear less attractive, while equity indices remain stable and cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, stand out as potential beneficiaries. Van de Poppe also pointed to the continued outperformance of gold and silver, both of which reached new record highs during the session.

Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.

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